Joanna Hepworth - Animation and Illustraton

News from the Ministry!

2012-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

Finally the series I have been animating on for most of last year is on the tellybox! I was working with Wonky Films on CBBC's The Ministry Of Curious Stuff. A series of short animations slotted carefully into a live action sketch show. The animation was done by Wonky Films and the characters were illustrated by Vic Reeves, who also is the star of the show.
You can watch it every Monday on CBBC at 5:45.

Some films for ESW and BBC

2011-03-12T03:29:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I finished 2 short films with Calling The Shots for Equality Southwest, an organization that works throughout the South West to promote a whole spectrum of Equality in the workplace. They have been on Youtube for a while but it's never too late to see them! The first one is here:

and the second one is here:

I've also animated on some shorts for the BBC with Arthur Cox that can be seen here on their Webwise site, helping internet newbies with Social networking. Directed by George Sander Jackson and written by Matthew Walker. I'm currently busy with Wonky Films on some more shorts for Capital One which should be online soon and working on a secret project that I will share soon!

Dinnersaurs is back in Lucknow again this year for the International Children's film Festival, I would have gone but I couldn't get the number of Harry Potter or Hermione Granger. It's tough being a nobody.

New things and festival things

2010-11-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

There has been much of a busyness lately, but firstly, I have a new showreel at last, although already it is missing more things that I would like to include, but it can be viewed here or here:

I have been doing plenty of work lately, at Aardman for an advert for Swedbank, At Arthur Cox for a Royal Mail aaaaaand..... currently working on two short films with Calling The Shots for Equality SouthWest.

Maybe I have missed something? I don't know. I've just been very busy.

Encounters International Film Festival began yesterday and I went to the opening highlights reception which was all fancy and enjoyable. I'm not sure what I want to see yet, unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to see any day-time screenings which is a shame because I love sitting in the Watershed for the rest of the day.
Dinnersaurs is still available for viewing (and voting!) on Babelgum

ta-ra

Animated Encounters Online Award

2010-10-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

Dinnersaurs can now be seen online for the first time in full on the Animated Encounters Online Awards Babelgum page. It is amongst a good selection of films from all categories in Animated Encounters. You can vote for your favourite by hovering over the thumbnail on the main menu and clicking the thumbs up. (I assume that's how you do it...)

I am still terribly excited about this years festival!

Animated Encounters

2010-09-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

I am super happy that Dinnersaurs has made it into Animated Encounters, the return of the animation strand of Bristol's Encounters Short Film Festival, this year. I had longed for it to get in here as I always go to the Festival (I live in Bristol) and it's terribly exciting to attend as a real delegate! It's in The South West showcase as well as the online category. Nicely a lot of good friends and fellow animators are in the same category so lots of lovely people to enjoy it with. (and to have artsy photos taken with this morning, like we're in a band)
It runs from Tuesday the 16th (Animated Encounters starts on the 17th) until Sunday the 21st of November.

Worky related I recently finished working on an advert for a show on D-Max for Arthur Cox (Dir. Matthew Walker) and I'm still working on short film Man In A Cat, directed by Louis Hudson (of Dice Productions) for Digital Shorts.

In between the important stuff I have bought myself a sewing machine, so I can make things. You know, for when the apocalypse comes, or I move to the country, grow my own veg and refuse to buy 'labels'. I also bought myself an SLR film camera. I have a regular point and shoot but get bored of the millions of photos I take just because I can, which then have to be filtered through for facebook and then forgotten about. So back to film so I can get excited about developing it to see what the photo of that kitten behind the bins looks like or the photo that Matt took of my laundry... and the photo of my feet that I don't remember taking. I haven't developed any yet so I have nothing to embellish this post with but I will soon.

Stepfamilies

2010-07-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
A little bit late but The BBC 3 documentary 'Danielle Lineker: My New Stepfamily' I animated for was aired Tuesday night at 9 on BBC 3 as part of their 'Adult Season' which is a bit late for this announcement but it's still on iplayer. There are only about 5 animated segments (the rest is live-action), animated by me and Laura Ratta and designed by Simon Mills

In other news I just returned from Latitude Festival in Suffolk. My first ever music festival and it was amazing. Great bands, comedians and everything else cultural and absorbing.
It's a bit of trek for us South Westerly's but very much worth it.
They also have multi coloured sheeps.

Greening The Blue

2010-06-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Finally, saving the world with Wonky Films for the UN.

A series of short clips with tips on stopping the world from melting. We all worked on seperate clips, mine was 'Bon Appetit" Designed by Maria Lee, directed by Miki Cash

Greening the Blue from Greeningtheblue on Vimeo.

The UN's 'Greening the Blue' website is actually pretty attractive so its nice to see them there too.

Credit Made Clearer

2010-06-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

What I have mainly been working on over the last few months is several films for WONKY for Capital One's 'Credit Made Clearer' series. Designed by Maria Lee and directed by Miki Cash.
You think it would teach me a lot but I still think I know nothing about APR.
They are sort of interactive and can all be found on Capital One's website here top right) or on their Youtube channel here

or start here:

Blind Date

2010-06-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have been healthily busy the last few months but appeared to have nothing to show for it until this week when suddenly everything is being aired or distributed or whatever you call it.

