animation

CBeebies gives Bluey series three its UK free-to-air debut

The series, aimed at five to seven-year-olds but beloved by all ages, documents the misadventures of a Blue Heeler puppy living in Brisbane, Australia.

Bluey lives with her mum, dad, and little sister Bingo, and their penchant for fun drags the whole neighbourhood (made up of a variety of dog breeds) into their energetic games.

Working Lives: Animation Supervisor Catherine Mullan

She has worked on every­thing from Dinotopia to Disney’s live-action Dumbo to a slow-motion Jack Russell in the new Flash movie. She is head of animation at the visual effects studio One of Us.

What does the job involve?

It involves supervising the animation across a visual effects project, which can be anything from a simple car or plane to something more complex, such as a hero character or a creature. A supervisor works closely with the animation team, production, the visual effects (VFX) supervisor and the director.

Animation series 10-Year-Old Tom given the greenlight by HBO Max

Credit: ITV

The series is set to be written by Steve Dildarian, creator of The Life and Times of Tim, and executive produced by Dildarian and animator Nick Weidenfeld.

The animation series follows Tom and the grown-ups in his life, who have the best intentions but struggle to set a good example for him to follow.

Resisting against being corrupted by the immoral behaviours of the adults around him, just leaving the house causes a war against the bad influences that are everywhere.

Leading animators share their tips for mastering the craft

Neil Kidney, Elmaz Ekrem, Terry Marsh, Christine MacKay and Will Cook (Credit: Phil Barnes)

“Make your face known… just apply and pitch for stuff, even if you might feel out of your depth,” said young 2D animator and film-maker Elmaz Ekrem. “Someone will eventually take a chance on you.”

Ekrem’s film (made with Dominika Ożyńska) about the refugee crisis in Europe, The Law of The Sea, was part of Channel 4’s short-film strand, Random Acts.

The four-strong panel offered advice to the many young animators in the audience.

Watch the RTS Student Television Awards 2019 films

The awards celebrate the best of student television talent, showcasing undergraduate and postgraduate films from 23 universities.

The films were awarded in the categories Animation, Comedy & Entertainment, Drama, Factual, News and Short Form, as well as the craft skills categories Camerawork, Editing, Production Design, Sound and Writing. 

Click here to read the full list of winners

 

RTS Midlands get animated with Bottletop

Steve Smith, founder of London-based animation studio Beakus (Credit: Bottletop)

Steve Smith, the founder of London-based animation studio Beakus and Olobob Top producer, described the hard work and personal risk involved in getting an animation idea commissioned for television. He discussed the development of the characters, how the animations were refined to make the production process manageable and gave the audience a glimpse into the incredible amount of planning required in producing a series.