Tuesday 31 January 2012

The Animation Networking Event is now officially and enthusiastically ALIVE!

The inaugural meeting last night of the Animation Networking Event - yes, we are on the hunt for a title for the group, all suggestions welcome - was a fantastic night. So many talented and enthusiastic people in one room, all with the desire to collaborate. Writers came from every field from theatre, animation and soap with a desire to work on ideas from horror shorts to pre-school TV, from post watershed TV series to features and competition shorts. The animators came from backgrounds in modelling, 2D, stop motion, 2.5 D, flash, concept design, games...

Best of all, everyone was of the opinion that the bringing together of our two species - animators and writers - should have happened a long time ago, can only lead to good things - maybe in two days, two months, two years... and that the group was overwhelmingly worth developing into a viable and long-term critical mass...

Phew.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

FEW PLACES LEFT FOR ANIMATORS

INAUGURAL ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT

Next Monday 30th at 7pm, the first networking event to bring together a group of writers and animators takes place in Temple Bar. Limited by space, there are three spaces remaining for animators.

The initiative will, hopefully, become a monthly event – there is great interest on both sides and a waiting list of writers and animators for the next event – but we do need to make sure there is an even mix of writers and animators for the idea to work. Hence we need three more animators for this event so we can get this series off the ground.

My hope is that these evenings will bean opportunity for animators and animation directors and writers interested in or already writing in animation to meet in comfort, with a cup in their hand and get to know each other. The meetings will last about two hours and there is no cost involved. The hope is that various collaborations and partnerships may form that might lead to new, creative and wonderful work in animation. We have great writers lined up for this one and a waiting list of writers and animators for the ones to follow. But we need three more animators to come on next Monday .

The initiative is supported by The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild (IPSG) and SDGI.

All animation directors and writers working or interested in working in animation are welcome; if you can’t make this one, let me know you’re interested and I’ll put your name down for the next one.

Thursday 19 January 2012

THE PERFECT MAN...

... The Attic Studio have confirmed that they will do a reading of my romcom on Jan 31st. Having seen the calibre of the acting overall during just two visits to its below ground basement home in Filmbase, I'm getting pretty excited.

I've learnt in the past six months how much, as a writer, I can get from a reading of any of my work but especially something that doesn't quite work. With this script, feedback on the first draft was very positive by three of the four readers, but what was interesting was that there was little agreement about what was wrong. What one reader loved, another hated... Which is why this reading is so important to me.

I need to hear it to know for myself what works. To garner feedback from actors, other writers, directors that I can spin around in my head and use to figure out what I need to change or work on or maybe even, if I'm lucky, how to make it great!

And I have 24 hours to complete the rewrite. Why am I blogging? To spur myself on!

To all who are currently in the midst of a rewrite, GOOD LUCK and COURAGE!

Wednesday 18 January 2012

INAUGURAL ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT:places limited

Should have mentioned that you need to let me know if you want to come along. The Screening Room isn't huge and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to mingle and talk. Email me or let me know via this blog/ Facebook/LinkedIn if you want to attend, Lindsay

Tuesday 17 January 2012

INAUGURAL ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT

Animators need writers and writers who like to write animation scripts need someone to bring them alive.

Here’s an opportunity to informally meet your counterpart and, hopefully, strike up relationships that might lead to new, creative and wonderful work in animation

On Monday 30th at 7pm in the Screen Directors’ Guild Screening Room in Temple Bar, The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI) and The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild (IPSG) are inviting writers and animation directors to the first ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT.

The idea is that animation directors and writers interested in or already writing in animation can meet in comfort, with a cup in their hand and get to know each other. The hope is that various collaborations and partnerships may form that will lead to interesting work in the field. It came about from a Screen Training Ireland gig when I broached the subject of where, as a writer, I could submit animation scripts. There didn’t really seem to be anywhere. Most companies create in-house and if you can’t draw, it can be hard to get a writing paw in the door.

And we need each other. Take PUNKY. I could have rattled around with that idea for years. As I have done with lots of other animation ideas and scripts. But for Monster Animation deciding to put their creative juices into it, it would still be an idea on a page. This, as a writer is frustrating. (Okay, basically, I wish I could draw!) To date, it’s turning into a very successful series that is on the verge of selling internationally in five countries that I know of, won the Producer of the Year Award for Gerard O’Rourke and has been nominated for two IFTAs.

But it seems to be crucial to develop ideas with the animation directors of companies, for the simple reason that if they are employed by a company, they need to be involved in most ideas produced by that company. Bringing a written idea from outside is difficult.

Surely for animators who need new ideas, who haven’t studied screenwriting or find it less interesting than drawing, it must be equally frustrating.

So this new group will meet on a regular basis. All animation directors and writers working or interested in working in animation are welcome; if you can’t make this one, let me know you’re interested and I’ll put your name down for the next one.

Could be fun!! Could be an interesting way to meet fellow writers and animators!! Could be the start of something amazing!!

Tuesday 3 January 2012

ARCHANGEL in Dublin for one night only

A fantastic cast is gathering tonight in The Lab, Foley Street to do a rehearsed reading of the pilot script for my tv series, ARCHANGEL. Can't wait!

Last night's read-through was great fun; even some faces in the cast that I hadn't met for over 20 years. Same happened at the new York reading in September. Small world full of talent.

Tonight's event is organised by Anna Olson Nugent and Paul Nugent, as was the reading in the New York Rep... Here's hoping this is a further step towards the series getting made!