BIGred Blog

The Joining of the Olympic Rings by Aaron age 14

2011-08-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Joining of the olympic rings
This great stop motion animation was made by Aaron age 14. He made it at our studio in Burslem during a BIGred Thursday animation workshop, we think it great!

The Lantern

2011-07-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

BIGred studio worked in partnership with The Cultural Sisters to engage creatively with a female Mandarin-speaking group which meets weekly at The Hope Children's Centre in Stoke-on-Trent. The result is a ten minute animated response to their experiences, a visual journey of one character that attempts to reflect the collective life stories of the group.

Sustainable Schools Project: Workshop 9th March 2011

2011-03-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Schools Project: Workshop 9th March 2011: "Well! We all had a great day - the students were brilliant and engaged with the themes around sustainable development really well. They came..."

STOKE YOUR FIRES WINNER War of the Worlds

2011-03-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

This years Stoke Your Fires Community Animation Competition was won by 11 year Kyran who made this animation 'War of the Worlds' during the after school sessions held at BIGred studio every Thursday.
Well done Kyran!!!

London Road Development - Staffordshire Housing Association

2011-02-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

This is a small clip of work in progress from our oil painted animation charting Staffordshire Housing Association's development on London Road Stoke-on-Trent
The full animation will be 8 minutes in length and is due to be complete in March.
Draft Soundtrack from Garry Abbott of Audio Mill

Sustainable Schools Project: Haywood Engineering College - Final Animation!

2011-02-17T03:49:00.000-08:00

Sustainable Schools Project: Haywood Engineering College - Final Animation!: "Here is the finished work! Karen from BIGredstudio has put together this fantastic animation, compiled from all of the group animation..."

1984 Animated Visuals SHORTLISTED for SYF Made in the Midlands Award

2011-01-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

1984 has been shortlisted for 'Made in the Midlands' at this years Stoke Your Fires festival of the moving image.

1984 animated visuals

2011-01-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

An edited sequence of the animated visuals that we produced for the play '1984'.

A showcase of animated sequences produced by BIGred studio for a recent touring theatre adaptation of George Orwell's 1984. The animations heavily interacted with the actors on stage throughout the 2 hour performances.
The play toured to Lancaster, Halifax, Bury St Edmunds, Kingston, Buxton, Bristol and Richmond theatres and was well received by audiences and the press.
The animation itself utilises a variety of animation techniques, largely charcoal animation on a single surface, also oil painted, cut-out and emulsion on wall animation.

1984 Animation Trailer

2010-11-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

BIGred Partners with Stoke Your Fires the Festival of Moving Image 2011

2010-11-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

In Partnership with Stoke Your Fires the Festival of Moving Image 2011

BIGred studio will be delivering Animation Workshops for 11-16's

Here is the link for our upcoming events and workshops

Click here for BIGred events and workshops

1984 (tour – Bury St Edmunds)

2010-11-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

Lastest review for 1984

www.whatsonstage.com

Not just good, it is "double good" - The Observer 1984 review

2010-10-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

To praise Northern Broadsides's production for being drab, dreary and dispiriting might seem perverse; but the fact that 1984 is all of those things is not just good, it is "double good". On a set the colour of cold porridge, five actors in blue boiler suits conjure George Orwell's ghastly vision of totalitarian terror. Behind them looms a huge screen across which flow animated pencil drawings in black and white, with occasional flashes of colour; images as fleeting as the history Winston Smith rewrites daily for the Ministry of Truth. Nick Lane's excellent adaptation is as spare and clear as Orwell's prose. The cast morph effortlessly, under Conrad Nelson's storytelling-inspired direction, between vivid characterisations and neutral narrator roles. Nick Haverson's Winston, now crushed, now defiant, finally defeated, is compelling and Kate Ambler manages to breathe raw life into the novel's unconvincing Julia, the love of his life, trampled by Big Brother.

Intro for 1984 Theatre Production

2010-09-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

This is the charcoal animated intro for George Orwell's 1984 a theatre production by Northern Broadsides and Dukes Lancaster Theatre Company.
Animated by Rob Pointon

BIGred featured in Whats on Stage Article

2010-09-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

What's on Stage Interview with 1984's director Conrad Nelson click here for the link.

Timelapse Studio Footage for 1984 Animated Visuals

2010-08-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

Timelapse showing some of the animation taking place for the 1984 stage show visuals. The Northern Broadsides co-production with the Dukes Lancaster Theatre shall tour from September 2010. BIGred Studio have been commissioned to produce animated visuals that will be screened throughout the performance.

2010-06-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

This BIGred Ident was a collaboration between BIGred studio, Lianne Allen and Audio Mill. It was animated and directed by Lianne Allen a third year student at Staffordshire University and soundtrack by Audio Mill.

