Long road

This interactive animation is fantastic.

Meanwhile, I've broken the screen, the light and my mind.

300 frames today. I hope they work.

Close work

Making slow but good progress on the shadow sequence. Technology promises such glittering futures, but it's so often a complicated maze of cables, drivers, clashing software and miscommunication.

At last I think I've got a setup that works - I've found a fabulous freeware stopmotion programme - Monkeyjam - and I'm using a little webcam for this sequence.

I shot the sequence four times yesterday before my eyes/back/shoulders/patience gave up and ran out. Here goes take #5 - I'm hopeful!

Thanks for sticking with me on this long trip, visiting cosmonauts. Here's a little peek at what I've been doing.

Girl shaped hole

One of the people from the palanquin ... and an excuse to use a title I've been holding onto for a long, long while.

Wheels on fire

Wheels for the circus.

Happy Accident

The babe spills hundreds of tiny stars all over the floor and while I'm picking them up, I have an idea that I think will really help the last scene.

Also, while making the shadow puppets and props, I think - now, where the hell will I get a parachute? And remember the crap one that I bought for the babe, perfect size, readymade.

Serendipitous.

*Cough. Edited to add: I didn't actually intend to send the baby parachuting. I mean - it's a toy parachute. Not one that goes on him. I mean - oh, forget it. 

Perfect Circle

Something quite soothing about cutting out dozens of small paper circles.

Bicycual

Cool Bike V Funny Bike:

Funny bike wins, because, of course, the rider is all tatts and piercings and hotness, as this film demonstrates:

Oh, yes, this is relevant because today I'm making a shadow penny farthing.  : )

Going underground

- in a manner of speaking.

Soon I'm going to start adding some of the spicier elements to the animation. So, alas, I'm going to have to say goodbye to any younger readers as this blog will now be set to 'adults only'.

For the rest of you grown up cosmonauts, I hope locking this blog with a warning doesn't actually raise anybody's expectations. There may be very little naked cardboard doll action for a wee while yet!  ; )

Meanwhile - how perfectly naughtily steampunkish is this watch?

Shadow dance

The next sequence I'm planning is a shadow-based animation, something like Lotte Reiniger's. With creatures, trapezes and silhouetted squeezes.