Friday, August 21, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Thoughts on Work
I've been at my new job for 4 weeks now. It is in no way going to become a career for me. That I know for certain. It's not what I want to do.
With how I'm feeling currently it may not last for much longer at all. I know it's early days but I feel that for every small thing I get right I get something wrong five times as large.
Today I was acosted by the manager for first of all being too slow with the task I was doing and then for having done the wrong task in the first place.
Last week I was told off for not knowing where enough of our products were for the customers. I've been making efforts to get better but it just doesn't seem worth it.
I really didn't think things would hit me this hard but I just don't seem to be able to cope with it. I think maybe I'm still too naive, even at the age of 22.
I don't dislike the work, I just hate the way the manager lets you know something is wrong. He makes me feel like I can do nothing right which just makes me doubt myself more and thus begins the downward spiral of misery.
I have three days off now and I know I will be feeling better by the time I go back to work on Wednesday but I also know that it's only a matter of time before I make another stupid cockup.
See? Already doubting myself again.
With how I'm feeling currently it may not last for much longer at all. I know it's early days but I feel that for every small thing I get right I get something wrong five times as large.
Today I was acosted by the manager for first of all being too slow with the task I was doing and then for having done the wrong task in the first place.
Last week I was told off for not knowing where enough of our products were for the customers. I've been making efforts to get better but it just doesn't seem worth it.
I really didn't think things would hit me this hard but I just don't seem to be able to cope with it. I think maybe I'm still too naive, even at the age of 22.
I don't dislike the work, I just hate the way the manager lets you know something is wrong. He makes me feel like I can do nothing right which just makes me doubt myself more and thus begins the downward spiral of misery.
I have three days off now and I know I will be feeling better by the time I go back to work on Wednesday but I also know that it's only a matter of time before I make another stupid cockup.
See? Already doubting myself again.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
First Shift
I've had my first shift at The Co-operative now. It was a six (6) hour shift and went a lot quicker than I expected. I suppose because I was kept busy I didn't have time to get bored. I started at 10:30am and finished at 5:00pm just in time to catch my bus home.
I didn't get too cold but I was wearing a vest! It was one of my dad's. I haven't worn a vest since I was about six years old. You could see it through my shirt as well. Nobody said anything though.
I was kept busy 'facing' the shelves, checking stock 'sell by' dates and reducing the prices of anything that needed to be reduced.
My next shift is Friday.
I didn't get too cold but I was wearing a vest! It was one of my dad's. I haven't worn a vest since I was about six years old. You could see it through my shirt as well. Nobody said anything though.
I was kept busy 'facing' the shelves, checking stock 'sell by' dates and reducing the prices of anything that needed to be reduced.
My next shift is Friday.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The World of Work
I shall be entering it soon.
Today I completed my induction for The Co-operative Group and I officially have my first shift on Wednesday. Apparently I will be getting trained up in the chillers section. I hope it's not too cold.
Thankfully it's not an early start so thats a plus.
Today I completed my induction for The Co-operative Group and I officially have my first shift on Wednesday. Apparently I will be getting trained up in the chillers section. I hope it's not too cold.
Thankfully it's not an early start so thats a plus.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
SimSocial
As part of the marketing campain by EA for the new Sims 3 game due for release on June 2nd (5th in the UK) SimSocial has been released. It's basically a mini-game on the web.
You start by creating a Sim from a few limited options and then basically follow them through their life. All of the events appear on a PDA/mobile phone type interface. Unless you are already into the Sims franchise then this could become very boring very quickly. I'm finding it a very enjoyable time waster though. My Sim has already got a hmself a girlfriend which has unlocked the ability to spend the evening having a romantic meal or watching a romantic movie. The fact that she is a kleptomaniac doesn't seem to have shown any effect yet but she has helped him to get a better job. Well, same thing but different place with better pay.
If you want to go and check it out then you can do here> SimSocial
One last thing, you will need an EA account to play and save your game. If you don't have one then it lets you create one when you begin.
P.S. Save often! It seems to force you to take a ten minute break roughly every Sim fortnight and the autosave doesn't always work. Even if it says it does.
