Another Story Adventure

Ala Kazam!

That's another fine mess . . .

The new series of Shaun is the perfect project for a board artist. The script outlines are very open and you're encouraged to add gags, character moments and even huge chunks of plot. Can't say too much about a series in development but fans will not be disappointed. The Laurel and Hardy box set arrived in the office yesterday for reference. I'm sure it will be devoured in the name of funny.

Where we're going we don't need roads

Having come across the below photo it made me think about the transition to a digital cintiq. They make the story process much more organic, like having a gigantic photocopier strapped to your light desk. I started on the new series of Shaun the Sheep in late July and the whole system is digital which is kind of strange. Sure we keep bits of paper around for old times sake and I'll always thumb and pitch on paper. It's not the Wil E Coyote "Acme Storyboarder 5000" you've still got to draw on the thing. There isn't a button you press and the boards spew out, believe me I've looked.

Old School and Bafta Corks

This is me on "Chop Socky Chooks" just over a year ago. Back then we were still using pencil and paper and a bunch of really neat animation desks. We worked at Wetherell Place which is a small barn like studio in Clifton, Bristol. It is where Aardman first began and where they shot "A Grand Day Out". In fact there's a champagne cork still in the roof, it says next to it "Nick Park Bafta 94".

Chop Socky Chooks is out there!

Sometimes you work on a project at the story stage and there's a long gap between when you leave that production and the rest of the world sees it. It can be a little like sending a message in a bottle and waiting for the reply. Well a few weeks ago one of those bottles lapped up on the shore of Cartoon Network and it's looking great.

I started to look back over some of the storyboards I did and it struck me how ambitious and fun those episodes were. I'm proud to say I worked on it and look forward to tuning in each night at 5pm to see a new bottle, I mean episode . . .

http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk/microsites/chopsockychooks/index.html

Car Chases are fun!