Michael J. Dowswell - BLOG

TEST

2012-01-24T17:37:00.003Z

Difficult to get to by ~Michael-J-Dowswell on deviantART

NEW VERSIONS OF THE BORROWERS

2012-01-15T01:40:00.002Z

so at christmas...during the christmas and new year season....i noticed that there was a Borrowers film being shown on BBC 1 or 2.....well actually i heard about it in a email.....and then i got really confused wondering if it was the animated one...

....but it was a British production with Christopher Eccelston as Pod (90 minutes)

I watched it and it was actually really not so bad....what was initially striking was that Pod and family in this version are not like the original at all...the style or vibe has been tinkered with so that the characters come out quite different (that's going to upset some borrowers fans and when we showed it to my mother (a big borrowers fan of the books) she was not so keen and didn;t like how different it was)...but it has a nice funess to it...and the music throughout is really nice.

There is another Borrowers been made too by the much famous (and impeccable record) Studio Ghibli called The Secret World of Arrietty.

PERI URBAN AND THE FOX

2011-06-24T21:03:00.010Z

I recently started watching videos again on youtube...I was part of the whole youtube thing back in 2005...you know the whole scenario of when each one of us finally got broadband? and then well, it was this big fun new thing...you could finally watch video on the internet...that was a big leap....and all these cool people were appearing on youtube...it was quite something at the time...and still is.

Here Peri Urban has a encounter with a fox...his new camera captures it beautifully in 720p. He's great at commentary on his videos and they are always interesting to watch.

TERRORE NELLO SPAZIO (1965)

2011-05-05T05:59:00.013Z

This one took me by surprise...I found it by accident one day on youtube. The film seems to be widely known as Planet of the Vampires.

I can only describe what I saw as being Forbidden Planet in feeling (at times)...and also feelings of it being a lot like Alien / The Thing. Alien of course arrived in 1979.

It's a very inspiring movie for me because of what was achieved with what they had...but also the camerawork and editing are first rate. It really is one of those ones where you go "if they could do it then I could too"...my camerawork and editing are my strongest things too.

So give it a whirl here if you want to see if it has something for you...or if quality is a problem for you...you might want to watch this to get a feel / vibe and then hire the movie.

PRICE INCREASES?

2011-04-25T23:36:00.002Z

Well that Playstation 3 there just went up...straight back to £229.99 again....arg, I kinda wish I'd bought one now...but I don't know, I think that when The Last Guardian arrives...that will be the time where I really have a large incentive to get one...that game is probably going to be incredible....by the time that happens the price will be down again hopefully.

PRICE DROPS?

2011-04-18T12:27:00.004Z

Things do seem to be changing. I noticed the other day that Harry Potter 7 part 1 arrived on it's release day (on standard definition DVD - Digital Versatile Disc) at a price of 6.99 or 7 pounds...this is definitely the start of a huge shift (or my first awareness of a shift) in prices for SD DVD...I also spotted some Blu-Ray discs for 5 pounds bran new (not new releases (they cost about 14.99) but old films on new discs)

Playstation 3's have also dropped in price...they're down to £199 bran new...I'm waiting for a game called The Last Guardian...but am excited about the price drop.

I currently am still buying second hand VHS films for 20 pence...and I actually really enjoy watching these on my little cathode ray tube...the quality is actually very, very good (when it's working well...which is 95% of the time)

ERRANS ALBA TRAILER 1 IN GLORIOUS 720p

2011-04-11T18:13:00.002Z

The new 720p trailer for Errans Alba...that is of course 1280 pixels by 544 pixels. All of it is made inside Cinema 4D 7.

WHILE THEY SLEPT TRANSPORT GETS MORE DETAIL

2010-12-08T01:50:00.003Z

I'm actually not sure if i ever posted this or not...but i kept adding detail to it. here it is.

KOALA ONE MIGHT BE FINISHED?

2010-12-08T01:38:00.002Z

It does feel like i have to stop on it now.

MORE DETAIL TO KOALA ONE

2010-12-06T22:50:00.002Z

bit more added now...it needed it.

KOALA ONE MAKES IT INTO SKIRMISH AT HARTATHRA

2010-12-04T15:25:00.002Z

I've now given the film a name....and you can now also see a new sequence on the end here...koala one can be seen.

KOALA ONE GETS SOME MORE CURVES

2010-12-01T23:40:00.004Z

It was decided that it looked ok, but I needed to tweak some more to get it to look more space shippy....it was important that 1) It look like a Koala (but that it didn't look too much like a koala) 2) It looked like a cool space ship.

KOALA ONE

2010-12-01T17:29:00.001Z

Here we go.

THE START SEQUENCE OF MY UNTITLED ANIMATION IN 720p HD

2010-11-28T15:38:00.002Z

Finally managed to redo all the work that was lost...I really wanted this in HD and now I finally do. I've added a shot and also been frustrated at not getting it quite the same as the orriginal...

I CANT AFFORD TO USE THE MUSIC I WANT TO USE ANYMORE

2010-11-26T12:15:00.003Z

You will only hear music originally composed by myself on everything that is posted from now on (unless I become a professional filmmaker and start to make proper films allowing me to choose what I want)

I will be using the Micro Korg (well it's allready begun as you can see below here in previous posts) the synth sound I've always loved and would even if I became a professional would hunt down certain synth people (who are very simalar to wendy carlos) and get some of their stuff....it's all money though, so ive got to move into a new arena and do my own soundtracks.

It costs too much money to do it any other way...while I’m not really happy about it... I do find that everything in life has two sides...it is a LOT of fun to work away on the Korg doing both music and sound effects...but at the same time I would rather have classical music that I could choose....it’s just not possible though!...this industry is extremely hard and also completely crazy...but I keep on going because doing this is my lifeblood.

TO DOF OR NOT TO DOF?

2010-11-19T15:16:00.002Z

I really have difficulties deciding on many things....if it was a real film that had real people and real sets I would be overjoyed to have DOF...but I feel I've not quite got it right here.

MORE DETAIL

2010-11-16T15:26:00.001Z

Yesterday and today I've been adding more (well I actually started off from scratch again but used the basic design that I threw together quickly) detail to the crematorium.

COLOURED

2010-11-16T15:10:00.001Z

I've gone and coloured it now / tweaked and added some things.

SYNTHESISER VERSION

2010-11-14T14:46:00.000Z

There's a lot of mistakes in this...

THE ACHAEOLOGIST - FIRST IMAGE

2010-10-09T16:22:00.003Z

A while back I entered a New Zealand competition with a very rough animatic and a voiceover at the end. I thought that maybe I would turn it into a animation now that I'm in the Scottish Winter and also a few other life changes.

This the first scene in the bedroom.

I DO LOVE THE ATMOSPHERE ON THIS ONE

2010-09-11T14:19:00.002Z

I also love cats very much, so it's special to me on many levels.

THIS IS PRETTY EXCITING STUFF FOR THE 2001 FAN OR KUBRICK FAN

2010-09-10T22:40:00.006Z

"Douglas Trumbull, director of Silent Running and Special Effects Supervisor for 2001: A Space Odyssey, is readying a documentary about his time with Stanley Kubrick. The detail in this undertaking is amazing. The filmmakers are literally crawling into never-before-seen-images."

HARD SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT L5

2010-08-29T14:57:00.005Z

This is looking very good indeed. I was excited to discover it...and it's also very inspiring. If xenoarchaeology excites you then check this out. Director Stanley Von Medvey has done some truly stunning concept art (his site really makes me want to do the same with my own site...I've always had a theory that outstanding images should be all over the place as soon as the viewer arrives on your site...and I’ve always struggled with deciding on wiether to have images or videos (and how many videos and which videos))...but anyway, click his name and see them, and also click below too.

A WONDERFUL MOMENT FOR ME

2010-08-09T18:35:00.004Z

It’s no secret that I’m somewhat of a huge fan of both Stanely Kubrick and Wendy Carlos...and that I love seeing / hearing things that remind me of they’re work. So I was overjoyed when I found this here by D. Kristensen...

...who is doing some wonderful things with synthesisers over in Denmark. The Bach here works wonderfully and the whole thing has me buzzed like I can’t tell you.

So crank up that bass and hope you enjoy.

CLEVER

2010-07-25T14:24:00.003Z

Found this via my brother in laws facebook wall...hehe...very clever how it uses Jerry Goldsmiths score...very good indeed.

CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOK CONTINUES...