You start by creating a Sim from a few limited options and then basically follow them through their life. All of the events appear on a PDA/mobile phone type interface. Unless you are already into the Sims franchise then this could become very boring very quickly. I'm finding it a very enjoyable time waster though. My Sim has already got a hmself a girlfriend which has unlocked the ability to spend the evening having a romantic meal or watching a romantic movie. The fact that she is a kleptomaniac doesn't seem to have shown any effect yet but she has helped him to get a better job. Well, same thing but different place with better pay.
If you want to go and check it out then you can do here> SimSocial
One last thing, you will need an EA account to play and save your game. If you don't have one then it lets you create one when you begin.
P.S. Save often! It seems to force you to take a ten minute break roughly every Sim fortnight and the autosave doesn't always work. Even if it says it does.
Monday, April 13, 2009
MyBrute.com
A site I found that someone had linked to on GaiaOnline.
Create a little brute and then battle it out against other brutes. Wanna have a go? Just follow the link here and then create a brute to fight me.
http://alistu.mybrute.com
Create a little brute and then battle it out against other brutes. Wanna have a go? Just follow the link here and then create a brute to fight me.
http://alistu.mybrute.com
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Whirled
Hello all. Fancy checking out a new website? Why not have a look at Whirled? I joined a few months ago to take part in a deviantART contest and really like the games they have there.
If you have the abilities (or even if you don't, it doesn't seem to bother most users) then you can create and upload your own avatars, rooms and furniture items which you can then list in the shop. If you get enough sales then it should eventually be possible to cash out the coins for real money. I have no idea how many coins are needed to make up a convertable amount but then thats not why I'm doing it.
Visit me by clicking the button below.
If you have the abilities (or even if you don't, it doesn't seem to bother most users) then you can create and upload your own avatars, rooms and furniture items which you can then list in the shop. If you get enough sales then it should eventually be possible to cash out the coins for real money. I have no idea how many coins are needed to make up a convertable amount but then thats not why I'm doing it.
Visit me by clicking the button below.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Spore Creature Creator
Hello people. I live once again! No, I haven't risen from the grave.
Um, yay!? It sorta worked and you should still be able to get to my account by clicking somewhere in the above jumbled mess. You might actually need an account first though.
I'm just here to test something out. I've recently created a Spore account because I downloaded the Spore Creature Creator. Its fab! I have the demo at the moment but should hopefully be buying the full version this weekend providing my local Gamestation get some copies in. Its only a fiver which most places will refund when you purchase Spore later this year.
I just want to see if I can add a widgety thing her for you to see my creations. Fingers crossed it works.
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...
Um, yay!? It sorta worked and you should still be able to get to my account by clicking somewhere in the above jumbled mess. You might actually need an account first though.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Double Dream Entry
Here are two dreams that I have had recently. One from a week ago and one from this morning.
I wasn't in my first dream. Usually I am in my own dreams but not this time. The setting was some sort of Venice type place. There were pavements but no roads, just water instead. I was aware that there was a young woman with dark blue/black hair who was out hunting down vampires. These vampires where only going after members of deviantART.com though for some reason. As she rounded a corner she saw a vampire flee after it had just bitten a dA victim. The vampire was white with pale eyes and long white tangly hair as well.
The woman raced over to the victim to see if he was okay. He was alive and so she quickly helped him to his feet and then pulled him back to the corner where she had come from. As the young man leant against the wall the woman took out a touch pad screen about the size of a laptop monitor. On it was displayed the deviantART website. She was using it to work out who the next victim would most likely be. On display was the page of a deviant that I had actually looked at the night before.
As she was viewing her monitor the young man bagan to undergo a transformation in which his build became more muscular, he gained a few inches in height and his skin turned a pale shade of purple. His hair remained blond. On the end of his left arm, instead of a hand, he had a sort of bio-gun/cannon. I also remember it glowed red inside.
The woman spotted this just in time and leapt backwards out of the way narrowly missing a heavy blow from the guy's right fist. She landed on some railings above the water which she used to launch herself from towards the male. She knocked him over and took aim at his mouth with a small gun barrel-like item she had strapped to the back of her right wrist. She fired and out came what looked like a miniature red steak (the wooden kind, not the meat kind). It entered his mouth but had no effect. He then managed to utter that she needed to aim for his eye. She did so and after she fired and pierced his eye I think I woke up at this point. I assume that the transformation was reversed and that she went on in search of the vampires but I don't know.
I was in the second dream I had.
