Friday, 18 March 2011

Hello blogness my old friend

Lots of things to show off and boast about so let's get started!

As I've been doing my internship at One Little Indian for nearly 3 months now, I have a few bits and bobs I'd like to show. I have been working on a couple of animations for Marry Waterson and Oliver Knight, who are an English folk brother/sister act and part of the musical family dynasty of the 'Watersons' (Yeah I wouldn't fret if that name doesn't ring a bell, I really didn't have a clue either, but apparently they're popular!)

I first did this leaf animation loop for their website, which can be found here.

This next animation has been an on/off project throughout my internship as I've been doing my other duties of updating myspaces and creating newsletters at the same time, but it's done now.

It's basically a 'lyrical video' for their upcoming single coming out called 'Windy Day', it's not their official video by any means. It's alright, the song grates me now because I've heard it so many times, but I think the animation fits well for it's purpose - Marry Waterson seemed to really like it anyway from the feedback. It can also be found on Vimeo if you wanna look at it there.


Some more exciting news is that myself and a few former housemates have started up our own design collective! We're titled '65' as we used to jokingly refer ourselves as 'Studio 65' when we lived together - the 65 was the number of our house in Elephant and Castle.

But yeah, we've been saying we should do this for ages and then kinda out of nowhere we just decided to get the ball rolling, we're all quite excited, especially as the Design Industry is a pain to break in, this will look great on our CV's and show just how committed we are. We've actually got our first job and first paid commission! Great stuff - we're completley re-branding this company who specialize in providing lighting and audio equipment for gigs, festivals and events, they want the whole makeover so we're currently doing them business cards, leaflets, a website, letterheads, literally everything. I will show more of this when stuff has been finished.

If you want to check us out (please do) we have a blog online at the moment clickity click here, as well as a Twitter if you fancy following us (which you should)

I think that's all for now, I'm very close to finishing the animation music video for Avenge Vulture Attack, I showed them my work in progress the other week and I got quite a positive reaction so I was a bit relieved. I think I'll have it done by next Friday, it's just a bit of tweaking/lip syncing/adding in 1 or 2 extra scenes, will be glad to have it done!

TTFN

Jamie

Sunday, 27 February 2011

I'm famous. Not really. Kinda. Well, yeah. (I wish)

Don't mind me, just in a magazine darling, interviewed by the awesome Emily Inglis for Spindle Magazine about my blog.


Click here and go to Page 18:


Enjoy reading about me (and my big head).


Jamie

Sunday, 13 February 2011

Jobseekers/Knobseekers.

Afternoon,


As many of you may know already, I am currently on Jobseekers Allowance. Since graduating, the only design studios that would take me on have been short term placements for 2 weeks or so, but about a month ago I gained a substantially longer placement at One Little Indian records for 3 months. 


Well, my 'claim' is now in jeopardy. I work 24 hours a week at OLI, unpaid, but I do get travel expenses. Before I started at OLI, I had told jobseekers week after week that I have this lined up, and they seemed happy for me, thinking this could lead onto something more permanent.


The other week, I was telling them I may have another 3 month internship lined up afterwards, and I enquired as to how many hours I can technically do unpaid. When I mentioned to them that I currently do 24 hours at OLI, it caused a big confusion, about 3 of the workers there - credit to them, were very helpful and nice - they honestly didn't know. I guess my situation is rarer than your standard Jobseekers claimer? 
Apparently my claim is in trouble because I'm meant to be available 40 hours a week to look for jobs. I still fill out the 3 'searching-for-jobs-boxes' you have to fill out weekly. I really don't understand where they're coming from, as you're encouraged more and more (by them) to do volunteering and free work. 
Jobseekers HQ in Glasgow are going to decide what to make of me, I'll either be cut off, or get a reduction on my claim by the looks of it. Either way I'm incredibly annoyed, to get into the design industry (in fact, nearly every industry) you have to get unpaid work on your belt, it's an important experience and more and more studios have been demanding this. Not only this, I feel I really haven't done anything wrong (although I would say that I guess?) I told them weeks and weeks before starting this internship what I'll be doing, but either through lack of training or caring, they didn't realize the potential disaster for me?
Gah. 
I may even have to pay back the money they paid me, which, quite frankly, I don't have. 
Here's to being in debt!
The illustration below should get how I feel across. Wish me luck guys and gals.




