...balanced there » Felix Massie's blog and animated short films.

Cippi in... (again). Friday, July 3, 2009.

Linked to these last year but found some nicer quality ones on YouTube. Some Italian gum adverts directed by Matthew Walker for Arthur Cox and Aardman. It is quite important to understand that when Cippi (that's the chipmunk) chews the gum it allows him to have icy farts (obviously). Here are two I animated on:

Say Freeze

Stuck On You

You can see more on YouTube or on the official Cippi website.

I once played football with an Italian man who found out I worked on these and he gave me a high five.

posted by Felix @ Friday, July 03, 2009 0 Comments

4mations EIFF highlights. Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

Here's a round up of The surprise demise of Francis Cooper’s mother from the 4mations blog:

"Alexei Sayle provides the voice over for this slice of life, as we follow three characters through break ups, accidents and pet death. This is funny and full of well observed details. The moments before and after events are well done. We get a good insight into who these people are from the little things they do. That said, maybe I’m missing something but there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the three characters. I’m left wondering why they share a film."

Some more nice things. To respond to the wondering: I used three characters because I was trying to show that people quite often react in similar ways to "disasters". That, often, people look for one specific moment as inspiration to change - which doesn't always happen and so in this film they each force an epiphany upon themselves and, because it's contrived, in the end they don't change at all. Having three characters with different stories, but following one format, where the only link is their "epiphany's" I thought would draw this out more. I suppose it didn't work that well.

Glad to see Rabbit Punch by Kristian Andrews was their favourite though. Mine too.

posted by Felix @ Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2 Comments

Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow 2009. Sunday, June 28, 2009.

"Massie's talent for making wryly amusing and morbidly deadpan animated shorts featuring stick figures has turned him into something of a film-festival star. His graduation short, Keith Reynolds can't make it tonight, about an office worker having a bad day, was an international festival hit last year. His latest, The surprise demise of Francis Cooper's mother, a technically and narratively more ambitious short about fate, is impressing audiences around the world, most recently at Annecy and Edinburgh. For now, Massie is happy to hone his storytelling skills in the short format. His next short, set in 1960s America, will be his first to include dialogue, and he is also developing a TV series for young adults with Arthur Cox animation studio."

Patricia Dobson; UK Stars of Tomorrow; Screen International issue 1694; June 26th, 2009; page 25.

What nice things to say. Find out if she's right tomorrow. Or maybe the day after.

posted by Felix @ Sunday, June 28, 2009 0 Comments

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009 day 2. Sunday, June 21, 2009.

Last nights screening went ok I think. I managed to not fall asleep once and I peered over at a mans audience ballot and saw he'd voted Francis Cooper as his second favourite. 2nd the best.

This morning I watched Brendan And The Secret Of Kells after having to miss it at Annecy. Was good. Then I went up Arthur's Seat and now I'm at the airport, and so, ending my trip to EIFF for 2009.

posted by Felix @ Sunday, June 21, 2009 0 Comments

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009 day 1 part 2. Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Have collected my delegates pack and am pleased to receive possibly the best filmmakers pass I've ever had (barcode, numbers, photo etc). Have also already bumped into one of the producers for my film which was a nice surprise. The 3.50am start to get my flight is taking it's toll though. Could fall asleep any second nzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

posted by Felix @ Saturday, June 20, 2009 1 Comments

Decided at the last minute to go to Edinburgh! The surprise demise of Francis Cooper's mother is in the McLaren Animation 1 screening. It is on at 18:20 tonight in Filmhouse 2.

posted by Felix @ Saturday, June 20, 2009 0 Comments

My husband and I are trying to lose weight. Thursday, June 18, 2009.

Here's a Slimquick commercial/advert I animated on with Emma Lazenby. I was the husband*, she was the wife.

I also did all the pigeons** in this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRgo3k33zV4

...and Matthew Walker did the rest. I will keep an eye out for the 30 second one of that as it's good. Despite the "Extremely Stupid" title on YouTube.

*(and the wife in the packshot)
**(and the packshot!)

posted by Felix @ Thursday, June 18, 2009 2 Comments

Annecy 2009 day 2, 3 and 4. Friday, June 12, 2009.

Managed to see Shorts 2 and 3. More delights being Rains/L'ondée by David Coquard-Dassault, Slaves/Slavar by Hanna Heilborn and David Aronowitsch, and The Spine by Chris Landreth.

I hope some of these I've been mentioning win things.

Day four of Annecy consisted of getting a taxi to Geneva and flying to a mysterious location to do exciting things. Am now back in Bristol. A short lived Annecy this year. Nevermind.

posted by Felix @ Friday, June 12, 2009 0 Comments

Annecy 2009 day 1. Monday, June 8, 2009.

Francis Cooper made his French premier last night. He didn't have subtitles and he can't speak French so I'm not sure how well people understood him but at least the cat went down well.

I saw Shorts Programme 1 too. Think my favourite was Krokodill by Kaspar Jancis.

posted by Felix @ Monday, June 08, 2009 1 Comments

Annecy 2009 day -1. Saturday, June 6, 2009.

I finished working at Aardman yesterday. Hopefully I will be able to find a link to the advert once it is online somewhere. It's a nice one.

Tomorrow I leave for Annecy. This will be the first time I've been to an animation festival with my very own business cards. The forecast is rain. Perhaps I should have got them laminated.

There are three chances you can see The surprise demise of Francis Cooper's mother:

CMHC 1 / 261 - Monday 06/08/2009 - 18h00 - Bonlieu - Petite salle
CMHC 1 / 262 - Wednesday 06/10/2009 - 18h00 - Décavision - Salle 2
CMHC 1 / 263 - Saturday 06/13/2009 - 14h00 - Salle Pierre Lamy

I think I will be going to the first one.