2010-07-24T12:23:00.002Z

It’s a long story....one of the biggest problems for me is what to do....solo animation?....solo comic book?....solo children's picture book?. I love all of them and well....much like somthing Peter Sellers said in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers...he said “I don’t like choice”....I'm exactly like that too...so deciding which to do tears me apart. What your *meant* to do is choose one and COMPLETE IT. The problem for me and what I’ve come to realise is that this solo business is the problem...it's tough, and it ain't gonna get any easier...well hey, maybe it is...I don’t know. I know that the last six months have been extremely difficult, but finally I seem to be doing something again. You go down and eventually you do start to go up again.

WHAT TO DO?

2010-06-28T16:46:00.003Z

I refuse to be dishonest with you...I'm not happy about the quality of this film...but want am I going to do about it?...throw it away?...shut up and post it?

NEUROTIC PERFECTIONIST?

2010-06-28T16:30:00.003Z

I’ve cottoned onto the fact that I seem to be a neurotic perfectionist. It’s not good...it's not good at all...but, to drag a positive into it (hopefully not optimistically but realistically) it’s good to come into the knowledge / awareness of the problem, because you can then fight it.

It’s the reason I’m not happy with any of my animations...it’s the reason I can't find any satisfaction with anything...

So battle has commenced...I don’t know, I’ve always thought that if you gave me a large team and I got onto making the films the way I want them made (sets, miniatures and actors) that I might emerge out of it....I might end up satisfied and happy...but I’m not sure I would. BUT...I want to get to that stage to SEE if I would...surely I would be?...we don't know, we don't know.

But with this knowledge now acquired....it means that it's a mental problem, a mental illness...and so other people enjoy what I’ve done but I cannot....so it means I should not hide what I’ve done....it's all beginning to make a lot of sense because I believe a lot of creative people are like this...it's a huge piece of the puzzle... I've encountered a lot of them (but just never knew what the problem was with all of us)...

EXTRACT FROM MY NEW SHORT STORY

2010-03-31T11:47:00.019Z

UNTITLED
By Michael J. Dowswell

Ray wakes up...his cell is made of hard plastics...the toilet and sink next to his bed are chrome. Through a port hole we see space outside...stars passing quickly.

Ray is washing his face and overhears a conversation from two inmates in the cell opposite to his. These two are Godfrey and Goddard and they have to share a cell but Ray has one to himself. “But I mean what’s going to happen when we die...I mean think about...just stop and think about it for one moment...our brains will stop working, our bodies are done with...they’re gone, never to be used again...” said Godfrey...“Would you please stop talking...I’m trying to read this...if I have to read this sentence one more time!” said Goddard...“it's so into the unknown...it's actually frightening...I mean...” said Godfrey. “Anish Kapoor seemed to have a thing about shitting.” said Goddard. There was a short pause and then Godfrey started up again “Well...yes...he did, he did...but I think that he got some wondrous shapes there. Peoples shit, or animal shit is smooth surfaced, and when you create something giant...people DO seem to remember it...” said Godfrey "Goddard, all the pain in the world...all the misery and suffering....the people in physical pain, the people in mental pain...they will no longer be in pain anymore...it's lifted out...the brain is history man...and this is where you can see why people suicide...I’ve thought about it all my life...If I suicide it's game over....fade to black!...roll credits!...goodnight Irene!” said Godfrey
“What you mean by mental pain?” said Goddard....“Yeah man...you know how it goes...the loneliness that some people have to face...peoples hearts break out of loneliness....and people have to eventually face death in their lives...peoples mothers and fathers, husbands and wives...and then what next?...you have some widows that live on their own for a whole thirty years” said Godfrey...“I don’t know man...I don’t know, some people are just shits...and have created their own personal hell through being bitter and nasty all the time” said Goddard...“Well then...that’s going to lead to loneliness too....they'll get alienated...you can see how it piles up...the mind is a fucked up place...I always feel sorry for anybody because of this reason...the human condition seems so torturous.” said Godfrey

A prison warden pushes a tray of food through a flap in the door...“Dinner!...” There is a very loud crash and the entire place shakes. A explosion goes off right next to some prison wardens who are sitting at a table built into the wall...one prison wardens arm is on fire and they quickly extinguish it. A lot sparks and smoke quickly fill the place and the emergency lighting kicks in (which is a sort of a yellowish colour) Prison wardens run down the central isle to the small screen by the door.

Godfrey quickly leaps off his bed shouting “What the FUCK was that!?”....a prison warden can't get anything out of the screen and violently hits the wall shouting “FUCK!”...

Outside we see the three mile long ship has been damaged by a meteor impact...bodies are being sucked out into space and the ship is heading for a blue green planet.

On the bridge there is chaos... “we’ve lost deck seven to twelve sir!” shouted the first officer... “ I think the damage is too severe to save her, we’re going to have to scuttle the ship!...prepare to disengage!” shouts the captain.

The bridge is actually a smaller part of another ship that's connected to the main ship. Outside we see the detachment slowly happening...at about sixty five feet a meteor sudddenly comes in and destroys it.

Back where Godfrey, Goddard and Ray are the prison wardens are opening the door using the emergency manual release...the prisoners are still stuck in their cells. Prison wardens then get into escape pods and shoot out into space.

Godfrey and Goddard are trying to get out of their cell...their attempts are futile. “it’s useless man...there’s no way we’re going to open this fucking door!” shouts Godfrey...“for fuck sake!” shouts Goddard.

The ship hits the atmosphere, hurtling towards the clouds. She comes out the other side and is now heading straight into a mountain range...she hits a mountain and a large piece breaks off...she then skids for a while and falls into a giant lake. Sixty percent of the ship is now underwater and a lot of damage to the hull is causing water to get inside.

..."You've got to be fucking kidding me...I can hear water heading our way!" shouts Godfrey. "water?...oh shit i hear it too" said Goddard.

"THE VIOLIN" SHORT STORY

2010-03-29T09:34:00.000Z

THE VIOLIN
By Michael J. Dowswell

NOVEMBER 14TH: 1920s / 1930s (or modern day) (or the future) - SATURDAY MORNING

WE SEE leaves everywhere...it’s a city street, big houses and trees in the streets...one house has a dog kennel outside, the garden is very messy, its neglected (the owner doesn’t like to throw things away...and never gets around to doing any sorting / gardening)...the dog inside the kennel is fierce….there is also a elevated train track that goes very near to the back of the house.

WE SEE two suspicious, scruffy looking men park their van at the other side of the street. One is tall and thin the other is much, much shorter and nervous. They both step out and look at the house with the dog kennel. One man has a hip flask and takes a drink. He looks at the house and long-ish front garden…we hear a organ being played from inside, the two men stop for a moment and stare up at the window...all we see is the very top of a mans bald head behind the organ in front of the window…

Suddenly the dog leaps out of its kennel and barks at the two men. One of the men is scared and hides behind the other...the other is very cool and calm...he looks at the dog with a smile on his face.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

MONDAY MORNING

WE SEE a large bald man leave the house and get into a car and drive off down the road...the two men are in their van viewing this then step out of their van...a piece of meat that’s been drugged is thrown to the dog.

-The man that lives in the house is a organ collector and his front room is stuffed with organs...he’s into playing Valvaldi, Handel and Rameau and is a huge colossus of a man...he smokes and there are lots of books and ash trays around the sitting room. He also has large numbers of boxes in the centre of the room filled with papers and magazines...the place has not been cleaned in a long time. He has musical friends who visit the house and they play duets. He also has a cat.

The two break into the house round the back door which is a old conservatory. They know that upstairs in the house is a very valuable violin in a glass cabinet. They go in (it’s a beautiful old wooden conservatory and inside are lots of dead plants and a untidiness) they break in through a second door which leads to the kitchen and into the downstairs hall (which is quite dark)...they move fairly quickly and go up the stairs. Lots of beautiful old paintings are on the walls and a old clock on the first floor landing.

They find themselves on the third floor landing and hear the front door opening. The man has returned (he’s not meant to be back home but seems to have got himself a bad cold)...he goes into his front room and begins to play his favourite organ (very loudly)

The two are now in a upstairs spare bedroom that is extremely cluttered...there’s a old bed with a cat asleep on it...the curtains are closed and the light doesn’t work...the thieves have to switch on their torches. There’s lots of boxes stuffed with paper everywhere and a cloth covering a glass cabinet...the two pull the cloth off and inside is a very old violin...Yehudi Menuhin’s violin.

The thief in charge opens the door and takes the violin out...he inspects it and then puts it into a box (not violin shaped on the outside) (but violin shaped on the inside)

A huge thunder storm starts up and it goes very dark outside...there is a power cut and the mans organ stops working….he then here’s a sound from the attic….and gets up to investigate. He gets a torch as its quite dark now and starts to climb the stairs.

The two men are now out on the landing and see the light coming up the stair...they go back into the room they came from and go out the window onto the ledge.