At the start I think I was about ten or eleven years old. I was out in the playground of a school which I had been to in two dreams previous. I made my way to an old disused assembly hall on the opposite side of the playground that was now just storage space. I managed to open the door and went inside. The other children where telling me to come out as I wasn't supposed to be in there and would get in trouble if a teacher found me. I ignored them, hid when a teacher came past and then ventured further inside.
The next thing I remember is being inside some sort of logic puzzle fun house. I was my actual age now (21) and Heather was with me. We were both trying to make our way out and Heather was doing better than I was. Every now and again two business men would show up, hint at the next direction to take, ask if I had any questions and then leave before I had chance to say anything. The one who did all the talking was quite tall, had black hair and looked very efficient. The other man was shorter, had blond hair and seemed a bit bumbling.
Eventually I made my way out of the "fun house" and into a small town square with a church opposite me. I didn't know where Heather had gone until I saw her exiting the church. She had been thrown out for laughing and talking too much. Very out of character. I decided that I wanted to see inside the church and wasn't going to let Heather stop me.
I stepped inside and sat down on a pew. The other pews where full of elderly women all listening to another elderly woman stood at the front giving a speach. Next to the door where I had entered there was a small tombola. After a short while I started to get very bored of the whole thing which was when Heather came into the church once more. Although I was very bored I gave her a look which said "Don't you spoil this for me. I'm not getting kicked out because of you."
The next thing I remember is walking away from the church with my mum and dad. Charlotte wasn't with us for some reason but it was as though I could sense her instead. We walked to the edge of the town and then out into the countryside. As we were walking we met a man with his wife and son. I must have been younger again in this part of my dream because their son looked to be around fifteen or sixteen and I felt he was about the same age as me. They asked us if we knew of any places they could stay. We said we did and lead them to a large B&B.
This B&B and its surrounding land, paths, fences and gates had been in a previous dream in which we had stayed there ourselves. Time had passed now though and the place was run down and falling to pieces. It seems nobody had lived there for quite some time. We apologised to the family and all carried on walking along a path leading from the B&B. We soon came to an iron gate that was padlocked shut. We decided that the only way around was to climb over the fence. It wasn't too high or difficult. We then came to a wooden gate that was padlocked shut and the surrounding fence was made of barbed wire. There were two dips in the fence either side the gate that looked as though people has passed over them before. We all started to climb over and suprisingly didn't have any problems. Charlotte also joined us at this part of the dream as she was the last to climb over. (These gates where both padlocked the previous time I dreamt of this location and we had to climb over them then.)
The other family now seemed to have left us and we could see the end of a cul-de-sac. The problem was that it was fenced off with red and white striped tape and there where builders everywhere keeping watch. We didn't want the builders to see us as it meant they would know we'd been passsed all the locked gates. They were obviously locked for a reason and we didn't want to get into trouble.
Just then Charlotte decided she needed the toilet and ran for the nearest house. The builders didn't seem to notice her. Mum and dad then followed her lead and they didn't get stopped either. I really didn't need the toilet though so I waited until the builders weren't looking and then ran to a small barn-like building that was attached to the house everyone else had run into.
"I'll just sit here on the steps then." I thought to myself. I then noticed another boy sat on a bale of hay. I assumed he lived in the house and I got the feeling that he really resented me being there. It felt very uncomfortable but then I woke up.
I wasn't in my first dream. Usually I am in my own dreams but not this time. The setting was some sort of Venice type place. There were pavements but no roads, just water instead. I was aware that there was a young woman with dark blue/black hair who was out hunting down vampires. These vampires where only going after members of deviantART.com though for some reason. As she rounded a corner she saw a vampire flee after it had just bitten a dA victim. The vampire was white with pale eyes and long white tangly hair as well.
The woman raced over to the victim to see if he was okay. He was alive and so she quickly helped him to his feet and then pulled him back to the corner where she had come from. As the young man leant against the wall the woman took out a touch pad screen about the size of a laptop monitor. On it was displayed the deviantART website. She was using it to work out who the next victim would most likely be. On display was the page of a deviant that I had actually looked at the night before.
As she was viewing her monitor the young man bagan to undergo a transformation in which his build became more muscular, he gained a few inches in height and his skin turned a pale shade of purple. His hair remained blond. On the end of his left arm, instead of a hand, he had a sort of bio-gun/cannon. I also remember it glowed red inside.
