funding frustrations

I have had several months now of attending courses and doing research and posting videos and blogs to develop the potential of my projects. I think I desperately need to do some writing or creating.
Last time I wrote a script it was the short film "Visious Cycle." With the help of Alan Murphy we very quickly crunched this into a cracking final draft ready for a funding application (link funding through the FTI.) Last week we were shortlisted and this week I had the interview. Unfortunately I was unable to convince them that we would be able to make this, ambitious stop mo/puppetry/flash modern re-telling of the Elves and the Shoemaker, within the allocated time and within budget. Unfortunately the animations that have gone before me for this funding have not delivered on time.
Animations are at a disadvantage with this type of funding as the funding is not enough to employ people full time and animations require full time work by several individuals or take a very long time. I will have to spend more time on the producer aspects of the application next time around (its too good a script to bin, as Alan says maybe we need to do something smaller first) Ie Full on schedules and contracts signed in blood before even a whiff of money. Ah well such is this film making life. The interviewing panel were very complimentary and encouraging about the film and concept!
So like I said it is time to do some more creating.

Back in my first post I talked about how there were only a few places that I found myself in my life in WA. Well two elements of my life here collided last night when I attended the launch of the WA animated series Dogstar at Scitech Discovery Centre. The launch was put on by Screenwest where my friend Hilary Lambert is now working. We worked together at Scitech years ago. Also at the launch were friends from the FTI and of course WAnimate and the animation community - it's a very small place WA. Check out Dogstar, it's fun and funny and its flash animation pushed to the limit - I've linked to it.

Jelly Jym on Blip TV

You can now watch Jelly Jym episode bubbles in five minute installments on Blip TV, look for the link on the right of the page at the top. Part one available for viewing now! I am very excited to see if these get an audience. I think teachers and parents should find them useful for;

• explaining science concepts,
• showing to the kids to engage them with ideas and activities,
• ideas on fun activities to try.
  

They are aimed at children aged between about three and eight years old. They are a mixture of puppets, presenter, kids doing stuff, all sorts of animations, stories, singing snails, grumpy rocks.....why am I describing it, just go and watch them!

Rainbow Dragons 2

Here is a promo produced for showcasing Rainbow Dragons in an interactive form. I decided to use the limited time available to do animations to show how the Oobly Dooblies and Fijity Wiks would work because I thought this might be an element people would find hardest to grasp. I am now working on the script which will illustrate the potential for great stories and interaction between the three personalities...

Click To Play

Island of Wild Hope

Here is a children's film I made with Ian Tregonning and the Museum of Western Australia. It is a pilot of sorts for a series where this character Jenny would always be going to the museum to find a solution to a problem or worry she had through stories inherent in the museum exhibits as revealed by her mysterious friend Gappa. What Jenny 'sees' in her head on hearing these stories is shown as animation - done here by the very talented Stephen Grant.
If you think it makes a good way to communicate history - let me know.