WE SEE them at the top of a long sloping section of ledge...a woman across in opposite flat screams. They can see that its not far to jump from the ledge to the train track and do so.

A train soon appears and they have to get off the track and hang down the side...its not possible to bring the case with them and it gets left on the track. Its perched just on the edge and the train knocks it off and it falls all the way down into the naghbours swimming pool.

The police arrive and arrest the thieves.

IMAX FILM "FIGHTER PILOT: OPERATION RED FLAG"

2010-03-28T09:01:00.002Z

I read a couple of very damning reviews of this film saying that it was completely dumbed down (simplified) and that some bits are completely fake. You could see watching it that this was indeed the case...

...but, I still think, that it’s wonderful to see 70mm films in high definition (especially if your new to it too) the quality on the footage is so very clear and detailed….again its very nicely edited with long takes. There’s a wonderful sense of being up there flying...its really quite scary actually!

It’s a problematic film definitely, but I still have to recommend it because of the detail in it that the 70mm cameras get...there is after all not many films made in this format too...so they are rare things.

I can completely understand people being upset about it...being a expert in something and *then* seeing a film about your specialist subject and that film missing the mark completely is very, very annoying...so I do understand it.

THE BAD: the person doing the narration is very monotone and that was very unfortunate.

THE GOOD: It’s a heck of a experience with the detail this high. It's a spectacle.

IMAX FILM "ROVING MARS"

2010-03-27T08:49:00.002Z

I do love these IMAX movies. It's very nice to see films that are EDITED properly and it's a real joy to see EDITING like this. This one has music that seems to be identical to Fog of War! It's good music though.

THE BAD: for something that is meant to be 100% real...why have they put sound on the outer space stuff?

THE GOOD: There's never a dull moment in this documentary. It's really fascinating seeing how the rover unfolds itself and moves around the terrain. Plus the elaborate way in which they got it onto the martian surface in the first place! These films have a way of brightening up your day because they are so positive and exciting. You leave the film feeling good...and that HAS to be a good thing.

IMAX FILM “SPACE STATION”

2010-03-25T08:53:00.002Z

Incredible film...I can't recommend this one enough. But see it in high definition and sit close up to your TV. I was worried at the start of the film because there’s a brief tiny bit of 3D stuff and I was starting to get uneasy in my chair about it because it ran for about three minutes I think...but once you get past that it doesn’t go near 3D again and is simply amazing quality wise with real shots of what goes on inside (and outside) the space station. You get to see two launches in beautiful detail and sound. This film gains momentum at exactly the right pace.

This is very much like the five star documentaries I love from the late 70s / early 80s. It also reminds me of Kubrick (I think he would have loved this movie)

My only critism is that its pretty dumbed down (simplified) and there is also no section on the space station toilet although we do get to see sleeping and eating. 2001 A Space Odyssey has a funny shot of the man looking at the toilet instructions and I think they could have included this in the movie (it would have been good)

This is only my second ever IMAX film I’ve seen...the first one was called Everest and I saw that in the actual IMAX cinema...it was really amazing I remember….a experience everybody should have.

VIOLENCE AND OR GORE IN CINEMA

2010-03-25T07:02:00.002Z

I’ve just recently had a three week holiday of film viewing and in amongst the long list of films I saw were three films that were really quite violent and gory...the films were Outpost, Zombieland and Doomsday. Please bare in mind that I also saw 2012, Avatar, Fog of War, Gates of Heaven, Burden of Dreams, Hearts of Darkness, Shackleton, Hancock, I Am Legend, The Omega Man, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Android and many, many more.

Now when I watch them (the gory violent movies) I get a feeling of “this is wrong” or something that I struggle greatly to put into words... which I don’t know...well actually I think that I do know...I THINK that it has something to do with how I’ve been raised.

There are people out there and my father is definitely one of them who have a very strong opinion of violence and gore in cinema...he does not like or approve of gangster films and zombie films….anything where somebody is beating up somebody else with a baseball bat is for him too much and I can certainly understand this….by that I mean that I have a uncomfortable-ness when I see scenes like that. But I think this is completely normal...OF COURSE your going to feel uncomfortable watching a scene like that...but does this mean that a scene like this should never be filmed?...Werner Herzog would say yes….and Stanley Kubrick felt he had gone too far with Clockwork Orange…he also however had the very unfortunate thing of copy cat cases on that film and that would be very upsetting and possibly would change his mind on the topic...but, all of this aside I’m not sure about it because he did have the towel beating sequence in Full Metal Jacket which is quite painful to watch.

What I will say is this. My father wont watch a film like Day of the Dead...and I feel this is unfortunate because it’s one with a really good social commentary...Romero was particularly intelligent on this picture.

I myself come from a background where I was given the computer game Resident Evil at a early age by a friend of my sisters….I remember being kind of shocked at how violent it was...but being completely sucked into the story line...you wanted to know what was going to happen next and the atmosphere was great. It was kinda one of these situations where I absolutely loved it but it also scared the crap of me at times...I completed the game though and loved how it gradually mixed sci-fi with horror. I later learned that Germany changed the colour of the blood to green...which I still to this day find very interesting.

I then ended up getting the fright experience somewhat elevated to extremes with the computer game “Silent Hill”...but that game was too much for me and my mother had to return the game...we had to decide which game was going to replace it and that ended up being Resident Evil 2 (a game that was a real joy to play at the time too)...for some reason where Silent Hill was too much Resident Evil 2 wasn’t...I cant quite explain that even. Its certainly given me a insight into how there are lots of different levels of intensity.

I’ve noticed in the last five years that I seem to be a huge fan of post apocalyptic stories and so naturally even when it comes to zombie films I’m still very curious to see what the filmmaker comes up with.

Zombieland was special because (if you can get past how very violent and gory it is) it touched on a lot of topics that were close to my heart...in some ways it was a bit like one of those much loved black comedies about dysfunctional people...I love those movies because I am dysfunctional myself so the narration in Zombieland is brilliant to me...not to mention very funny.

AGNOSTICISM

2010-03-25T06:52:00.002Z

I joined the facebook agnosticism group.

Some of the atheists are as bad as some of the full on believers. There is nothing to be ashamed of with the answer “I don’t know”...somebody once said “wisdom starts with I don’t know” which I think is a wonderful quote. And the fact remains that there are nice atheists and nasty atheists...nice believers and nasty believers...and so on and so on.

"Really glad to see "often mistakenly put forth as a middle ground between theism and atheism" on the info page. Why do so many people miss that point? "Atheist" and "agnostic" address two different questions. Not that hard."
--Ryan Schneider

This reminds me greatly of the other three things….optimistic, pessimistic and realistic….I find that some people seem to put pessimistic and realistic into the same category which they certainly aren’t at all. But...I will admit that it is perhaps hard for people when dealing with somebody like me who is probably displaying all three things at once. To be realistic I think you have to have a lot of knowledge, experience and be able to see where you went wrong in the past with something.

V: THE BEGINNING IN 720p

2010-03-12T17:31:00.002Z

Finally got the internet to work again. So heres the 720p I've taken off the effects for the moment...I'm one of these people who doesn't know what I want.

UPDATE ON V: THE BEGINNING

2010-03-03T14:20:00.002Z

I’ve taken down the previous entry because I’ll soon have a better clip to put up instead. As per usual with all of my projects they soon get really heavy...a massive wieght on your shoulders that eventually gets too much.

SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS

2010-02-18T12:25:00.004Z

So the latest thing to happen is a really very nasty virus has attacked one of my machines taking it completely out, it seems to have got into the system files. So we're going to try taking the hard disc out and putting it into another computer with all the latest virus software install. Don’t fear, we will be building a special machine for it...well, resurrecting one for the job.

The good news is that I noticed Studio Tacitus has come back. Meaning that Chris must have just been reshuffling things or updating. I would imagine that one day I'll get a bill for it all...just wondering how much that is gonna cost, but anyway its really very good that its back because I genuinely feel that I get traffic from the site because I’ve carried out experiments to prove it.

V FAN FILM

2010-02-11T08:44:00.008Z

I'm making a attempt to do a promotional short (though really I probably shouldn't have chosen V to do this with probably because the numbers on the fan facebook pages aren't as high as say Star Wars or Batman) if I do a star wars one then the potential publicity factor is huge. The thing is though, I really love V!...I love the idea of the entire thing. I know it sounds like I'm doing it for the wrong reasons...but I'm having a blast here and across the whole of art is important that you have fun whilst you create somthing.

Also...to my knowledge (at least I cant find one on youtube) there has not been a V fan film made. Please if you know of one contact me and show it to me cause I love seeing these things.

I love science fiction and so it really doesn't matter what I work on...(as long as it's science fiction) plus the amount of people who see my work is so very, very tiny that I feel I need to do this.