Thistley Hough Animation

2010-05-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Introduction to stop-motion animation, made my year 11 students at Thistley Hough High School as part of their identity project.

BIGred Thursday Ninja Animation

2010-05-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

This animation was produced at one of our BIGred studio animation workshops for 11-16's we think it is very cool!

KENDO is a winner @ the Staffordshire Open Art Competition 2010

2010-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that our animated film 'Kendo Nagasaki' has won Third prize at the Staffordshire Open Art Competition.

It is being screened alongside two of our other animations 'Train Track' and 'London Road' at the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford.

3 of Rob Pointon's painting's are also being exhibited at the Gallery.

Rob Pointon - Animated Life Class

2010-04-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

BIGred studio staged it'd it first animated life class ran by Rob Pointon.
Drawing the model from 12 positions, spending 10 minutes on each pose we created animated 360 degree portraits.

Society of Staffordshire Artists Painting Demonstration

2010-04-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

BIGred's Rob Pointon was asked by the SSA to deliver a painting demonstration for it's members, a fantastic turnout with over 50 people attending.
Rob spent 2hrs painting the model and demonstrating his oil painted animation techniques.
Here is a video of the painting evolving and a glimpse of the head starting to turn.

Learning for Health - Hungry Monsters

2010-03-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

These Hungry Monster Animation's were part of a Learning for Heath project organised by the WEA.

Stoke Your Fires Festival of Animation Workshops

2010-01-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the animations which were produced on a 3 day animation course held at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, which is staging the 3rd Stoke Your Fires Animation Festival.

BIGred studio also delivered a one day animation taster session here are some of the animations produced.
Two courses where held one for under 16's and one for over 16's.

Spinning Chair Test

2010-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Experimenting for an animated life class we spent 10 minutes on twelve poses resulting a 360 degree portrait of the model.

Zombie Test (1984)

2009-12-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Northern Broadsides Theatre Company has approached Rob Pointon & BIGred studio to work with them on their next theatre production 1984.

BIGred studio’s Rob Pointon produced an experimental charcoal test piece animating Karen on a very bad day in the studio.

Christmas Burslem Arts Festival 2009 - Hungry Monsters

2009-11-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

BIGred studio staged a free drop in workshop for this years Christmas Burslem Arts Festival.

Children and adults were able to make their own plasticine Hungry Monster and then use stop-motion animation techniques to animate their monsters munching away!

Nov 2009 - New Studio for BIGred Studio!

2009-11-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

BIGred studio has just moved in to new premises.

Our new address is: 11 Queen Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 3FA

Pop in and say HELLO!

Middleport and Central Forest Park

2009-09-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Commissioned by Midland Heart & Regeneration Staffordshire

This cut out animation was produced at two outdoor events in Middleport and Central Forest Park, Stoke on Trent.

Participants could drop-in throughout the day and make their own cut-out character and animate themselves on the background, the workshop was also used to interview young people and find out what they thought and wanted for the future of their local area.

These comments where used for the soundtrack, which were recorded and mixed by Audio Mill.

E4 Sting with Nic Winstanley

2009-07-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Burslem based Illustrator Nic Winstanley worked alongside BIGred Studio to produce this animation. Nic came up with the concept, storyboarded and illustrated this quirky E4 Sting. Animation work done in After Effects.
Check out Nic's Website
www.nicwinstanley.com

Creation

2009-06-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

This short cut-out animation was produced during a summer workshop with the Swan Bank Methodist Mission. Over 2 hours a group of 20 young people worked together to make the models and take turns to animate the piece.

Soundtrack by Audio Mill.

BIGred play GLASTONBURY!!

2009-05-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

'Train Track' is to be screened along with other West Midland's made animation at Glastonbury 2009 - as you can see below the news has been well received

Heathfield Special School - May 2009

2009-05-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

BIGred Studio delivered the Burslem Lowry Workshop as part of Creative Partnerships under BArts at Heathfield Special School in May 2009. This themed their Visual senses week and ran alongside a live oil painting of an aeobics class in the school hall by Rob Pointon

Illustrator Adam Pryce gets moving at bITjAM!

2009-05-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

BIGred Studio teamed up with Burslem based illustrator Adam Pryce to get some live animation projected at the mind blowing bITjAM on the 7th May. The bITjAM is an unpredictable fusion of improvising musicians so visual improvisation goes hand in hand. Adam's funky surreal designs with painted on acetate and played with! These were combined with live mark making, 3D paper characters and cheeky comments added by a number of bystanders who saw what was going on and wanted to be involved.

