heck, where were we? It’s certainly been a tumultuous few weeks, and I’ll just dangle a few highlights. Many great things have happened, but I’ve been kept down to earth by having to sign on and go to a four hour workshop at the job centre about making one’s CV look impressive. I’ve learnt from experience that CV’s are seldom read past the first line. This was a depressing experience and the one girl there burst into tears at one point. However, I’ve been at several events at the sale waterside, including a rather splendid talk by Vivien Halas talking about her parents and Animal Farm. I saw Blackadder Goes forth at the Garrick which was rather impressive and looked superb in a stage filling trench set. some of the staging perhaps was a little clumsy but then that is inevitable with scripts that rely on the tv film grammar. But we were back on the set for our Lest we Forget concert. How this was pulled together I do not know…..the dress rehearsal was a little chaotic, but then you are standing alone on stage and you have to get your bit right. Fortunately I did, and I was buzzing somewhat. We raised a fair amount of money for the British Legion.
I went to revisit my friends The crooners, but could not give away a spare ticket. Great show but I am not sure about the Parr hall or warrington.
I’ve been racing round getting some t-shirts done for the Manchester Animation festival and mighty fine they are too. But before the festival I was on BBC breakfast on Tuesday and that was exciting. A great car picked me up and the studio I’d like to pretend was calm and organised. It was not. I was quickly thrown and then half way through chatting they stopped me in full flow – and presented me with a MAF fellowship. Well I was surprised and very flattered. I’ve not watched the playback but I hope it was OK. after this I did more filming and then a radio piece. back down to earth with a committee meeting at the Garrick in the evening. and yes before the festival we had the rTS awards, in which RAA RAA won best pre-school programme and Twirlies won best Craft – amazing to think what that was up against. But the best was Johnny Vegas going into a ten minute monologue about why he loved Twirlies so effing much.
And the festival was great fun. I did a panel about what makes a good animator, then we did our 40 years of BP which was great fun. I managed I hope to be sincere and outrageous and insightful. we showed some early stuff but not enough. the 80 minutes raced by. A good full house. Then there was the screening, and by that time I had had some cider and was was too flirty with everyone. The next night we had the awards, and got through it – just. A few hiccups. I did not stay long afterwards as I was up early yesterday to go to Sheffield for a good lecture. Then back home and I collapsed exhausted.
And next week is pretty much the same, topped with a week in cuba,
And I hope your week was good too.
Animator, Director, Writer