Here's the first image.

STUDIO TACITUS WEBSITE GOES DOWN

2010-02-11T04:10:00.002Z

Well I just want to put out a huge Thank you to a man called Chris McNeill who was a really nice guy (really intelligent too) who moved to New Zealand (but myself and my father knew him locally) he had a company that did all sorts of things (one of which was web hosting) and well I decided to go there and get the hosting for www.studiotacitus.co.uk with his company. So I did and it happened nice and fast...

...and he never charged me for www.studiotacitus.co.uk and I don’t know why exactly he never charged me but maybe he knew I wasn’t making any money. My site appears to be gone now...but I don’t know...it may or may not come back….but I was very, very lucky to have a site that didn’t cost any money for such a long time. I don’t know if this is wrong on my part or not...it’s a bit like a creature attached to a huge whale perhaps. But I’ve not earned any money in seven years now...so basically things are done on the extreme cheap side...I even buy VHS tapes now for 20 pence in order to see new films.

In the meantime I think I’m just going to have this blog as the main place and if I need to direct somebody to a video I’ve made then I can post it on here and tell them to go to the top of the page...I’m thinking that the huge banner at the top of this blog is a bit too big though and I do believe it causes confusion.

I think people despise me for this sort of a story that I tell and want me to get a job...but you cannot work a nine to five job when you are chronically ill.

SO MARCHING ON

2010-01-29T17:06:00.001Z

My latest effort...trying to remake While They Slept with humans in it. I wanted to give it a go...don’t know if it’s a good idea or not, but then it’s not the first time I’ve done this...I’ve actually in the past tried to remake Rocket-Man and Errans Ruber…Errans Ruber even moved into a second remake...its crazy yes, but I seem to keep doing it.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

2010-01-22T20:37:00.001Z

...for Your Big Break - New Zealand...Tim McLachlan, Rajneel Singh, Andrés Borghi, Kristi Simkins and Aya Tanimura all get to make their three minute ideas into films.

YOUR BIG BREAK IS NOW CLOSED FOR ENTRIES

2010-01-16T22:54:00.000Z

Thanks for participating in Your Big Break! The call for entries is officially closed, so if you submitted before January 15, 12-noon Pacific Time, you will be considered in our judging process. For all those who made their submissions just under the wire, don’t worry if you can’t see your video on the site – we have received all entries submitted on time, and if there is anything irregular about the sound or video we will contact you shortly. We received nearly 1,000 entries filled with incredible creativity, vision and passion, and our panel of judges are hard at work searching for the finalists who will fly to New Zealand to shoot their films with Peter Jackson and Barrie Osborn! Stay tuned next week when we announce the finalists, which will include the aspiring filmmaker whose submission received the most votes. Once again, good luck, and hope to see you in New Zealand! - Your Big Break team

MY SECOND ENTRY

2010-01-11T14:52:00.005Z

So here is the second entry for Your Big Break New Zealand. It's a basic science fiction story with no special effects, would just need costumes and props...and of course the skeleton again.

You can see the video animatic and script HERE

I HAVE ENTERED THE NEW ZEALAND FILM COMPETITION CALLED YOUR BIG BREAK

2010-01-08T13:00:00.005Z

Thats one of my entries into the New Zealand Your Big Break competition...another one going in soon. You can check it out HERE.

TITANIC MINIATURE SNAPPING IN HALF

2009-12-21T13:02:00.003Z

I've never actually seen this before...I'd imagine it's on the DVD...in fact, I'd imagine the making of is probably pretty amazing.

BEING IDEALISTIC IS NOT A GOOD THING

2009-12-20T00:08:00.002Z

I tell you this...right. There’s certain situations in life where you know outright what would be great...what would be ideal...but, they will never happen. So to be fighting against that and not backing off and not admitting to yourself that it's not possible to change what cannot be changed....well, that is a major problem and not a good scenario!

WHAT'S GOING ON?

2009-12-18T19:16:00.001Z

Quick entry here...very, very busy at the moment doing two animatics for a New Zealand competition. It’s been crazy...sometimes I do stop and paint some boxes for the city. I’ll upload some photos of it when I can. The animatics will go onto youtube and I’ll post them on here when they’re done.

NATURAL DAYLIGHT LIGHTS THE CURRENT WHITE CITY SETUP

2009-12-08T08:51:00.002Z

Here we go.

WHITE CITY NOW VERY SLOWLY GROWING

2009-12-08T01:31:00.003Z

Here's how it looks at the moment. Everyday I try to get more boxes...but its become a problem finding them...it's down to about one and sometimes no boxes per day...going to try perhaps to get other peoples toothpaste boxes...but i just hate asking people for anything.

DOWSWELL ON DOWSWELL PART 6 OF 6

2009-12-07T17:57:00.005Z

There’s always questions asked of how did you become a filmmaker and what sort of books do you have on it.

Now, this may go against my god a little...because Stanley (I’ve heard in the Berstein interview) said that whenever you start to do a new thing with your life you obtain lots and lots of books on the subject...well, when people ask me what sort of books I have on filmmaking the answer is always a bit of a conversation stopper...because, I don’t have any books on it. Now, you have to understand that it's not that I don’t want any books on the subject...I do...I really do...but, it's just that I (and this has to be the penny pinching Scot in me I spose) look at the price of these books and I literally go (in my head) “I’m not gonna pay that fucking amount!”...so the sad truth is one of being tight as a ducks bottom. It’s a shame really, because I probably would learn something from the books...but, until I get some sort of a income I refuse to spend the kind of money that these things are out there for.

This however could be the terrible situation of the information in the books leads me to some sort of highly important realisation and life changing moment, where I'm suddenly in a income sitation (because the information is so very good in the book).

But there is a heck of a lot of information out there now...we now have blogs, podcasts, DVD commentaries, DVD documentaries, twitter, email or coment blog communication with working professionals occasionally...we honestly have information overload. Not that I’m saying there can ever be too much information, and that it should stop being put out there. There is always at any one time...the much needed and welcome chance to stop what your doing and listen to another individuals take on the entire situation...I’ve never understood people who don’t listen to a group of peoples views and opinions...you have to stop and participate in it...and, there must be quite vigorous and honest debate in order to get anywhere...the horrible thing there of course is that people are accidentally hurt by misunderstandings.

It's best to (and also most interesting) to listen to the do-ers and not to the people who sit around being over the top pessimistic (and don’t seem to have done a thing ever...mind you, I have to say that they have extremely high and quite honourable good intentions / opinions that you kind of have to respect...but, at the same time I feel sorry for them too...because they have not done a thing...but, they refuse to do something that is not five star, which I kind of respect...it’s a funny sort of a thing I know...but, I can see exactly where they are coming from...because what is the point exactly of making something that is not great...that you are putting YOUR own good name on?)...the terrible thing for some of us do-ers is that we are in a situation where we have DONE something but we are nowhere near happy with the result...we've put something bad out there for the audience...and is that worse or better?...whatever it is we have to live with that...and it kind of puts us in the same boat too in a way...or possibly a worse boat because our name is now on somthing and we may have lost people due to bad work.

But, as I keep on saying...the only way to cling onto my sanity is to say that they show my ideas...my stories, conceptual designs and cinematography. I look at films like 2001 and Alien that use model miniatures as being the way I want to see my own work redone...and so I see them as animatics...a sort of presentation of my idea.

INTERIOR REDO FOR WHILE THEY SLEPT

2009-12-04T18:54:00.002Z

Getting there on this now. It's much more how I wanted it to be.

WHITE CITY REPORT

2009-12-04T16:09:00.003Z

Well my white city (which I’m calling my R&R project) has had to be put on hold here...for the simple reason being, I’ve run out of boxes...sounds crazy eh?...well, it is crazy!

R&R = Rest and Relaxation...the rest has been sitting in front of Deep Space Nine and the relaxation has been making the white city. It really is very therapeutic, because you don’t have to do much thinking at all...you just sit and paint these boxes. Once you have them set up its very interesting looking at the entire city...and even more so when you pull open the curtains in the morning, the natural daylight on it is therapeutic to see.

I spose I should be having a stab at actually making more boxes instead of waiting for more tea and toothpaste boxes...but, there’s no thick card to do that...and, the card would cost money.

So I’ve gone back onto the While They Slept scene redo I’d started the other day...then my mother appeared with another tea box...so strangely, this is something whereby I think boxes are going to come quite quick and fast...interesting!...we must get through a hell of a lot of tea!

The amount of boxes I need is quite large...god knows how many exactly, but I wouldn’t say no to two hundred right now. Currently there’s only twenty four.