Also on the night BIGred's Rob Pointon captured the action in a live oil painting

Lowry Workshop at Burslem Summer Arts Festival 2009

2009-05-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

BIGred Studios continued its presence at the Burslem Arts Festivals, this time with a workshop themed around Manchester artist L.S. Lowry. A bespoke Burslem scene was painted in a Lowry style and people attending the festival could make and animate their own 'Matchstick Men' to walk the streets of Burslem. Soundtrack by Audio Mill

NOTE - BIG red Studio holds no responsibility over the warped imaginations of the kids attending

Garry Abbott - Audio / Visual Experimentation

2009-04-08T03:28:00.000-07:00

A mini animation playing with our new lightbox - drawn key frames from direct observation show Audio Mill music producer Garry Abbott composing his latest symphony.

BIGred Studio Lecture

2009-04-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

January 2009 - BIGred Studio's Karen Sayle lectured to the Animation degree students at Staffordshire University. A former student on the course, Karen was delighted to be asked back in as a guest lecturer to talk about her career in animation since leaving.

BIGred in the Wrestling Ring!

2009-04-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

BIGred's Karen Sayle and Rob Pointon were invited onto stage to take a bow for the production of the Kendo Nagasaki- Genesis in Portrait promotional film after it was screened before Kendo's headlining fight in front of the Victoria Hall crowd in Hanley on the 20th September 2008.

The promotional film was also screened on the SKY Fight Channel 427

www.kendonagasaki.org

Kendo Nagasaki - Genesis in Portrait

2009-04-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2008 BIGred Studio produced a 9-minute promotional video for the wrestling legend Kendo Nagasaki. This included a 4-minute wall painted animation section that tells the origins of the mysterious character.

The animation takes place in the vaulted cellar of Kendo Nagasaki's abandoned 54 roomed mansion. Over 1000 emulsion-on-wall paintings were produced amongst the rat skeletons and linked together to create a haunting moving artwork within a 3-dimensional space.

The promotional film culminates in the real Kendo Nagasaki having his portrait painted in oils. The painting develops a life of its own and begins to move - threatening to reveal the identity of the man behind the mask.

Timelapse showing techniques used to create animation (4hr period)

Workshop at Merryfields Special School

2009-04-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

June 2008 - BIGred Studio delivered a seaside themed animation workshop at Merryfields Special School in Newcastle-Under-Lyme.

Staffs Housing Section 1.5

2009-04-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

We decided a short scene in between sections 1 and 2 could be added to give a stronger more dramatic sense of the demolition ofthe previous factory. We wanted the machinery to take on the illusion of dinosaurs or beasts ripping at a carcus! Nice.

Staffs Housing Section 2

2009-04-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

The second minute section of the animation is now complete. This animation consists of a different oil painting than the first, the viewpoint has now moved within the site and we slowly pan round

Axis Festival 2008 - AirWindow

2009-04-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

30th April 2008

'Train Track' screened inside the Victoria Hall as part of the AirWindow project run in conjunction with the Axis Festival 2008 with AirSpace gallery.

www.axisfestival.co.uk

Shorts on Walls - 'Train Track' Screening

2009-04-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

'Train Track' was screened at Animation Forum West Midlands Event 'Shorts on Walls' at The Rainbow in Digbeth in April 2008 and was well received!

www.animationforumwm.com

Staffs Housing Section 1

2009-04-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

The first minute section of the Staffs Housing London Road sequence is complete. Immediately a noticeable progression from 'Train Track' with a faster moving, more dynamic pace to the piece. More elements being animated after immediately launching into a highly worked painting rather than waiting for the piece to evolve.

A fantastic soundtrack by Leek based Audio Mill that was produced after the animation rather than piecing the animation to music. An exciting debut to an exciting project.

Staffordshire Housing Association

2009-04-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

After viewing 'Train Track' at Rob Pointon/BIGred Studio's December 2007 Burslem School of Art Exhibition 'Painting Stoke on Trent from Life' , Staffordshire Housing Association commissioned a 2 year plus animation project to document the redevelopment of their London Road site in Stoke.

The project will be split into 8 approximately 1 minute sections spanning over a 2 year period depending on the rate of development. The final animations shall give a bold, creative method of documentation showing demolition, clearance, planning, building and the finished Staffs Housing project.

The site is currently occupied by a former factory for the Portmeirion Pottery Firm that is required to be demolished. Staffordshire Housing shall reuse the large site for a combination of their new head office, a care home and housing.

BIGred Studio will be using KSphotography to visit the site regularly and photograph the changes taking place. From these images the moving oil paintings on canvas shall be produced.

It has shown dedication to original creativity and support for the local artistic community from Staffordshire Housing Association.

bitJAM Experimental Music Events

2009-02-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

February 2009

BIGred have been excited about discovering the bitJAM evenings on the first Thursday of every month at The Rigger in Newcastle Under Lyme hosted by Ben 'BigUn' Mcmanus and Carl Plant.

