Thoughts from the Bus Stop

Too Dirty To Love: a Charlotte Blacker animation for Caspar Babypants

Yay! Another lovely collaboration between animator Charlotte Blacker and musician-for-kids Caspar Babypants (a.k.a. Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the United States of America). Caspar says:

"Charlotte Blacker (Stompy the Bear) is back and made this little dreamy world for a little girl who LOVES mud to romp around in. I love that she has red hair just like Rachel Flotard who sings with me on this song. Enjoy and stay dirty kids!"
 

SONG OF THE DAY: BMX Bandits - Getting Dirty *

 

Black Holes: Spaghettification animation by Grace Helmer

Black Holes from Grace Helmer on Vimeo

This witty hand-drawn animation presents some seriously weird science in a way even I can understand! You can see more of Grace's illustration work on her website: www.gracehelmer.co.uk

* SONG OF THE DAY: Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science *

5th June 2013 - Edited to add: Grace's work The Fugitive has just won the V&A Museum's Student Illustrator of the Year!

Aleksandr, the Last Knitter

Aleksandr (english subtitle) from Aleksandr Team on Vimeo.

This lovely animation tells the tale of Aleksandr, the last knitter in a community who live above the clouds. They've been up there for so long, they can't remember why...

Knitted animation: Stompy The Bear by Charlotte Blacker for Caspar Babypants

 

'Stompy The Bear' is a joymaking collaboration between singer songwriter Caspar Babypants and knitting animator Charlotte Blacker (see my previous post about her short film 'Little Red Plane'.)

Thanks go to Charlotte's dad, Roy, for contacting me to tell me about it! (My dad is also called Roy... aww.) And now for some more bear-based fun with everyone's favourite quirky Quebecoises...

* SONG OF THE DAY: Tricot Machine - L'Ours *

Knitted animation: Little Red Plane by Charlotte Blacker

The Little Red Plane is a gorgeous knitted animation by Charlotte Blacker, a stop motion/2D animator and compositor living both in London and Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

She graduated from The University of Central Lancashire in 2010 with a First in Animation and later went on to win a Royal Television Society Award for The Little Red Plane. 

She's currently working on more film projects, hopefully involving knitting - so watch this space!

* SONG OF THE DAY: Suzy Bogguss & Tom Russell - Outbound Plane *

The Knitting Gorilla

Screenshot from 'The Kniting Gorilla', via BBC iPlayer

From CBBC's 'World of Happy', a sweet animated tale of how knitting brought a father and son together: The Knitting Gorilla

Hotting up: Knitted stop-motion advert

This fantastic advert uses knitting to represent a house warming up when its heating system comes on.

And here's how they did it. Such patience and skill!

David Shrigley's funny video for Pringle jumpers

>* SONG OF THE DAY: Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song) * *

Paper Cutout Animation

Video for NZBC, via YouTube

Via CraftStylish: This is a beautiful stop-motion animation, made for the New Zealand Book Council by Anderson M Studio. It's been created from the pages of a book ('Going West' by Maurice Gee) - goodness knows how long it must have taken!

It reminds me of Su Blackwell's work, especially the ad she did for Beringer wine (below). I love stop-motion animation but am in awe of the animators - I just don't think I'd have the patience (or skill!) required to produce it myself!

Beringer advert, via YouTube

Dumplings à la Paddington

Image (c) Roy Bailey 1978

While staying with Mum and Dad last week I ended up going through old photo albums and have picked a few favourites I want to share.

Here I am aged three and a half, 'helping' my dad decorate the spare room for the arrival of the new baby (The Blonde). I'm not sure what I'm wearing on my head but I suspect it's one of Dad's hankies, which have been a constant comfort to me during times of crisis, when he has offered them up to be covered in tears/snot/mascara. (Do men of my generation even carry hankies?)

I am wearing my Paddington apron. I'm surprised Mum has allowed me near wet paint, although I see she has arranged for me to be put on the less messy 'scraping off old wallpaper' detail. I loved Paddington. I was astonished to learn that there was a railway station in London named after him. Pleased for him, though...

'Paddington Bear - Please take care of this bear', via YouTube

I still love Paddington (in his 1970s stop-motion incarnation, not the cartoon version). I got a Paddington calendar for Christmas, and I'm so pleased to see him back on telly, doing the Marmite ads (see how they were made below).