BRIAN NEWMAN TALK

2009-12-03T18:06:00.000Z

This is a really awsome presentation.

LOOKING MORE CITY LIKE

2009-12-03T17:08:00.002Z

Just a quick update here. It's gradually getting there...the final thing will be 4 or 5 times the board its sitting on, which should be interesting, but I'm a fair bit away from that. but i cant wait to be playing around with it at that stage.

THE CITY IS GROWING

2009-12-02T09:44:00.001Z

Some of it needs another coat of paint.

FAKING NATURAL DAYLIGHT

2009-12-01T00:21:00.002Z

Trying to fake natural daylight at nigh time is never easy when you don’t have a budget. I basically have workmens lights that I bought quite a long time ago...a 500 and 250 watt light that cost about £15...I spose really I should buy another set...cause the more you have the better.

Here I did the old trick of turning them around to bounce / diffuse the light. Unfortunately you get into a situation where you have to do severe amounts of colour correction...mind you, this was because I pointing them at my reddish / orange curtains and so that was exacerbating the problem somewhat...but even so, it starts to loose something vital from when you do it with natural real daylight (if you look at the previous post you'll see what I mean). This is a problem if I’m going to make this thing bigger...but doesn’t look bad in black and white.

THE START OF THE WHITE CITY THAT COST NO MONEY

2009-11-29T17:24:00.003Z

So why I am now doing this?...well I needed to seriously start to get away from the computer for one thing...and do something physical...and somthing that does't look perfect...I hate my CG work because it looks too perfect and because of the light quality in it (the shadows)...

It’s a bit of a reoccurring thing in art (this whole paint everything white business)...but, as I was doing it...I think I finally realised now, why, so many people have done this. You see it's because if you have no money then this is a way to get something done...all you need is paint...and you grab as many tooth paste boxes and tea boxes as you can.

NO BUDGET CITY

2009-11-29T03:59:00.004Z

Sorry memory like a sieve at the moment. This is whats happening on my floor at the moment.

Again its more experimentation to see what is possible…it is a lot of fun too (which is what making a film should be?...) but what can be guarantee with this is when that sun of ours appears and I have this all set up (long way to go yet)...I will get real light hitting real things...and that’s my main reason for doing it...that and it gets me away from the damned computer.

MY SHORT STORY "THE VIOLIN" IS FINALLY WRITTEN

2009-11-29T03:00:00.003Z

It's been a very interesting time with this one. I’ve even done a visual for it (not finished though...and just a experiment really) (area shadows are switched on because of frustrations with shadows)

It's highly, highly unusual for me to sit and write...but I was so incredibly frustrated and had to do it...it turned out to be the coping device I needed and it was also very liberating to write...I’m glad I did it.

WHILE THEY SLEPT ALTERATIONS

2009-11-28T17:05:00.012Z

Theres a whole load of things going on over here at the moment...one of which is some redo's on scenes ive been doing for my animation While They Slept.

Here's one of them...

Obviously its not finished yet...and this isn’t even the final lighting...but it’s a scene I’ve never been happy with at all...so started a big redesign. I’ve recently been like a priest who's had reoccuring doubts about the existence of god...only my doubts aren’t about god, but are about CG...you see I have some major problems about CG...but I cant help but feel that things need to be completed...and that While They Slept could be used like a animatic or at least record of the designs and edit...I think I’ve said this before...but, it could be used like that...you have to understand that I’m not happy with it as a final product...I want it remade with miniatures...

...like this here...

My hopes and dreams are large...perhaps they are too large?...but I know that miniatures are the way I want to go...and that I want to my films to go to 35mm celluloid or even 70mm celluloid...this is the part where I’m saying that it’s a very big dream...I want to ideally hire Steve Howarth to do miniature models and do it all at Shepperton Studios...its (i'd imagine) ridiculously expencive, and how I get to that stage I have no idea...I'm actually still too scared to even email Steve Howarth!...which is somthing I need to get past!...but its alarming how self doubt can take over fast...because I supose really I'm a man who is not part of the industry and never has been...I'm going to need producers, executive producers and lots of other people...and so I dont want to contact him with it leading to lots of questions I can't give solid, positive, sensible and no nonsense answers to...I want the thing to sound that it's very serious and that it IS going to happen.

All of this has me wanting to have a stab at it myself...which I've been doing but not quite on a level that i'm happy with...I'm doing it all on a no budget level at the moment...more in the next post.

I'M BACK TO THE BLOG

2009-11-28T17:04:00.001Z

Need to keep this blog going I think...kind of lost the will to live for a while there...it’s a long story but coping devices kicked in (as they always do) and now I’m a bit more relaxed and rational...I get very on edge about things and then it gets ironed out….you just gotto be grateful for life...I;m not living in a war zone...I’m not a homeless child on the streets of Moscow...I am very lucky to be living in a peaceful land with a roof over my head.

GOING TO DO ANOTHER MINIATURE

2009-11-21T15:45:00.006Z

I’m currently working on my third miniature which is about ten feet by ten feet...In the past (and I can't believe it was exactly 10 years ago now) I made my first miniature set...it was a planet surface and sadly no photos were taken of the damned thing although I did strangely sit there and did a drawing of it...and I have that drawing...I know, strange?...well its been a very strange life. I then in February 2006 did another miniature...it was a sort of inspired I suppose by Cairn Holy which is a place I love. I sprayed water on it this time round and have some photos of it. I learned a lot again...and really did want to expand it (it was very small) but sadly it had to be taken down.

This is my 2006 attempt here...which was unfinished and had to be taken down.

I actually wanted this to be much, bigger and have trees...there was also problems with the soil being too big...but I have that under control this time...you learn a lot with each attempt. It's also wonderfully exciting to work on something that you can shape with your hands and bring rocks in...and sprinkle finely sieved dirt ontop of the larger rocks.

TO DONATION BUTTON OR NOT TO DONATION BUTTON

2009-11-19T20:56:00.002Z

I’m going crazy over here at the moment. I’m struggling to sort out, in my brain, if it is OK to have a donation button...part of me feels its wrong...because the viewers can only view about 90% of my work online in a low resolution of 320x240...perhaps maybe if there were more HD things to look at I might feel less guilty about it...I want to offer a high quality viewing experience before I put up a donation button. My dad says that because everything of mine can be watched for free and has been enjoyed by some people...they should pay something / donate something if they feel they want to...I spose that is ok...but, I kind of still feel funny about it.

Maybe it's time to render more things out at 1280x544 and then there is a more justified reason for a donation button.

TOTAL OUT OF CONTROL CONFUSION ON WHAT IT IS I’M MEANT TO BE DOING / DIRECTION I’M MEANT TO GOING IN

2009-11-18T06:54:00.006Z

I look at the animation and all I can think of is...that looks dreadful...this is not good enough...this is not satisfactory...and it makes me 1) Sad 2) Get into a state where I’m thinking of stopping doing it.

This is actually a reoccurring thing that I go through every now and again and I feel I’m in some sort of a loop...which is also sad inducing. All that goes round and round and round in my head is “I don’t know what to do about it”...ever since I created my first animation I’ve been addicted to moving images...and the step backward to anything else that doesn't move has always seemed not acceptable to me...and yet I look at some of my other friends one of which is doing paintings and comics...and there is a far, far better quality going on over there than there is over here...and whats been going on over here has been going on now for 7 years….the loop has been going on for 7 years now for gods sake!...haha *facepalm*

I've recently written a short story...and it’s a really great one (let me just tell you that its highly, highly unsual for me to say that anything of mine is great...but I believe this one is)...and its again quite unusual for me to sit down and write anything at all. So this gets me thinking that perhaps I need to do more of this...there’s is a unbelievably great and out of the blue feeling for me on the freedom you have in writing (when you have been making unending compromises on solo animation making for 7 years)...it felt extremely good...and it also made me think of that children's picture book I put on hold. However I am still very fond of the technique I’ve used to make all of my films...and a'm also amazed at how well it has worked (with regards to pacing and structure in editing...bare in mind i'm quite happy with myself as a editor and cinematogpher...just not happy with the way the animations look)...I get many people who think that my animations have been written and storyboarded...but only one of them was.

It's not good to think too much...there needs to be more action...there’s a saying about if you throw enough shit at the wall some of it will stick...well I’m possibly not throwing enough shit at the wall. (this is regards to the whole lucky break thing and actually it being your full time job and how I dont send my work out)

But if I return over to the satisfaction for telling the story you want to tell (which is a separate topic) thing for a moment (which is all about becoming better at something...we want to get better and better at something...not be stuck in a loop)...Me and my pen pal buddy Cos have a great admiration for Steve Ogden...who made a decision and stuck with it to go over into comics or graphic novel to tell his story.