"The aim of bitJAM is to bring together audio and visual artists, media companies and anybody interested in experimental music"

BIGred are keen to support and be involved these great events. For February 2009 we played all our music related animations, a few new creations with illustrator Nic Winstanley, and sent a brief to Staffs Uni Animation Students for short loops we could use for experimental VJ material. The resulting visuals were a very high standard and bringing local animation into the creative pot of the evening added to its already potent flavour!

www.bitjam.co.uk

Clip showing some of the prepared loops - music by Audio Mill

Place, Space and Identity - Phase 2 Launch

2009-01-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Place Space and Identity is a large scale arts project funded by Renew, Newcastle Borough Council and the Arts Council. B-Arts who coordinate the project commissioned the BIGred team to produce a wall-painted animation that would move through the building where the PSI2 Launch event would take place.

This location was St Giles and St Georges disused primary school, Newcastle Under Lyme, and taking inspiration from the building we produced several loop animations themed around infant playground games to be projected continuously on different spots around the school on the evening of the event.

The main animation however, was an animation of a game of 'Tick' between the camera and a wall painted boy that begins outside the school and rushes through several rooms and corridors before the kids get caught running in class by a very angry teacher and sent to the headmaster's office!

There was an impossible deadline for this piece so having the camera as a character meant we could tell a lot of story with few paintings. The animation was screened and highly praised at the launch where visitors could walk around and see the paint smeared trails of animation they had just watched.

Work 2008: A Hired Brush - Burslem School of Art

2009-01-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

BIGred Studio had a dedicated conference room at Rob Pointon's recent exhibition at The Burslem School of Art - 'Work 2008 - A Hired Brush'. All of BIGred's animation productions with Rob were screened to a captive audience that included World Darts Champion Phil 'The Power' Taylor!

Stoke Your Fires Animation Festival 2008

2008-05-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

The first animation festival in Stoke on Trent took place between the 15th and 18th May 2008 at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. BIGred Studio's Karen Sayle was employed as a festival organiser. The event was a great success with high profile speakers such as Greg Lynn, Executive producer at Chapman Entertainment, TV title pioneer Pat Gavin, Chris Bowden, Exec producer at The Corpse Bride modellers Mackinnon and Saunders and a host of speakers from Aardman. Plus an AFWM Storyboard masterclass from David Aldred, artist on the movie Eragon.

BIGred's 'Train Track' was shown in the Made in the Midlands Screenings and well received, BIGred Studio's Karen Sayle helped deliver 2 days of animation workshops and Rob Pointon produced an experimental Live oil-painting animation in the museum foyer.

‘Train Track’ by Rob Pointon and BIGred Studio with Sheepstarr Music

2007-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

This is a description of the first oil painting animation produced by Rob Pointon and BIGred Studio.

This animation is a portrait of Sheep, the head of Sheepstarr Music and co-founder of Audio Mill - a composer of diverse electronic soundscaping material.

This animation reflects Sheep’s audio perception of train travel and movement. The on-board environment builds both visually and sonically to reflect the gathering of momentum on a moving train that has just begun its journey. The beat rate within the audio track is directly linked to the pace of the animation which creates a multi sensory hypnotic piece.

The animation itself is all produced within the varying states of a single oil painting. Over 800 photographs were taken in a light controlled studio space, and then edited together with the music. The artist, Rob Pointon was able to judge (by the amount of photographs taken) at what stage the painting was in relation to the audio. Pre-defined ‘hit points’ meant flurries of visual activity could be synchronised with the sound.
The concept of a moving figurative oil painting is rarely seen in modern culture, but is a very immediate and organic method of animation. The painting itself has been through a journey. Various portraits of Sheep (approximately 7 painted heads) now only exist within the animation, and can not be viewed in the final painting.

The sketchbook reflects Rob’s artistic creativity that arises during train travel.

"I have found I am often at my most productive when travelling"

Scientists have linked brain stimulation to the rapid change of scenery and thus stimulation in the peripheral vision. The wide angle letterbox view of this piece has consciously been adopted to bring the peripheries into play, and absorb the viewer in a complete 1st person experience.

"I enjoy firmly locating the viewer in a visual environment that surrounds them, so it is like seeing through my eyes for that moment and not just a postcard view I have painted."

This experience on board a train is psychologically quite bizarre. We sit in a confined, artificial environment with complete strangers and hurtle through the landscape at over 100 mph on a pre-defined course. A lot of people use music, played on personal stereos as an acceptable method of disengagement from their immediate surroundings. As the animation comes to a close and the music stops we see Sheep ‘unplug’ himself from the personal music player, a visual link to the end of this experience. The painting is now motionless, suggesting the train has reached it’s destination, and the music has served it’s purpose.