After having a really great summer, I think it's finally time to start knuckling down and getting myself onto the animation wagon. I've been looking into a lot of routes, and think the best way to approach the metaphorical door in which I should get my foot into is to write to studios asking for work experience and also to bands and record labels asking if I can do a music video and to just draw, draw, draw.

Here are oodles of doodles (well seven) that I have been working on over the past couple of days.

The ideas for the scenarios came from a long lost sketch book from my first year of university in which, I made some of my friends tell me the first things that came into their crazy heads and I would draw them the best I could.

Obligatory graduation photo.

It was so hard to keep track of everyone that day, so Emily photoshopped herself and Emma into the picture and Kyle is acting the 'hat throw' because he had already handed his cap and gown back to the uni. I think he did a good job. Hollywood here comes Kyle!

I HAVE A DEGREE!

And it's a 2:1! YAY!!

Hello you sunny lot!

I just got back from France on Monday as I went to the Annecy 2010 animation festival which was pretty cool. The majority of films I saw were pants, but there were a fair few absolutely excellent ones that made the trip worth while (along with Annecy being one of the most beautiful towns I've ever been to, made it an extra little bit more worth while).

This is the Newport Uni crew who attended the festival, along with David Silverman and was taken at a picnic by the Lac d'Annecy not long after Martha, Emma, Lorna and I came last in a massive mad pedalo race, in which we won a bunch of radishes... yay!

One film which really caught my eye at the beginning of the week (but I didn't get the chance see) was Sinna Mann (Angry Man) directed by Anita Killi, which then won three awards in the closing ceremony; the Special Jury Award, the Audience Award and the Unicef Award.

The best screening I went to had to be the award winning shorts of the 60s. It was so refreshing to see such amazing stop motion and hand drawn animation with no computer effects, it really inspired me and made me want to start animating as soon as possible!

Problems arising though, I'm moving back to the baron lands of St. Helens, Merseyside in three days so no more Newport University studio time for me. That, along with the 70p I had last time I checked my bank balance, means it will be a while before I can afford a good quality camera as a starting point to my very own little animating area. These are minor details though... keep calm and carry on and what not and I'll be back in Annecy with my very own film being screened before you know it!

It's been extremely busy bee times recently, what with completing my final film for my degree and the Animation Newport 2010 exhibition at the Centrespace Gallery, but considering I have started to give out my first attempt at business cards, I decided to update my showreel and publish it on here.

Jessica Wainwright's Showreel May 2010 from Jessica Wainwright on Vimeo.

The exhibition in Bristol started on Friday night and it seems to be a success! Considering non of us have ever organised a professional exhibition before I feel extremely proud of us all. Today is the final day and we are holding a formal screening evening as the closing event so it's one last chance for us all to get together and enjoy our work before the mad rush of tidying up and handing the keys back on time is upon us.

Check this link out to keep updated on the films and artists who were part of the exhibition.

So this whole 'blog' thing isn't really keeping anybody up to date with anything...

There are just six days left now until the deadline for my final graduation film to be handed in so hopefully I can start to concentrate on promoting myself a bit more once that is done. I have these business card designs that I need to get printed for an exhibition, Animation Newport 2010, which I am part of in the Centrespace gallery in Bristol starting on the 21st May 2010

I'm not keen on uploading my final film into the internet just yet as I want to wait until after the Bristol exhibition, the Graduation Show in June and there is also a Skillset exhibition which I am hoping to enter in July, so I'm afraid you lovelies will have to wait for the internet premiere of my film "Betty", but remember, good things come to those who wait!!

Peter Dench - Love UK

Third Floor Gallery

On the 12th February, I attended the opening night of Peter Dench's photography exhibition, "Love UK". He analyses the ways in which people express love in our British culture and he has produced some images that generate a whole range of emotions and reactions.

http://www.peterdench.com/

http://www.thirdfloorgallery.com/index.html