Society of Makers artist research:
Sophie Koko Gate
10 years in the industry studied at UAL CSM then LCA. Preferred software is photoshop. Premium animator extra from adobe.
Works with [Adult Swim]. Rick and Morty. Airbrushed and surreal inspired by Sci-Fi illustration. Currently working on a show with [AS], creating the pilot.
She put work out that she wanted to sell her own style rather than following styles. She uses the words ‘Playing God’ it equates to using animation to make alternate realities. Characters are vessels for ideas, the world is in her complete control and scenarios exist because she wants to explore them. There’s a large gap between the mainstream and the avant-garde. She wants to fill the gap. If you’re looking to make films after uni the best place to look is BFI, they do funding and animation schemes. She received £7,000 from them to create a short film, money can be used to hire animators, sound designers, etc.
“You create something because you love to see it exist”. Consider what is worth your time and energy, if you’re not obsessed with your idea then why are you doing it. I already take this kind of point of view creating feline art.
I like the crazy energy in ‘Slug Life’ it’s absurd ness and unique storyline. I think its even better that it got complaints when it aired on the BBC. I like that every single visual and audio is intentional and there’s nothing unintentional. She says she directs all the voice acting and will record it herself before the voice-actor.
Sound is 50% of a film, it is extremely important. She works with a composer before even figuring out the storyline, helps to find tone and pace the film. She doesn’t storyboard or do animatics much, she makes more comics. She storyboards in a less linear way.
She uses the same characters in all her films, I like the consistency of it and the depth created from their storylines. Similar to how I use similar inspiration for all my projects, cats.
All her films are about longing and desire but are always taken away at the end.
Maybelle Peters
Background in fine art and photography, had to learn film techniques.
Purpose of animation?
Needed to find something that sustained interest. But also being experimental and used lots of story boarding in uni. The briefs was about history. This project kickstarted what she wanted to see in animation. 1987 there was a campaign for black history. It became a competition ran by BBC 2. Pitch to a producer from students. Was filmed analogue in film, you are shooting blind. Local libraries didn’t have the materials needed for research, but the local community had resources (black owned bookshop), that had been around since the 1960s. Most of the black history came from the states, so she collaged archives together.
It was filmed on a horizontal plane, before digital animating. There were errors because there was no playback, but its about growth I suppose. Sometimes its more valuable when there are variables in your work.
Animation can be used to reference lots of other elements and bring together all the context. Cutouts really helped to reference beyond, the technique was a way of referring to a history that can be seen and visualised without being spelled out.