Make Things Happen : 2013, phew, you were good!

Last year I said I wanted to get stuff produced. It was a simple, desperate sort of yearning born from years of frustration. Scripts, as we all know, are no use winking at us from the shelf - they need to be realised, brought to life and that's a collaborative exercise that isn't always without deep, even root-canal-level trauma!

But it worked!

I had two plays staged - SALT ON OUR SKIN in Smock Alley (performed by Aoife Moore, directed by Antoinette Duffy) and BY MR FARQUHAR (performed by Stephen Bradley and Kate O'Rourke, director Caroline Brady) in the enormous Waterside Theatre, Derry - this after a gap of 15 years!

A fellow writer asked me in January what I wished for in 2013 and I said I'd always wanted a theatre commission -- and I got it! I got my first stage commission from the Co. Wexford Youth Theatre. A contemporary, powerful piece for a cast of 24 - the working title is ELEPHANT - , it is now cast and due for production in February next year with Arts Council (Young Ensemble) support.

I have two films under option - the live action one is due to shoot next April, all being well; it has some cast n crew attached; the other is an animated feature with a studio attached and seeking development funding.

I had my first short film made in years - BARZAKH, directed by Donogh MacCarthy Morrogh - and it became my first award-winning short; next stop London Film Festival in January. I saw it in a 300+ seater cinema at the Cork International Film Festival in November which was awesome, especially given the company it was in. It's next up at the London Short Film Festival on Jaunary 18th!

I've also seen the second series of my IFTA-nominated animation series, PUNKY, (Geronimo Animation) go on air and another, WULFIE get Media funding to allow for full development with Monster Entertainment. We've rewritten the bible, they've taken it to Mipcom and now we're working on scripts for the Kidscreen package.

My CREATIVES IN ANIMATITON NETWORK nearly doubled in size though we only managed three meetings - but there are now several active collaborations happening, some of them with funding, which is exciting! It's lovely to be there at the start of something!

Then, out of the blue, I was asked to write scripts for my first app in November - launch should be early next year but it looks amazingly, undeniably sweet and magical and fun. Great animation by Giant Animation/ Dan Spenser and software by Marino Software/ Heidi Egger but I can't say any more for now.

I also started work as a creative consultant on my first kids' game unexpectedly - NewzMonkeys, produced by Carmel Crawford in Dundalk. Pre-launch registration opened in November and feedback from test groups is wonderful.

Out fo the Galway Film Fleadh, I began developing my first comedy drama series. Best thing is that the producer is someone with whom I've always wanted to work. That's a pleasure in itself and lovely to be working with someone fromt he very start whose vision is as ambitious as your own! And in December, a new contact has led me to write my first radio series pitches in years for an independent company who have the energy to make stuff happen.

In the downtime, I finished two children's novels. These are out seeking publishers; others were put on hold because the feature scripts from which they grew have come to life again.

For the first time, I moderated... at SDGI's Digital Biscuit, interviewing the wonderful Chris Nee, creator of Doc McStuffins - I loved it! I also sat on an animation panel in the IFI and I taught two courses in Filmbase with two really good groups of students from whom I expect great things!

And then, to top it all, I got engaged!

(Yeah, I know that has nothing to do with work but then it sort of does because his support and enthusiasm for my work is wonderful and necessary, especially when everything seems to be exploding under your feet into smelly gloop and you need someone to hold you up so you don't sink too far.)

And yet, this is only the stuff that happened.

It's not the other series that were optioned or that I developed for various companies... or the many scripts - shorts and features - that were entered into competitions and sometimes shortlisted (Pigpen: semi-finalist, Screenwriting Goldmine; Salt: shortlisted RTE/ Filmbase)

Neither does the list include all the interesting people I met this year with whom I would love to work in the year(s) ahead -- if we can just find the right project or the right constellation of stars zooms into orbit and whispers 'you have funding' in our ears!!

Before I made this list, I was thinking that I hadn't done much this year at all, wasted tons of time intending to do things... Mastering the Art of Procrastination to award level. Now I think I might take a few days off even though the pre-Christmas hummmmm has quietened! (Unless I decide to reward myself by starting to brainstorm another feature project that might be the first new script of 2013!)

Mind you, I'm waiting feedback on several projects at present so my sense of achievement could yet be nicely rocked into a supreme lack of confidence and panic as soon as various production companies return to work on Jan 6th so I'm just going to enjoy this satisfied 'lull'.

Cos, regardless of what happens to our dreams and projects, we keep doing it, don't we? We keep writing because we make MAGIC! I hope 2014 brings that magic to life for all of you in at least some of the projects you've dreamt up.

Happy New Year !

NewzMonkeys - the first game I've been involved in!