First of which is Blind Date, a short film by the extremely talented Nigel Davies. It was finished a little while ago but I stumbled across it on Lineboil.com last week. It's beautiful and traditional and I am super happy to have worked on it.

Animabasauri/ Animabasque

2010-04-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

Dinnersaurs was sneakily screened at Animabasauri in Bilbao, Spain, I found out after getting a strange e-mail regarding seeing my film in the festival. I checked, and yes it was there! The festival is happening as we speak I think it finishes tomorrow though. I went to Bilbao on an art College trip many years ago. It rained a lot and everyone's tents flooded. The city was nice but all I remember was the big flower dog outside the Guggenheim and a big metal spider that I have since seen subsequently in the Tate Modern. Maybe it was in my luggage.

Also their underground trains have the same beep to warn of doors closing as The Rasmus do in 'In the Shadows'

Ta-da!

2010-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 'Ta-da! I'm back!" weekend. I found quarter of someone else's egg inside my chocolate egg, easter eggs are one thing you can usually never expect to find any surprises in but I think I must have been super good this year.

I have made a very small update to my website, I added some new illustrations Far from being new themselves, they are just new additions to the website but I am working on some new stuff.

Visit them here: www.joannahepworth.co.uk

Good Lucknow

2010-03-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dinnersaurs made it into the 2nd CMS Children's film Festival in Lucknow, India which takes place the 6th to the 12th of April. It would be so lovely to go but I will be working then. Although the oddly translated e-mail contained both congratulations and commiserations I was right in assuming it actually had been selected! Both dinosaurs very pleased.

Currently working at Wonky on some virals, I will post some links when they are aired! It is a fun project with lovely designs. Super happy to be working there again.
More N-Power updates at Aardman a few weeks ago, can be seen at one of the links in previous posts.

The price of fish

2010-02-23T05:39:00.000-08:00

I once saw a cartoon of the Mona Lisa halfway through completion with numerous badly drawn hands scribbled out and the words 'Dammit! dammit! dammit! written across it. (If I could find it I would have posted it) I think I had an episode of that this morning when the pencil tool in Flash was picking up every single wibble better than any seismometer ever could. Software flaws instill a fear in me of it leading to something much bigger and irreversible. Crisis averted now though.

Spent a lovely weekend in London with an old and dear friend, we managed to see Studio Ghibli's latest film, Ponyo, an expensive viewing as the only cinema showing the subtitled version was in Leicester Square. But it was a beautiful and well observed little film with some really good prehistoric fish. I also managed a trip to the Tate Modern which always takes me back to school days, no big sculpture in the entrance hall this time sadly and I wasn't overly excited by any of the exhibitions. (Except for the interactive quiz in which several under 10's beat me in a Lichtenstein paint the dots game) I do enjoy their book shop though and they always have a fantatsic array of children's books which made me want to start drawing properly again.

Lately I have been working on a 40 second intro for Mo which has been moving along nicely. Not quite as quickly as I had hoped but bits of it are moving now at least. Here is a screen grab (or as Laura says 'screen moment') from what i'm working on this very second. From the very beginning:

Also popped into Aardman last week to catch up with people and saw a nearly finished version of Blind Date, (a short directed by Nigel Davies) It is looking beautiful and I'm pleased to have got the chance to work on it.

Finally a massive congratulations to Emma Lazenby (of Arthur Cox Ltd) on her Bafta win for her film Mother Of Many! A fantastic film about midwiffery.

Dinosaurs in Exeter

2010-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

Returned yesterday from Dinnersaurs' first (and hopefully not last!) festival. In Exeter. I have never been to Animated Exeter before despite it being rather close to home. It was a nice excuse to go and combined it was a rare visit to the home farm. It is a rather lovely little festival. Dinnersaurs was well received which was lovely and made me feel pleasantly nautious inside. Especially as it being my first film since graduation it felt a bit more personal. We pottered around town for a bit on the Sunday after eating a rather luxurious cupcake. On returning to Bristol I realised how much colder it was in Devon.

I really hope it gets into some more, it would be nice to go to some festivals and have something to talk about!

Dinnersaurs in blinding HD

2010-01-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Dinnersaurs can now be viewed in better than ever quality with massive huge thank you to Ben Mitchell.
Unfortunately not yet in silly-glasses 3D and sadly, probably never will be. But I had been struggling with the quality of final exports after editing etc and had settled with mediocre quality when viewed on fancy screens (it was fine when viewed on regular broadcast equipment, as that never asks for anything I can't muster) but Ben has unimaginable knowledge of anything post-production. He made it right and we're all happy now. Sadly it's too late for Animated Exeter but you probably wouldn't notice anyway.

Thanks Ben, (Oh and incidentally, he's a good animator (he's won some awards which he modestly never displays) and has some books out which I can say I have actually read now!)