And of course there are all the old episodes on YouTube - just one five-minute application can act as a mild anti-depressant. Just hearing that theme tune and hearing Michael Hordern's gentle narration makes me feel all warm inside :)

The Making of Paddington Bear's Marmite Advert, via YouTube

Coraline: Her Handmade World

Trailer for 'Coraline', via YouTube

I hadn't heard of Neil Gaiman's children's book Coraline before, but now a movie version has been made I'm getting up to speed. I got the book out of the library and can't wait for the film's UK release (not til May!).

The story is a sort of sinister Alice In Wonderland - Coraline finds a door in her house which leads to a parallel world the same as her own, but seemingly better - she even has 'other' parents... who have buttons for eyes and may not be as friendly as they first seem...

There's a lot of buzz about the film in the crafting community, as it's a stop-motion animation with sets and characters all created by hand, including a cherry orchard made from pieces of popcorn sprayed pink!

The most gobsmacking creations are the pieces of miniature knitting by Althea Crome - see her in action here.

Coraline is directed by stop-motion supremo Henry Selick, (who did The Nightmare Before Christmas, and James And The Giant Peach) and has the most fantastic companion website where you can spend hours exploring Coraline's world(s). 

Watch the behind-the-scenes films in the Theatre, Create A Flower, Have Your Tea Leaves Read, or  - if you dare - Button Your Eyes!

Also:
Mouse Circus, the offical Neil Gaiman website for younger readers.

Machine-knitted music video

Video for 'Les peaux de lièvres' by Tricot Machine, via YouTube

Via I Knit: I can't imagine how long it must have taken to design, knit and animate the 700+ pieces of machine knitting which make up this promo video for French-Canadian band Tricot Machine (knitting machine).

The knitting was done by done by Lysanne Latulippe, a Montreal designer who has her own label, Majolie - slinky knitwear with gorgeous graphic patterns.

* SONG OF THE DAY: Weezer - Undone: The Sweater Song *

BBC2 Christmas Idents 2007

BBC2 Christmas ident, 2007. Via YouTube

I love the new papercut / pop-up book idents for BBC Two this Christmas - sort of Tord Boontje meets Rob Ryan. Intricate and atmospheric - beautiful.

See also:
Idents.tv: Cutting up Christmas on BBC Two
BBC: BBC Two Idents and Classic TV - BBC Two Ident Videos
BBC: In pictures: BBC Two's distinctive style
BBC: BBC Two Citizen Idents
BBC: BBC Two Idents Wallchart (pdf)

BBC2 Christmas ident, 2007. Via YouTube

The Last Knit (Kutoja)

The Last Knit (2005) via YouTube

Props to me dear old Dad for flagging up this lovely, witty animated short. It's directed by Finnish director Laura Neuvonen and stars a clifftop knitter whose obsession gets her into some tricky situations. Fab.

Becks: Four Steps

Becks 'Four Steps' TV advert, 2006. Directed by Dougal Wilson for Leo Burnett Agency

I love the new Becks beer ad on the telly. It's the one with four men doing a dance routine in a dark, grotty street - a marionette, an animation (who reminds me of Phil Daniels), a stop-motion figure and a real person. The music works brilliantly too - It Overtakes Me by The Flaming Lips.

It delights me every time, and yes, sometimes I join in the dance. But I still don't like beer.

Brand Republic: Beck's 'four steps' by Leo Burnett
The Publican: Beck's back on TV with £12m campaign

Honda: Hate Something, Change Something

Still from Wieden & Kennedy's 'Hate Something Change Something' ad for Honda, 2004

I LOVE the ad for Honda's new diesel engine - the one with the dirty, noisy engines flying through a animated landscape of rainbows and peacocks and exotic topiary, been shot down by bunnies wearing ear protectors, while Garrison Keillor sings a specially written folk song.

Click here for the full animation and news on the site they're launching to accompany the ad. Altogether now, "in the key of 'Grrr'...":

"Hate something, change something
Hate something, change something
Make something bett-errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...'

Monsters and Angels: Pete Fowler's Kia Ads

After seeing the brilliant new Kia Picanto ad on the telly every night for a week, thinking, 'That really looks like Pete Fowler did it', I've got round to finding out - and he did! It's a great ad - cute little ladies, a pastel-coloured cityscape and his usual monstrous creations. I enjoy it every time. And I've never even had a driving lesson.

'You've got to tolerate all those people that you hate...'

'You've got to tolerate all those people that you hate
I'm not in love with you, but I won't hold that against you.'

Enjoying the Super Furries Animals' Juxtaposed With U on my PC headphones, I decided to revisit the fantastic Monsterism site. Boy, do prolific artistic geniuses like that Pete Fowler ever piss me off... ;)