THE REALISATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BULLSHITTED TO FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE PART 2 OF 2

2009-11-17T09:32:00.002Z

Yeah...another one was somebody saying to me that in order to enjoy making a film it has to be a collaboration and that it should not be done alone. Ok, well how the FUCK does that explain me then?...I have had some wonderful times on my own out there filming in the snow...filming in wild fields...and editing it all on my own too. I’m sorry but that kind of thing is poison being poured into a ear. There is nothing wrong with making films on your own...and I am extremely proud of the four silent documentaries I’ve made...sort of...I just wish they were on 35mm because they deserve to be.

NOTE #01: Sorry about the swearing...don’t take it too seriously.

NOTE #02: I do understand what the person is saying though...I don’t endorse complete daily isolation although some people sadly (and I do feel sorry for these people) have to live on their own. I’ve made a film once with a team...and it was highly, highly enjoyable and extremely memorable...I do kind of miss that...though at the same time was quite frustrating. Yep.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS 1080p THING

2009-11-16T14:14:00.001Z

I think that after one render of one of my shots...I must be insane. It tends to show up the mistakes more...and also you look at it and feel that its not quite detailed enough...arg!...dear god almighty!...

Its also rather large...946MB for 7 seconds!...but, this isn’t / might not be a problem at all...a Terrabyte is pretty cheap nowdays...or, failing that and it doesn't edit and dies on me...I could just throw the shots onto DVD's and wait. It's a game of patience and persistence...or possibly RAM...I possibly need more RAM.

So where does this leave me?...well, I’m still very much in the experimental stages of it all...I want to push to see what is possible really, its interesting seeing it all at this resolution. Maybe I’ll put the teaser trailer onto Youtube in 1080p and get some feedback from people...if nobody can actually get it to play smoothly on their computers or wont download it because its too big...then there’s a problem there I would think.

YOUTUBE IS GOING 1080p

2009-11-16T08:23:00.003Z

I’m just amazed at how fast things like this are actually happening...It’s a historic moment.

I’ve been rendering my animation Saturn 7 in 720p...but now, I’m changing my mind and going to step it up to 1080p (it’s rendering a shot right now...)...I’ve been working away recently to try and get the render times down and have succeeded.

The problem now of course (and always has been) is getting a audience. But think of it like this...if I ever send something to a company, they can sit there and watch it in 1080p on their big screen or cinema...that is an amazing thing.

For a long time all we could upload was something at 320x240...i rememeber those days well...though they are quite a while back now....but now we are crossing into a new era...we can now right this minute...upload, something at 1920x817...that is just staggering.

JOHN CLEESE ON CREATIVITY

2009-11-15T06:04:00.002Z

I found this over at wishtales.com and had to post it here.

2009-11-14T23:32:00.003Z

I conceptually design everything in my animations and so I take a great interest in interior set design in films and TV. I’m not a huge Doctor Who fan and never really have been...Or...perhaps I am huge doctor who fan who just gets disappointed a lot...that might be it...but, whatever the case may be, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love to look and follow...and get genuinely excited when a bran new interior design for the Tardis arrives. It's always very interesting.

To be honest I’ve always seen huge, huge potential with Doctor Who and I actually do love some of it...but I’ve felt there’s been a lot of lost opportunities with it...and that its track record has been rocky. I did however like the Easter Special in 2009...and felt that the Paul McGann one in 1998 was not bad...and how can you not love Tom Baker, John Pertwee and Roger Delgado...and then there was that crush on a few of his assistants like Katy Manning.

Anyway the word on the street is / was that with the new series in 2010 there is going to be a new Tardis interior. So I set out trying to find photos of it and then found this...

...which isn’t from the new Doctor Who at all...but for a moment I thought it was and got very excited...I have to say this is a lovely bit of design work...and i look forward to seeing the new one...there are some images out there for it, but they're very blury and we can hardly see anything.

SATURN 7 TEASER WITH DEPTH OF FIELD AND BIG CHANGE TO SHOT 3

2009-11-14T22:14:00.001Z

Shot 3 was just not right...the wall looked terribly basic...and I couldn’t seem to figure out how to make it look better (I spose really I should have just redesigned the entire corridor...well, I’ve kind of done that here (in a way))

There’s some extremely annoying technical problems going on over here that make me want to rip my hair out. The Depth of field doesn’t seem to work very well in cinema 4D 9...or...I’m not doing it properly...but I’ve fiddled around with it for hours and cant make any sense of it.

THE REALISATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BULLSHITTED TO YOUR ENTIRE LIFE...OR, JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY NOT BEING AWARE OF SENSITIVE PEOPLE / OBSES

2009-11-12T18:17:00.005Z

SIONAL MINDS / PERFECTIONISTS

There came a point in my life where I suddenly thought…”you know, various people you bump into when your young pour poison in your ear (probably not even aware of it and the damage its doing to the sensitive young obsessional artist) while your on your art college.”….there are various people who tell you that you shouldn’t be doing this and shouldn’t be doing that...example:

“you can’t draw horses like that...you have drawn them wrong. You can’t draw a tree like that...you‘ve drawn it wrong...”

These were teachers (who I don’t know how long they’ve taught at these art colleges), but you got the impression they had been there since the dawn of time (which is something I don’t think I fully agree with...I don’t think teaching for over twenty five years has done SOME of them any good) I’ve actually heard reports of young people who stop doing their art because some bastard lecturer has unwittingly said that “oh...your drawing that all wrong...”

SOLUTION FOR THE TEACHER:
These teachers have to be aware of the current mental condition of the student...and aware of the real outside world. They also should know a bit about psychology.

SOLUTION FOR THE STUDENT:
Information. The student (if very young) is going to acquire knowledge through experience...but I recommend studying a bit of psychology and remember the real world is completely different to the education world.

Perhaps I went to art college far to young...I was only sixteen when I started up...and had not had any interaction with any other people other than my parents for four years.

I’ve heard multiple times from fully grown adults that they cant / don’t have the right to do something until they have gone on a course and be taught the “proper” way to do it. Now don’t get me wrong...my degree introduced me to Cinema 4D and I am internally grateful for that. But be careful what you let people tell you and how it effects you…there is a very clear line between the education world, and what actually goes on out in the real world.

You’ll notice that various people went ahead and drew a tree the way they wanted to draw a damn tree, and became very famous and made a living out of what they do.

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE TEASER

2009-11-12T06:18:00.002Z

It's getting a bit silly now (how many times I've uploaded this) but I keep trying to improve it with the details.

TWO MORE PROPS FOR SATURN 7

2009-11-12T02:40:00.003Z

The prop designing and building is still going on.

PIGEON IMPOSSIBLE

2009-11-10T15:29:00.003Z

It’s been completed...and I have nothing but a ever increasing accumulating admiration for Lucas...he did not wander off onto another project like I seem to have done over the last five years...it takes a incredible discipline to do that. He’s focused on quality, quality, quality.

I want to know what he’s going to do now though...because I cant help but see it says at the start Martell Animation...does this mean that he’ll continue on with his own company?...I really hope so.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - ALAN

2009-11-10T00:33:00.001Z

Tears were literally streaming down my face at this one. I don’t think that’s happened since I was sitting in a cinema watching Little Miss Sunshine.

WHITTLE IT DOWN

2009-11-09T17:45:00.003Z

I took the trailer (not the one below this but the previous one) to a fairly no nonsense artist and critic (I’ll add that he was most definitely constructive with his criticism and that it was 100% realistic)...I needed to do this. And he was right. So I’ve been adding details. The thing you have to remember with all of this I think, is, to whittle it down...so I started on the little box that’s in shot three. Here is a before and after….and a old still of the corridor (which is very similar to how it looks anyway)...its true that what he said is right...he said that it looked far too basic, and that it was like it was in the middle of a Work In Progress.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED...ADD MORE DETAIL?

2009-11-09T02:45:00.001Z

It's one way to try and make things better...but it's still frustrating me.

NICK PARK 20 QUESTIONS

2009-11-07T00:38:00.003Z

Another hero of mine.

ALIEN - 1979

2009-11-05T20:27:00.001Z

Again another strong influence for me because of the way it's shot, edited and paced.

It's something I keep having to be aware of and remind myself to watch it every once in a while. It's a important film for me, and I honestly consider to be one of the very best science fiction films ever made...it induces me into a instant clarity of thinking about what science fiction is to me personally, and what excites me about the genre.

STANLEY KUBRICK

2009-11-05T20:22:00.002Z

He honestly is without a doubt one of my biggest if not thee biggest influences of my work. I think the other major influence has been Werner Herzog and of course probably my father, who loves science fiction, classical music and computers...and so I grew up surrounded by science fiction, classical music and computers. But it still gets down to what you love, and I love classical music very much...so with Stanely I've always loved the use of the music...but It's also very much the editing and the wide angle photography that has me engrossed and highly influenced...I love the way he shot everything.

