I really can't figure out what to do for next year. I haven't got a single idea that would work for a student animation film (unless I worked unbelievably hard), and even then I don't really have a plot sorted for any of them, just titles and imagery which might work.

Here are some of the pictures I've saved, as visual stimulants to get my imagination going. (Note, I don't want the animated piece to look like I filmed it through an indie photo lens, but these kinds of photos are probably the best for inspiration, as they bring about so much in a single frame)

You can kind of see what kind of look and feel this thing is gonna have. After Toil and Trouble, as much as I liked it and am really pleased with the finished piece, I want to do something on a bigger scale. For one thing, it would probably have to be outside. And feature realistic human animation, and maybe even voice acting (if I can get my hands on the appropriate talent. There's nothing worse than a student film, no matter how good, with terrible voice acting). It's a lot to consider, but this is going to be my final, graduating piece of work. I'd have been pleased with Toil and Trouble if I was graduating with it, but not overly thrilled. This year, I really want to do something which pushes my limits. (Not that Toil and Trouble didn't, after all, I had to learn everything more or less as I was doing it).

Thankfully I've got all of three months to come up with a solid plan (and with that concept sketches and maybe even early models). I did this CAT-rig suicide video, where a rig plummets to her supposed death, which I think I linked a few posts back, as a jumping off point (no joke intended, but it really is quite a fortunate one) to an idea. Sadly, nothing really manifested there.

In other news, I'm ten pages into the comic, and still not past the first part. Still a long way to go before I finish it, but if I do it by the end of July I'll be a happy man.

Also, I'm looking forward to the new announced American Gods TV series HBO are planning. Neil Gaiman himself is writing, so it can't be bad at all.

Allow me to play you off, with this classic gag from silent film legend Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

By the way, Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood on the BBC, currently running, is a really great watch.

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