Mad Apple Circus Stickers!

Do you remember this fella?? He's been spotted around Bristol, dotted on lamp posts and crossing lights, well he'll soon be joined by a few others!
Those Mad Apple Circus guys have commissioned me to create a few variations to this logo to suit seasonal or themed gigs their playing, so look out for these stickers in the near future!

MAC music video - Animatic!!

It's been a long while since I've updated you all on the MAC animation project!

Well I can happily say that after several odd days spent scribbling away in photoshop and listening to the same track over and over and over and over, I finally have something to show you all!

I have just finished the Animatic for 'Let the Jury Sing'!!

So without further a-do...
(Apologies for the wonky embed! This video is also available to view on Vimeo!)

This project still has a long way to go yet; the character designs need developing with colour, scene concepts need to be done, dope sheets need to be written, and the additional SFX (which in the animatic are provided by free audio websites and are temporary for the purposes of the animatic) need to be properly recorded.
Not to mention actually properly animating the damn thing!

As it stands though, with the completion of the Animatic, this project has reached a nice point to be able to pause for a month or two while I take time to work on an opportunity that has come my way. A 5 page contribution to a comic anthology, though I'm afraid I can't say any more than that at the moment!

But all of you can remind yourselves of the character designs and storyboards done for this project so far right here

Also to learn more about the band, listen to more tracks and find out about upcoming gigs, visit the Mad Apple Circus website!!
(Note: The MAC logo and website text headers were provided by moi!)



Judge Dredd, created by Carlos Esquerra & John Wagner, is copyright Rebellion A/S http://www.2000adonline.com/

Mad Apple Circus, Animated music video - Storyboards!!

Another bit of animation news for you tonight!!

I recently completed the Mad Apple Circus storyboards for "Let the Jury Sing"

Here're the first few storyboarded sequences to this massively action packed and monstrously fast paced animation!!

The next task for this project will be to make an Animatic (motion storyboard) and match the duration of the sequences to the timing of the music!

Incidentally if any of you guys want to listen to the track I'm animating this for then you can do so right here: http://www.myspace.com/madapplecircus

It's the first song listed!

Mad Apple Circus - Sticker Design

You remember that I'd been commissioned to animate a music video for the Bristol band, Mad Apple Circus??

The storyboards for 'Let the Jury Sing' are going well, however while going over them with Luke Wilson and Josh Chapman (vocals, guitarist, trumpet and a whole lot of music talent) Josh asked for a bit of extra help with a sticker design they'd had in mind, a sort of logo for the band!

He showed me his original doodle done on Paint and asked what I could do with it.

Well, the answer to that is right below!

A decision needs to be made about the black or red text, but soon you won't be able to go anywhere in Bristol without seeing this little guy stuck about the place!

If you want to see them live, here is a list of their upcoming gigs in Bristol!

24th Feb - MR WOLFS
9th March - THE PROM
10th March - MARLBOROUGH
7th April - THE CROFT
28th April - THEKLA (tbc)
2nd-3rd June - THE HAPPY PEOPLE PARTY
22nd June - THE PROM
7th August - THE FLEECE (tbc)
22nd Sept - FROG FEST

You can find out more info about the band and upcoming events on their Facebook Page!

Mad Apple Circus, Animated music video - Character designs

Hey there Music fans!

I'm finally going to post up a bit of the initial character design regarding the Animated Music Video project I'm working on, amongst other things!!

First though I'll fill you in on all the background stuff.

Mad Apple circus is an original Big-band/Reggae/Ska-punk group from the deepest darkest suburbs of Bristol. You can usually find them making regular performances at The Prom and The Blue Lagoon along Gloucester Road (for any readers local and looking to hear them!)

Through a series of meetings with Luke Wilson-Tancock (Vocals, Guitar and Trumpet) and Josh Chapman (Guitar) we've discussed an animation to accompany one track titled "Let the Jury Sing". The track itself is 2 mins, 49 seconds long and is pretty damn fast paced! A LOT is planned to happen in those 2 mins, 49 seconds, so I shall have my work cut out for me!

Everything that happens in this animation will happen to one specific character, who'll be pulled through a variety of situations. This character is the Band's mascot, a Clown by the name of Bastardo! And so without further a-do I'll get on with the drawing bit!

Here are some initial character sketches for Bastardo the Clown!

These character sketches were based on your typical 50's Disney style, which the whole animation is to emulate, and various clowns and things from Dumbo and other animations I researched. However the largest factor to Bastardo's appearance is this lovely bit of artwork done by Luke's Dad!

You can find out more about Mad Apple Circus and the the other band members on their Facebook Page

The next thing to do on this project is to draw up storyboards and then fit those to the track with a rough animatic!!

Stay tuned!! :)