Stanley Kubrick's love for James Cagney and him seeing that Jack Nicholson had a similar sort of quality was a great thing for cinema when The Shining arrived.

And oddly I love synthesizers too. His collaborations with Wendy Carlos doing cover versions of famous tunes was another stroke of genius. Theres something incredibly wonderful about the noise that is generated from them. Nowadays we are extreamly lucky to live in a era where its possible to buy somthing that does the same sounds for not much money at all.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

2009-11-04T15:42:00.000Z

So why are things so slow?...well the problem with being a linear organism and artist (with the invention of time and having goals / the pursuit of better films), is that with each new project you want to increase the detail level to “better” the previous film. With High Definition there’s now this strong desire all the more so, because of the increase of resolution. There’s also the very true statement about how detail is king...wait no, story is king.

Wait no...I’m sorry but so is detail. Now this creates a problem for me, because detail takes TIME to do. It’s a solo project and therefor a bit of a suicide mission because It makes the project much more fatigue inducing...its not as quickly manageable or instantly gratifying I think...meaning you are in a slower speed...which leads to a fatigue...that or...well, I’m getting older I spose. Not that old though...only twenty eight.

If story is king (which it is) then I may be in a spot of trouble there too. But I’ve been told that I create experiences...and I spose that might be ok...I don’t know if it is or not...ok it probably is ok...or is it? Certainly I’d love my characters to talk (that would be really nice and something ive wanted for years now). So I want to progress to talking characters...who wouldn’t?...its normal.

Internet friend and pen pal Mr Cos reckons that we are both in need of satisfaction and aren’t getting it...and I think he’s hit the nail on the head here 100%...it’s a case of not feeling satisfied.

So the answer may be, to go back to simpler set design which enables me to push forward in a far more satisfying way...hmm. I don’t honestly and realistically feel that I would be happy with that either.

SATURN 7 - TEASER 3 HD

2009-11-04T00:18:00.002Z

I'm sorry that the progress is so painfully slow...it anoys me greatly that it goes so slow...it wasn't always like this. but thats the HD online now...I think the HD cheers me up a bit, it's certainly nice and sharp.

SATURN 7 - TWO SET TESTS

2009-11-03T11:46:00.002Z

Working on a high definition widescreen one of this same little clip now. This 1.25:1 version seemed to be a bit of a disaster over at blip TV with the compression, and i really dont know why that happened...the original file looks fine.

I’m afraid I’m still in the conflicted state of not knowing wither to go 1.25:1 SD or 2.35:1 HD.

BlipTV Test

2009-10-29T14:50:00.005Z

I’ve been making films and animations full time eighteen hours a day, seven days a week now for seven years...without making any money at it. This you will understand puts huge amounts of pressure on me because it means that (so far) I am justifiably a true failure at it. I did try various things to make money, all of which were failures...so now I’m attempting something called BlipTV.

Please if at all possible report back to me and say if you see any advertising on this video above. And to add here that this is new version of While They Slept.

A TINY BIT OF SATURN 7

2009-10-23T11:05:00.002Z

It's going very slow at the moment. And I honestly get rather depressed about it...i'll probably feel better when I've had some sleep though.

DOWSWELL ON DOWSWELL PART 5 OF 6

2009-10-22T00:38:00.004Z

SERENDIPITY

Now serendipity definitely had a huge part to play in all of this (on multiple occasions) for example: when I shot my four silent short documentaries in 2006, they were very big (completely out of the blue) unplanned accidents, I never thought that they would edit together so well to music...and that the footage would be so good (you see a lot of it was only one take because that’s what documentary making with animals is like. The music itself too was also a accident, because I bought the wrong classical CD...which is rather embarrassing...but, my only line of defence is, that there are actually eight famous classical composers with the name Strauss...I just thought “oh waltzes, I want those!...oh there he is...waltzes...Strauss”...and bought it….it’s kinda stupid I know, but there it is. What’s strange is how well the music syncs up with the visuals which is either serendipity again or perhaps classical music just naturally fits to these things.

With my first animation...that too was a odd story where I was animating a walk cycle (a extremely difficult task as all animators know) and found the legs of the character floating / sliding...like he was in the air...so I then accidentally had him taking off...I thought to myself “well I could put a rocket on his back here”

GETTING CONCERNED THAT THINGS AREN’T GOING FAST ENOUGH

For quite a few years I was really on edge about time wastage...as the years go by you cannot help but think about your situation…”I’m not making any money here”…“I’m not leaping forward fast enough”...“I’m wasting my twenties”…”I’m incredibly frustrated because I’m not doing the films with miniatures, sets and actors”.

It's still occasionally one of my major concerns for me...that I suddenly have this moment where I REALISE that a large amount of time has gone past me, without me even realising that it has. Seven years has pretty much flown past, and I feel I’ve not really got very far along the road to making money at this.

WAS I A JACK OF ALL TRAITS AND MASTER OF NONE?

...it is true that I have never become a master of say character animation or upping my technical direction game...I’m really not a technical director but you have to realise that I do take on that job as well as all the other jobs too (on all of my projects)...but I think the projects suffer for this reason.

Some people will tell you you’re a jack of all traits and master of none and I don’t think they realise how damaging that can be to a young unconfident mind. These organisms are usually people who are not trying to be independent directors and don’t fully understand what they’re talking about.

DAVID P. BAKER

Now pretty much about 80% of what David says I already knew...but, it’s what you forget about, over the months / years of working away that he urgently reminds you with.

David’s shake up / earth shattering moment / knock blow into reality boost / tragic moment for me was, that if you want to make money at this (and haven’t been making money at it) and want to remain 100% independent, then you are going to have focus on targeting / reaching the audience for six months after you have made the film...it makes perfect sense, I mean what is the point in making these things...pouring every single piece of your soul into making the film to then rush and not think it through properly / end up only showing it to a handful of people. The right people need to know that there is a film out there they might be interested in. So it becomes very much a game of patience and hard work...your going to have to be very much a committed to six months of no filmmaking.

This for me is earth shattering because I make solo animations...which have very small runtimes and very, very large production times...I’m really not quite sure where it goes to next for me.

A FUNNY, UPLIFTING AND FASCINATING VIDEO

2009-10-19T03:30:00.002Z

"Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009."

AGAIN ANOTHER TWO PIECES...AND AGAIN ONE NEW TO ME AND ONE FROM MY PAST

2009-10-17T20:57:00.002Z

The first one is Handel again, and the second is by Reynaldo Hahn

TWO MUST HAVE MUSIC CHOICES

2009-10-16T14:18:00.001Z

I recently discovered a piece of music by Handel which I would definitely use for a feature film documentary...I can see that the Handel might go at the very start of the film for the title card...and the Vivaldi which ive had my eye on for some time now would be good on the road music I think.

LONG THOUGHT TO BE LOST OR DESTROYED HOUR LONG HITCHCOCK INTERVIEW

2009-10-13T20:42:00.004Z

WHAT HAPPENS DURING METAL MELTDOWN?

2009-10-12T02:58:00.000Z

Well I tweet a lot. I start to think a lot too...there’s a lot going on in the old brain right now. I seem to want a better camera. But I want to use the camera I’ve already got too...but I would really like to use that place I discovered a while back called Create Space which is a self publishing and distribution place...I’m absolutely fascinated with that idea and it keeps resurfacing in my mind.

I watched a little bit of the first episode of the new Steven Fry documentary too...Last Chance To See its called...its too big a file to download though so had to stop, it looks great though (well editing was a bit too frantic for my tastes if I was to nit pick)...but again there I am greatly inspired by it...it’s a wonderful thing the documentary format. I want to use my camera I have (because the damn thing has hardly been used you know...)...to make a feature docu...but I want to make damn sure it’s a good one...this would be the first time for me to take on a feature, so far its all been shorts…some sort of adventure across Scotland...maps are fascinating things...and you can get a story by just simply starting to walk...It’s a tried and tested idea, but its one that nearly always works.

I also had the idea of doing either a solo debut synthesiser album or book...which I can again use Create Space for self publishing and distribution. If I can get past the horrendous self doubt and actually record some tracks...this MAY be possible. I had a go tonight on the Korg and it wasn't so bad. I think it’s a fairly tangible idea actually. It might be quite experimental...hell it might even be FUN. I’m meant to be getting away from the computer though. Hmm.

MENTAL MELTDOWN

2009-10-11T14:17:00.003Z

Ok, prepare for whining attack!