The woman spotted this just in time and leapt backwards out of the way narrowly missing a heavy blow from the guy's right fist. She landed on some railings above the water which she used to launch herself from towards the male. She knocked him over and took aim at his mouth with a small gun barrel-like item she had strapped to the back of her right wrist. She fired and out came what looked like a miniature red steak (the wooden kind, not the meat kind). It entered his mouth but had no effect. He then managed to utter that she needed to aim for his eye. She did so and after she fired and pierced his eye I think I woke up at this point. I assume that the transformation was reversed and that she went on in search of the vampires but I don't know.
I was in the second dream I had.
At the start I think I was about ten or eleven years old. I was out in the playground of a school which I had been to in two dreams previous. I made my way to an old disused assembly hall on the opposite side of the playground that was now just storage space. I managed to open the door and went inside. The other children where telling me to come out as I wasn't supposed to be in there and would get in trouble if a teacher found me. I ignored them, hid when a teacher came past and then ventured further inside.
The next thing I remember is being inside some sort of logic puzzle fun house. I was my actual age now (21) and Heather was with me. We were both trying to make our way out and Heather was doing better than I was. Every now and again two business men would show up, hint at the next direction to take, ask if I had any questions and then leave before I had chance to say anything. The one who did all the talking was quite tall, had black hair and looked very efficient. The other man was shorter, had blond hair and seemed a bit bumbling.
Eventually I made my way out of the "fun house" and into a small town square with a church opposite me. I didn't know where Heather had gone until I saw her exiting the church. She had been thrown out for laughing and talking too much. Very out of character. I decided that I wanted to see inside the church and wasn't going to let Heather stop me.
I stepped inside and sat down on a pew. The other pews where full of elderly women all listening to another elderly woman stood at the front giving a speach. Next to the door where I had entered there was a small tombola. After a short while I started to get very bored of the whole thing which was when Heather came into the church once more. Although I was very bored I gave her a look which said "Don't you spoil this for me. I'm not getting kicked out because of you."
The next thing I remember is walking away from the church with my mum and dad. Charlotte wasn't with us for some reason but it was as though I could sense her instead. We walked to the edge of the town and then out into the countryside. As we were walking we met a man with his wife and son. I must have been younger again in this part of my dream because their son looked to be around fifteen or sixteen and I felt he was about the same age as me. They asked us if we knew of any places they could stay. We said we did and lead them to a large B&B.
This B&B and its surrounding land, paths, fences and gates had been in a previous dream in which we had stayed there ourselves. Time had passed now though and the place was run down and falling to pieces. It seems nobody had lived there for quite some time. We apologised to the family and all carried on walking along a path leading from the B&B. We soon came to an iron gate that was padlocked shut. We decided that the only way around was to climb over the fence. It wasn't too high or difficult. We then came to a wooden gate that was padlocked shut and the surrounding fence was made of barbed wire. There were two dips in the fence either side the gate that looked as though people has passed over them before. We all started to climb over and suprisingly didn't have any problems. Charlotte also joined us at this part of the dream as she was the last to climb over. (These gates where both padlocked the previous time I dreamt of this location and we had to climb over them then.)
The other family now seemed to have left us and we could see the end of a cul-de-sac. The problem was that it was fenced off with red and white striped tape and there where builders everywhere keeping watch. We didn't want the builders to see us as it meant they would know we'd been passsed all the locked gates. They were obviously locked for a reason and we didn't want to get into trouble.
Just then Charlotte decided she needed the toilet and ran for the nearest house. The builders didn't seem to notice her. Mum and dad then followed her lead and they didn't get stopped either. I really didn't need the toilet though so I waited until the builders weren't looking and then ran to a small barn-like building that was attached to the house everyone else had run into.
"I'll just sit here on the steps then." I thought to myself. I then noticed another boy sat on a bale of hay. I assumed he lived in the house and I got the feeling that he really resented me being there. It felt very uncomfortable but then I woke up.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Spam Poison
See that little button banner thingie under the blog description? Thats there to stop bots from grabbing email addresses on this blog and on any sites my blog links to.
I'm not sure how it all works but apparently it traps the bot and sends it a near endless list of fake email addresses making any list that it has gathered completely useless.
Sounds good in my book.
If you want to get your own then just click on the button to go to there site.
I'm not sure how it all works but apparently it traps the bot and sends it a near endless list of fake email addresses making any list that it has gathered completely useless.
Sounds good in my book.