Here, look how good Blake looks now:

It's so small you can't tell, you'll just have to trust me.

January.

2010-01-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Now the Christmas and New Years is truly properly over I am pleased to say I have managed to do a little bit of work (and eventually do my taxes) despite it being all snowy and meringue-y outside. Though the sound and sight of snow thawing out to slush is really quite sad and maybe I shouldn't have watched 'The Road' yesterday as it didn't do much to lift those first few weeks of January blues, just made me realise how meaningless doing my taxes REALLY is in the grand scheme of things.

It has been fairly quiet recently so nothing exciting to report. I am using my current spare time to finally finish an animatic for Mo which in hindsight I wish I had started again from scratch. I need to make some changes to the characters etc but I'd quite like to start on some other bits of work so I'm getting impatient. Hopefully there is something exciting on the horizon so I can update this with something that's worth writing home about.

I'm still eating mince pies that I opened before Christmas, is this okay?

Festivals and birthdays

2009-12-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

Dinnersaurs will be shown in Screen Out Loud at Animated Exeter next year, on the 13th of February, Blake and Claire's first festival! The full festival takes place from the 11th - 20th of Feb

It was my birthday last week, mum always makes really odd but thoughtful cakes, this year, Terrance Scrimshaw!

Christmas update

2009-12-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Wallace and Gromit have but their N-Power decorations up (With some help from me), see the results here!

So our Christmas tree went up today! A bit too early for me but we're not actually going to be here for christmas so I let it pass. 2 minutes of decorating and I'm bored. Our fairy has had some kind of 1960's make-over and has probably seen more Christmas days than I have.

Working on Change 4 Life ad this week at Aardman. Lovely :)

Terrance Scrimshaw

2009-12-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

I have just uploaded a short animation I did a fair while ago that I'd forgotten about. It began as just a kind of character study and I just did bits here and there over a few months. Terrance Scrimshaw is a washed up, lonely and confused old sailor in some maritime town. Animated in Flash with watercoloured backgrounds.

I can't get this silly video to fit! How do I do it? Does anyone know? I've only just noticed.... I think the columns are too small and that's beyond my expertise.

"Just put lots of snow on everything"

2009-11-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Back at Aardman this week working on a Christmas version of the Wallace and Grom's N-Power house.
It's been extra lovely due to the constant presence of Dick Williams who has been using the facilities, he is an inspiration and has a lot of wonderful stories I could sit and listen to forever. A lovely chap.

It's been two weeks (I think?) since Encounters SFF The last few years I have volunteered but felt that this time I wanted to see more and not spend so much of it rushing around. I saw a few things but spent a little more time supping coffee. The highlights (out of the few I saw) Were definitely Mary and Max, and the children's jury awards. The latter was probably down to the high production values of the majority which I always felt was a bit unfair but it was very enjoyable.

Lens-flare-o-rama

2009-11-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Just finished designs for the Frank Baum, Monarch of Mo pitch. Good so far but we shall see what happens! Now I am making adjustments to Dinnersaurs and adding an extra scene, I feel happier now I've extended it. It all looks a lot less rushed but it will be nice when I can leave it alone.

After a really quick turnaround Taio Cruz's new video for single 'No Other One', Directed by Nick Bartleet is ready for viewing. Right at the bottom of this post.

(And for those of you who like this kind of thing you can see the 'behind the scenes' here.You can occasionally spot me standing around looking like I'm not doing not much, but contrary to what you see I was actually working hard, it was just a very long day.)

Blue booties in London

2009-10-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Just returned from Eltham Palace in London from shooting Taio Cruz's latest promo for new single 'No Other One' with Pixelloft. First live action shoot I've done in a while and it went pretty well. It was nice to be outside and the location (a 1930's mansion which was apparently built next to the remains of Henry VIII's childhood dwelling) was stunning! Blue booties at all times inside and we couldn't touch a thing,

Hard work thought and 16 hours of being on your feet takes at least a day to recover from.

Back to the drawing board for me (literally, or wacom tablet at least)

Now showing...

2009-10-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Change 4 Life Adverts are now on the telly box, including the 40 second 'Snack Swappers' one I did a bit on.
10 second Simpsons idents can be seen on youtube in aardmancommercials but Dining Table is probably my favourite the other 7 can easily be found in 'related videos'.

Also Wallace & Gromit's N-Power Eco-House can be seen on the N-Power Website. It's actually a bit addictive. But how many people boil their kettles on the stove now?

Up until now

2009-10-17T02:52:00.000-07:00

First post, this is exciting and new! Things I have been up to recently...

Just finished 2 lovely months at Aardman, working on their Change 4 Life idents to be seen before the Simpsons. and a 40 second one to be shown everywhere else. Also worked with Aardman digital on the Wallace and Gromit Eco-house for the N-Power website. To go live soon!

Now working on an L Frank Baum adaptation pitch with Whirlwind. As well as doing some more of my own things.

Lovely.