I’m experiencing at the moment what can only be described is some sort of very bad burnout. I think there’s multiple meanings behind the word burnout...but my one at the moment is, that I’m just really mentally and physically tired...exhausted. You see I find the technical aspects of the project very draining...I’m by no means a fast worker when it comes to the technical stuff...some people are BANG BANG BANG...I’M DONE!...but I’ve never been like that, I’ve always been slow with the technical stuff...I’ll spend forty eight hours focusing intensely on trying to figure out how to fix a problem and sometimes never get it figured out...some of my problems I’ve *still* not sorted out after seven years.

I’m really very fast at other things...lighting, camera work, editing and concept design...it’s kinda strange that its like that, but I spose its how I’m wired. In the hypothetical situation of me working for a big company, I would most likely be in one of those areas and the project would be far more efficient...I understand that, I GET it. But there is a deep determination and stubbornness / arrogance in me that wont let go of the INDEPENDENT filmmaking / no budget role / commanding of the army of the eleven Michael Dowswell’s on suicide mission. I’m like the jack russell that wont let go of the squeaky toy.

I’ve got two major projects going...While they Slept (its not had any work done on it in ages but needs attention and I WANT to give it some attention badly...I did today, I opened up some files and had a go at tinkering with one of the shots)...it’s a project I’m actually quite proud of I think. Its certainly been received quite well which helps you feel better about what you do.

I changed the monitor height so that it was on a huge box, so that I had to physically stand at the computer...this lasted two weeks and four days (I’ve just gone back to sitting now today because I believe it was making me feel even more exhausted...My left hand is quite has gone strange with veins that are very see through poking up through the skin, and this is because I keep putting my hand down on the desk while I’m standing...it can get really quite sensitive.

I had damaged my legs from the sitting room chair. The chairs down here I have a tendency to sit on my feet and get pins and needles all day...which i do not know if that has any perminant damage but I'm told it doesn't)

But what was really horrible was that I’ve been getting times where I’ve got very apathetic towards my animation...which is unlike me. This is a tiredness problem and you start to go weird when your very tired...because I know myself with 100% certainty that I love making these films.

I could go on further but I need a rest here. I’m sure that if I go outside and get air...and do some gardening that I might get some clear brain therapy. I think fresh air is important and I don’t get enough of it.

THE SURPRISINGLY GOOD NEW FILM - MICRO MEN

2009-10-10T15:24:00.004Z

This was really good. A black comedy about the rise and fall of the UK computer business written by Tony Saint and directed by Saul Metzstein.

If your lucky you can watch it here for free (perfectly legal) ...[here]

SATURN 7 - CHARACTER ANIMATION TESTS

2009-10-09T00:08:00.002Z

Just very quickly here. This is the first time I’ve had to officially back down and say to myself that I need help. And so what you are about to see here is character animation by a company called Dosch Design (that sells human character animation)

There is just no way that I would be able to do human character animation that is this good. I’m good at lighting, camera work and designing things with primitives.

It's because of companies like this that I am able to make better films and so we are indeed living in amazing times for the independent filmmaker.

DOWSWELL ON DOWSWELL PART 4 OF 6

2009-10-02T20:38:00.001Z

DECISION TIME AGAIN

So I was out of college...I was now a post graduate...six years combined this was (across two art colleges) and I was out. Now things at this point were not good for me health wise...I’d lived on my own in my own personal ground floor flat for two years...and I had drank an awful lot of alcohol and not eaten properly (I had however cycled a lot so my legs were very strong and still are or at least visually they are)...I actually got a car in the final year at college which was an absolute god send with regards to grocery shopping...putting all your shopping into bags or bag is a nightmare on a bike (maybe should have got a huge back pack actually...ah well).

I had to decide on wiether to stay in the city at this flat, or move back home with my parents...many people of course hate going back to the parents after being independent for so long...and I can tell you its not easy...it took a while to adapt...but I believe there are times where you are meant to go into full rest...full R&R...and I needed this.

So I spose what happened next was I got comfortable-ish living at home...and…well, here’s the part that had me uncomfortable in my chair for a few years…

...when I finished the degree, the head lecturer said to me “Michael, you did the wrong degree…you should have done a filmmaking degree.”...and I’ve always kind of thought about film school, and if I should go there (to be honest I still do nowadays sometimes)...but at the same time I felt that it was time to make films...you MAKE them and LEARN that way by MAKING them...but you need a lot of TIME.

But at the same time I was thinking that perhaps going to the big city and meeting like minded film making people might be good for me...it MIGHT lead to you meeting the right people (by that I mean forming the dream crew where you make a film and it’s a success that leads to things)...you hear stories of how such and such filmmaker met such and such a filmmaker at college and how they kept in contact and helped each other out.

But at the same time I had just had six years of education and was quite frankly a bit sick of it. It still bakes my noodle though (as the lady in The Matrix says)...its better not to think about what ifs.

THE NEED TO MAKE MORE FILMS WAS NOW VERY STRONG

So I then embark on seven years of making animations and silent documentaries.

FILMMAKER MIKE PETER REED TALKS ABOUT WHY HE MAKES FILMS

2009-10-02T12:38:00.001Z

GETTING OLDER

2009-09-28T21:55:00.000Z

Well now I’m twenty eight. It gets more and more interesting the older you get. Getting older seems to be a constant stream of realising things...you suddenly have a moment where you know / understand something you didn’t for many years.

I am now gradually going bald on the top back section of my head...what the lady said on a podcast I listen to is apparently true (another realising moment)...she said that men start to sprout hair on other various parts of your body...gradually of course!...but it’s kinda unfair!...it is indeed happening though.

MY HERZOG EMAIL

2009-09-27T16:37:00.000Z

Hello. I’m Michael J. Dowswell, a unknown director trying to get a letter to Werner Herzog.

--------------------------

Dear Werner Herzog,

I really do not know what to write here...ok, I’m going to write something.

I’ve been a big fan of yours for some time now. Your commentaries on the DVD’s were a great comfort to me (that and David Lynch and Terry Gilliam interviews)...and I feel that we share the same passions on a number of topics.

I have never storyboarded...I’ve always seen something special, grabbed my camera, and shot it...spontaneous filmmaking is important to me...happy accidents are important to me...solitude has also been a part of it, and I think the films would not have been possible without the solitude.

I have shot cats seeing and going into snow for the first time in their lives...a massive hydro mechanical cow that does the toilet...and kittens pretend fighting and growing up into adult cats. One time I purchased the wrong classical CD by accident and then later on found myself using a lot of the music on that CD for three of my films.

I very recently had a strange thing happen to me when I watched your film Little Dieter Needs to Fly for the first time (which I loved by the way) and I was somewhat put into a very strange place when I saw a scene in your film where Dieter is in front of a glass window of jelly fish...it was the first time that your film reminded me of my own film From Behind Glass.

With admiration,

Michael J. Dowswell
Independent Director/Cinematographer/Editor

http://www.studiotacitus.co.uk/

DOWSWELL ON DOWSWELL PART 3 OF 6

2009-09-26T15:07:00.007Z

So now I was doing a slightly unusual three year long degree...the title was Multimedia Design and Digital Animation and this was similar in some respects to the first qualification I did (it was a large number of subjects being thrown at you all at once)...except with the first qualification you didn’t touch a computer...this was pretty much all on a computer.

I use to talk to a friend on the degree, and we both agreed on multiple occasions that there really was nothing...NOTHING else, like what we were doing (that had such massive diverse varation) going on at the art college...it was a very experimental degree and I think it had only been on the go for six years...and because computers are in a state of constant change...so was our degree.

There was graphic design, web site design and web site building, CD ROM design and CD ROM building...that you understand has computer programming in it...3D animation, Video production and a LOT of complaining by the people who were on the degree. You see...

...there were ALL SORTS of different people who had reached different levels of difficulty with regards to using a computer and using 3D software...some had never used any before and some were going onto this degree knowing quite a lot about it...

...also, you see...3D animation consists of a whole bunch of things...Lighting, modelling, technical directing, directing, cinematography, texturing, character animation and story telling. It's really a lot to put on the old plate.

TIMES I WANTED TO LEAVE THE DEGREE BUT DIDN'T

There were moments of real despair with the computer programming because I find that sort of thing very difficult...there was a big focus on GROUP projects in year two and this had a mixture of feelings with me too...but, you have to understand they are putting you into a pressure cooker with that stuff on purpose to get you to learn what it’s like.

THE DECISION TO GO SOLO

Eventually I ended up doing a solo animation as my big finishing project for the degree. It went down very well and some people even started to treat me differently than they had done previously.

It is most odd for people to treat you like shit one minute and then treat you like a king the next...this was going to become a common occurrence for me in the coming years.