If you want to get your own then just click on the button to go to there site.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Weatherwise
Flip me! Its so foggy outside right now. Its that bad that I thought my window was steamed up until I opened it and found that my vision didn't get any better. Its as though everything has been covered in an translucent sheet of white.
I'm going to go out in this later as well.
I'm going to go out in this later as well.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Stairston!
My own mini city!
Visit Stairston here.
I'm the only inhabitant at the time of writing this but hopefully if people visit then the city will grow and become something great.
You can use the blue blob in the lower right corner to move around.
There's a permanent link to Starston in the Links section as well.
Visit Stairston here.
I'm the only inhabitant at the time of writing this but hopefully if people visit then the city will grow and become something great.
You can use the blue blob in the lower right corner to move around.
There's a permanent link to Starston in the Links section as well.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Echo, echo, echo, cho, cho, o, o, o...
Long time since I've posted anything here.
Just thought I should do something here again so I'm about to attempt to add a Gaia VJ playlist thing. If it doesn't work then I'll probably delete this post too as it'll be pointing something out that don't exist.
EDIT: Well it did and didn't work. It showed up but covered half of my posts and my shoutboard so its gone again now.
Just thought I should do something here again so I'm about to attempt to add a Gaia VJ playlist thing. If it doesn't work then I'll probably delete this post too as it'll be pointing something out that don't exist.
EDIT: Well it did and didn't work. It showed up but covered half of my posts and my shoutboard so its gone again now.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Festival of Fire
Whats this? An update? Never. But wait, my word, it is!
At last I have something to update my blog with. I have pictures too if I can remember where I put them.
On the 27th of October I went to Welshampton for a Festival of Fire. Apparently its an annual event that has been put on for the past 5 years or so. It has a theme and everything! I found out about it from one of the people helping to organise it who is a student on the Illustrator course at the university I go to.
This year's theme was Greek mythology, more specifically the tale of Medusa and Perseus. It started out with a short performance on a little stage telling of how Pegasus was born from the severed head of Medusa. I don't know how technically accurate that is but it was good fun to watch. This was followed by a small lantern parade to the bonfire which was a huge wooden model of Pegasus. I would say that it was at least 20 feet tall!
At last I have something to update my blog with. I have pictures too if I can remember where I put them.
On the 27th of October I went to Welshampton for a Festival of Fire. Apparently its an annual event that has been put on for the past 5 years or so. It has a theme and everything! I found out about it from one of the people helping to organise it who is a student on the Illustrator course at the university I go to.
This year's theme was Greek mythology, more specifically the tale of Medusa and Perseus. It started out with a short performance on a little stage telling of how Pegasus was born from the severed head of Medusa. I don't know how technically accurate that is but it was good fun to watch. This was followed by a small lantern parade to the bonfire which was a huge wooden model of Pegasus. I would say that it was at least 20 feet tall!
Before it was lit the story continued and a fight waged between Pegasus and the Chimera. It was wonderful to watch. The Chimera was mounted on a cherrypicker so that it was all articulated and could move around Pegasus. I couldn't take any pictures though because the camera didn't pick it up well. I did get some video though. Shall I try and add it here? I can see a video button. I'll see if it works....
There we go. Looks like it worked. I hope you enjoy watching it. If you look closely you can see Perseus stood on Pegasus' back. It helps show how big Pegasus was. About ten seconds after I stopped filming, the Chimera was defeated and retreated "off stage".
Finally Pegasus was set alight to allow him to take his place with the Gods because of his bravery when fighting. Perseus, however, was cast down because he only had selfish interests at heart. It was a wonderful end to a fantastic evening!
Thats all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading and watching this post. Toodles.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Eledees (or Elebits if you're outside Europe)
Not much of an update really but I thought I should try and keep this blog alive somehow.
I've had the game Eledees for the Wii since about two days after it was released earlier this year. Today I finally finished it! According to the game record it took me a total of 15 hours and 52 minutes and I gained the title of "King of Curiosity". I'm really not bothered about trying to complete challenge mode cos I've tried a few times and find it really hard.
So, what this means is that when MySims is released for the Wii I will be able to use Eledees as a part exchange against it and get it cheeper! Yay for discounts and trade-ins.