Jamie

Saturday, 5 February 2011

Pickpocket and a video.

Saturday night in, what better way to spend it, by reading my drivel!


Last weekend, my partners in crime Keir Carroll and Mikee Reed and I went to this house party all the way down in New Cross way, had a swell of time, drank lots, talked lots, drank talked, talk dranked, yada yada. It got to the early hours, myself and Keir decided to depart, Mikee had left earlier due to having work the next day, the hard working fellow, so Keir and I ventured to the 453 bus stop to go all the way to central London so that we could change for our necessary buses for the last leg of our individual journeys (The one annoying thing about living at home in west London is that it takes an Iron Age to get home from south of the river).
We got to Trafalgar Square, said our goodbyes, went our separate ways. I cut through Soho to get to my bus stop on Bond Street. I was on the verge of coming onto Regent Street when this guy approached me.
He was normal build, I'd say slimmer than me, wearing this huge orange rucksack on his back (duh) didn't seem intimidating in the slightest, he comes up to with a big smile and says:
"Hey man! I show you something!"
He's Polish.
"Erm, what?"
"Yeah man! Look! I show you some Karate moves man!"
"Um, no thanks"
I step to the left.
He moves in front of me.
Step to the right. (Two claps this time! Couldn't resist)
He does the same.
The ol' mirror-roo trick. 
"Hey! Come on friend! It's real cool!"
" *Sigh* Okay then"
He proceeds to do what you can only assume as very poorly executed Karate chops, only slightly touching me, first on my shoulders, then my arms, then my sides.
"No no man! You gotta block it! It's more fun that way!"
"Oh.. okay"
I reluctantly parry his next combo.
"Heh! Cool guy man! That's was way fun no?"
"Yeah"
"Okay man! See ya! Have a great night!"


He walks off and I'm glad the strange fellow has stopped talking to me. I turn onto Regent Street and reach for my back pocket for my Oyster card.


My wallet is gone.


Fuck.


That Polish Sensei tricked me!


I immediately turn round and like any other angry Brit would, walked very angrily and quickly with my arms swaying from side to side. Big frown too. Man, you shoulda seen that frown!
I caught up with him, he seemed very nonchalant, but I always get that impression with the back of peoples heads.
I step in front of him.
"Oi! You took my wallet!"
"....Eh no I didn't man..."
I see my monochrome wallet in his hand.
I snatch it from him.
As you can imagine I was pretty angry.
"You are a prick!"
"Hey man! It was funny no?"
"What?!"
"Ahhhhh it's funny no?"
"Fuck you!"


I turned round and stormed off.
That showed him.
Yeah!
Yeah.
Yeah...


A part of me would of just loved to of smacked him straight in the mouth, but I couldn't find it in me, perhaps if he refused to give my wallet back, I would of stepped it up a notch, I would like to think so anyway. 
It's like, have you ever been in a situation where you're really het up and you demand an apology from the person who's made you angry, they deliver the apology straight away, you've heard what you wanted, but then you get all confused, half angry, half fine? That's what it was like.


So yeah! Pretty entertaining 5am stroll through London.




Moving on...


Below is what I'd like to call a 'canape' for the Avenge Vulture Attack music video coming up. It's just the intro to the song, so it has no sound and requires a bit of tweaking, but you get the idea. And yes, that is my hand. I'm still on targetwhich is great, although I am dreading a couple of the scenes coming up as I know they will take a good amount of time individually to do.


Intro to music video. Prototype. from Jamie Kyle on Vimeo.


Tell me what you think, wouldn't mind some opinions or suggestions on how to better it.


Corr blimey, big post today, aren't you lucky!


TTFN


Jamie

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