TODAY is the day a new game appears on-line, produced by Carmel Crawford and her team out of Dundalk, called NewzMonkeys. It's set in the adventure-filled fantasy world of Scoopstown and allows you play a range of fun mini-games, write and submit reports on what’s happening in your world and share them with all your friends on NewzMonkeys.

Having had 13 years experience as a freelance journo (writing under three different names!) before becoming a full-time writer of slightly stranger stuff, it has been great fun being a consultant on the creative content.

The full launch will be early next year but registration opens tomorrow and for kids who register now, as part of the First Generation Team, they will have access to the new information website, www.newzmonkeys.com where they can keep informed about Newzmonkeys – The Game, its development and ultimately its launch. They will be the first to know when they can access Newzmonkeys for real - they might even get to pre-test the game before the launch.

In addition...

• New members will be emailed a special Christmas edition of the Treetop Times . Packed with puzzles, games, updates on Newzmonkeys and much more.

• They can become featured reporters by sending in articles. Their reviews and news could be used in January's Treetop Times.

• They may get to visit the Design Studio to meet the games development team and see how the game is created and developed.


Oh and by the way, it costs nothing to register! It's a great game for children who love words or want to write - and for those you'd like to perhaps encourage to write or play with words a bit more! Feedback from test groups has been very positive already.

PUNKY Series 2 starts Monday on RTE2

PUNKY Series 2 starts on Monday (25th November) at 9am on RTE2, with the repeat starting at 2pm on the same channel from Dec 2nd.

Produced by Geronimo Animation (Formerly Monster Animation) and directed by Simon Crane.

Another great night

For what was meant to be the final Creatives in Animation Network (CAN) event of 2013, funny how it ended with talk of another gathering before Christmas, although this one possibly in the Palace Bar!

It was a great night. Largest group yet. Loads of newcomers. Again, the only thing you can be sure of with these gatherings is that you will be in a room full of interesting, talented people all keen to create animation and last night was no exception.

Some of the feedback from newcomers to the network:-
"I am only happy to tell that it was inspirational to meet and talk to so many creative people last night at the CAN..."

"Great CAN event last night, very inspiring conversations ..."

"Please keep me on your CAN list as I do feel that networks like this are very useful and great for meeting potential new colleagues and friends..."

Punky heads into the Middle East...

Latest news from Mipcom is that Al Jazera have bought Punky. Also, a bit belatedly, here's a lovely recent article about the star of the show, Aimee Richardson, who plays Punky, and her Dad;

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/health/its-been-a-journey-for-us-both-29618423.html

Next date for the diary: 8th CAN Event on October 21st

Roasted Brown are allowing us to use their great space again so the next gathering of the Creatives in Animation Network (CAN) is on Monday 21st October.

DETAILS:
Venue: First Floor, Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 in the Roasted Brown cafe space.

TIME: 7 - 9pm

WHO'S WELCOME:
Writers and animators with experience who are interested in collaborating. See the dedicated page on this blog for more information on our goals. Collaborations have already happened at all levels, from features to shorts....

We have writers of animation for children and adults, of comic books and feature scripts, of shorts dark and witty or simply strange - we have animators - 3d, 2d, 2.5d, working in flash, mya, stop motion, animation directors, vfx specialists, illustrators, artists.... It's not possible to list everyone's skillset but the link is that we all love being creative and we all want to make animation.

There'll be a 2 euro cover charge to cover the space and tea/coffee.

Spread the word but let me know if you're coming along so I can keep an eye on numbers. The Galway gathering was a bit lopsided because of the demands on people by the Fleadh and I want to make sure the balance is better this time.

Email me at ljsedgwick@lindsayjsedgwick.com if you've any questions.

WULFIE is in Cannes...

The series that began as a series of bedtime stories for my daughter is off to the big league....


With wonderful new drawings by Aaron Blecha, (http://www.monstersquid.com/) under the watchful eye of Andrew Fitzpatrick and Deirdre Barry of Monster Entertainment and with former SpongeBob head writer/ story editor on board, Wulfie is at MipCom, out to win hearts and minds.

Odd to remember back to the creation of these characters, on chilly winter nights. At that stage, Wulfie lived almost entirely on a diet of dirty socks - my way of explaining to myself how there are always 17 - yes, 17 - odd socks in our house. Our laundry basket has been called Wulfie ever since.

This is also why the lead character has my daughter's name. When I ran out of steam, I'd ask her to throw me words - a location, an object, a sound - and then, armed with this outside stimulus, I'd weave it in and find my feet again as a storyteller.

So, as a series, as characters, as a world, Wulfie is part of our lives and very, very special. I believe it has become special also to Monster Entertainment and the creative team behind the Mipcom pitch... Now it's time for Wulfie to spread his magic in Cannes.....