MySims looks absolutely brilliant, not to mention cute, and will be released some time in September, I forget when exactly,
For more info and a countdown to its release you can go and visit http://www.mysims.ea.com/index.php
I've had the game Eledees for the Wii since about two days after it was released earlier this year. Today I finally finished it! According to the game record it took me a total of 15 hours and 52 minutes and I gained the title of "King of Curiosity". I'm really not bothered about trying to complete challenge mode cos I've tried a few times and find it really hard.
So, what this means is that when MySims is released for the Wii I will be able to use Eledees as a part exchange against it and get it cheeper! Yay for discounts and trade-ins.
MySims looks absolutely brilliant, not to mention cute, and will be released some time in September, I forget when exactly,
For more info and a countdown to its release you can go and visit http://www.mysims.ea.com/index.php
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
At last I have finally read the final Harry Potter book! After three and a half days reading I finally made it to the end.
And what an ending! I tried to guess ahead and figure out what was going to happen but I couldn't. It was great!
Anyway, yeah. I've finished the book. That's all I wanted to say really.
And what an ending! I tried to guess ahead and figure out what was going to happen but I couldn't. It was great!
Anyway, yeah. I've finished the book. That's all I wanted to say really.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Kate Nash - Foundations
Anybody heard it? I have and is it just me or does she sound exactly like Catherine Tate? I bet if Catherine really did sing it nobody would be able to tell the difference!
Any thoughts you want to add?
Any thoughts you want to add?
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Cosgrove Hall
Hi peeps!
You all know the work of Cosgrove Hall don't ya? Yeah sure you do. They make Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Engie Benjy and Roary the Racecar. They are also the people behind Count Duckula and Dangermouse not to mention countless other cartoon classics. Well, I went and visited their head quarters on Tuesday 17th!
I went to Manchester by train and a day return only cost me £8.25 from Wrexham which I thought was great because the taxi from Piccadily station to the studio cost me £8! I got there at half past 12 and Chris Bowden met up with me. He took me upstairs to a meeting room where I showed him my second year animation and models that I used. (Its a stop-motion piece) He said that I was doing well with how I was constructing my models and I seemed to be able to give good weighting to the characters.
Next he took me to the studio where Roary the Racecar was being filmed. This studio was off-site across the road. They have 7 sets ready for animating and loads of copies of all the models so they can shoot lots of different scenes all at the same time. There were two animators filming when I went in. Apparently the average amount of filming they get done in one day is 11 seconds per animator!
Then we went and had dinner. I had a chicken curry and met up with Nick Roberson who was the man who put me in contact with Chris in the first place. He works for Mackinnon and Saunders who make all of the stop-motion puppets for the animations. They are world famous model makers. They did all the stuff for Corpse Bride. We had a little chat and then I went to the puppet department.
I was shown how the puppets are made and also how they are repaired when they break. Rupert was brought in while I was there who needed a new right arm because two of his fingers had snapped! I was told fingers only last about a week on a model because they get used that much. I took some photos, only about 3, and then was taken on a tour of the rest of the building by a nice lady called Lisa.
She took me to the costume department where some hand puppets were being made for the Rupert Bear characters. They were only about 4cm tall. Then I went to the sound recording studios. They have two recording rooms and two editing rooms. They also have one room just for the computer towers so that they don't interfere with the recordings. I wish our university recording room was as sound proof. It's next to the girls toilet so if anyone dries their hands when you're recording then you get the hand drier on their too! Then I was taken to Flix which is the company responsible for editing the Rupert Bear episodes together with the computer generated background which they make.
I was then handed over to someone else, who's name I've forgotten, to go and look at the Rupert Bear sets and models being filmed. This was a bit rushed though because Chris had ordered a taxi for me so that I wouldn't miss my return train and it was due to arrive within about 5 minutes. The Rupert Bear crew didn't seem as organised as the lot working on Roary. Maybe they were nearing a deadline, I don't know.
Anyway, I caught my return train in plenty of time (I was half an hour early!) and got back to Wrexham at 6 o'clock. I had a very enjoyable day but if someone was to ask me if it lived up to my expectations then I wouldn't know what to say as I didn't really have any expectations before I went.
I forgot to ask a lot of questions while I was there unfortunately so I emailed Chris with them after I got back. He's not replied yet. I hope he does soon.
Congratulations! You have now reached the end of this extremely long entry. Go have a cookie or something.
You all know the work of Cosgrove Hall don't ya? Yeah sure you do. They make Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Engie Benjy and Roary the Racecar. They are also the people behind Count Duckula and Dangermouse not to mention countless other cartoon classics. Well, I went and visited their head quarters on Tuesday 17th!
I went to Manchester by train and a day return only cost me £8.25 from Wrexham which I thought was great because the taxi from Piccadily station to the studio cost me £8! I got there at half past 12 and Chris Bowden met up with me. He took me upstairs to a meeting room where I showed him my second year animation and models that I used. (Its a stop-motion piece) He said that I was doing well with how I was constructing my models and I seemed to be able to give good weighting to the characters.
Next he took me to the studio where Roary the Racecar was being filmed. This studio was off-site across the road. They have 7 sets ready for animating and loads of copies of all the models so they can shoot lots of different scenes all at the same time. There were two animators filming when I went in. Apparently the average amount of filming they get done in one day is 11 seconds per animator!
Then we went and had dinner. I had a chicken curry and met up with Nick Roberson who was the man who put me in contact with Chris in the first place. He works for Mackinnon and Saunders who make all of the stop-motion puppets for the animations. They are world famous model makers. They did all the stuff for Corpse Bride. We had a little chat and then I went to the puppet department.
I was shown how the puppets are made and also how they are repaired when they break. Rupert was brought in while I was there who needed a new right arm because two of his fingers had snapped! I was told fingers only last about a week on a model because they get used that much. I took some photos, only about 3, and then was taken on a tour of the rest of the building by a nice lady called Lisa.
She took me to the costume department where some hand puppets were being made for the Rupert Bear characters. They were only about 4cm tall. Then I went to the sound recording studios. They have two recording rooms and two editing rooms. They also have one room just for the computer towers so that they don't interfere with the recordings. I wish our university recording room was as sound proof. It's next to the girls toilet so if anyone dries their hands when you're recording then you get the hand drier on their too! Then I was taken to Flix which is the company responsible for editing the Rupert Bear episodes together with the computer generated background which they make.
I was then handed over to someone else, who's name I've forgotten, to go and look at the Rupert Bear sets and models being filmed. This was a bit rushed though because Chris had ordered a taxi for me so that I wouldn't miss my return train and it was due to arrive within about 5 minutes. The Rupert Bear crew didn't seem as organised as the lot working on Roary. Maybe they were nearing a deadline, I don't know.
Anyway, I caught my return train in plenty of time (I was half an hour early!) and got back to Wrexham at 6 o'clock. I had a very enjoyable day but if someone was to ask me if it lived up to my expectations then I wouldn't know what to say as I didn't really have any expectations before I went.
I forgot to ask a lot of questions while I was there unfortunately so I emailed Chris with them after I got back. He's not replied yet. I hope he does soon.
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
YouTubing across the interwebs
*dusts cobwebs off blog pages*
Wow, haven't been here in a while. Sorry about that. I've been um, busy. Yes that's it! Busy.
Anyway, to the point at hand. I've got a YouTube account! Well, I have had for a while now but I've actually started to upload stuff to it. So far it only contains three animations from the first year of my uni course. "Ooooh animations" I bet you're all thinking. Well I'm sorry to let you down but they only last a few seconds and are just basic pencil test type things.
I have other animations I could upload but they are group works so I'd have to get everybody else to agree to me putting them up first. I'm nice like that.
I also have the animation I have produced for my second year but I'm very protective over it and don't fancy having no control over what happens to it once its uploaded. I might upload it but not until Cosgrove Hall Animation have seen it. I'm showing it to them on July 17th! I hope I impress them. I think I'd like to work there.
That's all for now. Bye.
Wow, haven't been here in a while. Sorry about that. I've been um, busy. Yes that's it! Busy.
Anyway, to the point at hand. I've got a YouTube account! Well, I have had for a while now but I've actually started to upload stuff to it. So far it only contains three animations from the first year of my uni course. "Ooooh animations" I bet you're all thinking. Well I'm sorry to let you down but they only last a few seconds and are just basic pencil test type things.
I have other animations I could upload but they are group works so I'd have to get everybody else to agree to me putting them up first. I'm nice like that.
I also have the animation I have produced for my second year but I'm very protective over it and don't fancy having no control over what happens to it once its uploaded. I might upload it but not until Cosgrove Hall Animation have seen it. I'm showing it to them on July 17th! I hope I impress them. I think I'd like to work there.
That's all for now. Bye.
