What's next?

I can't believe it, I'm actually posting again, this must be a record for a single month. So, as mentioned in the previous post, I have been working on my up-to-date show reel for 2019, encompassing the best of my work over the last 4 years. I have included this below and also created an alternative one for my Facebook page that used the “Campbell Animation” intro from the last post.

In terms of The Hashtag Show, I don’t have any further developments on the next animation and when we will be looking at that being released as I haven’t really been in communication with Mallorca recently.

We are, however, moving ever closer to the animation stage of the project I mentioned several times before in other posts and talks with the BBC are still under way. I have a Skype call with the rest of the team soon and we will be having a chat about the project as a whole.

The next post will probably be an update on what is happening with the project and possibly an update on the planning I was doing on a potential Hashtag animation.

Two posts in one month!?

January has been, thus far, fairly laid back. I’ve been careful to start this year off at a steady pace, as last year I raced through a lot of work at the start of the year and was feeling pretty spent by May. Looking over my Facebook page “Campbell Animation” I realised that the profile image of myself (actually taken from the animation I created during my proposal) wasn’t the most professional looking, and that I would love something similar to the “Wheezy Cow” animation that I’d made last year.

I set to work coming up with some different designs, from a film projector to just plain text. In the end, I opted for an animated production logo that could be added before each of my future animation projects. I decided to use a boar character in my logo, tying in with my Scottish roots, as Clan Campbell uses the boar on the badge (pictured below.) I included a Saltire within the piece just to really underline my Scottish origin. I have included the final animation below.

Going forward I have no definitive plan for the rest of the month. I am still working on the BBC project, but this has been hit with a few delays recently so I will be shifting my focus onto other projects. One task I have set some time aside for  is to create an updated Showreel to include work from 2018. My intention for this showreel is to include all my best work to give the reel some real strength, whereas in past years I have only used work from that year. This will be fairly relaxed as I have no real deadline on this but will probably be completed within a few days.

In terms of other work earmarked for the future I have been working out a story for a second Saul & Pepper cartoon and have a rough treatment for the piece, alongside some rough storyboards. I have been in talks with Jon regarding another project that he has planned out and I have another personal project that I would love to get off the ground. I am still working with The Hashtag Show though but don’t have a definitive next project. I am roughly planning out a massive animation that may or may not see the light of day, and have been batting around the idea of small 4 panel comics.

My next post will most likely be the updated showreel and an update on the Hashtag Show.

Happy New Year!

As I start off every new year, I do like to reflect on the work that I've done in animation over that period. 2018 has been a particularly successful and busy year for me, having completed a total of six animations (though Meatballs was started in 2017.) This year was very taxing, however I am determined more than ever to keep working hard so that one day I will be able to do it full-time. I am very proud of how I did in 2018.

The first animation that was completed in late Jan 18 was done in collaboration with Jon Campbell and was a particularly fun project for us to work on, using less limited animation than we have on any other project. The final project looked great and showed some of our finest work.

From Meatballs, I moved onto my first collaboration with The Hashtag Show where I created "Animal Testing" showing the boys take on the subject of animal testing itself with a funny Scottish twist. Although I moved onto this off the back of another animation, I was very hyped to create this one as I knew it would get me a lot of exposure.

After that I worked on the Hashtag Live 6 animation, which was shown in front of a sold out crowd at Classic Grand in Glasgow alongside Animal Testing.

After this, I worked on some freelance work for a gaming Youtube channel called "Wheezing Cow." This consisted of a large cow character in a walk cycle merging into a production logo. This project broke things up for me as I had worked on two Hashtag productions in a row and was feeling fatigued. 

After a break, I bounced back with Hashtag 2: Shite. This animation was shorter but I felt was a lot better than the first one, with a lot better gags.  This project was quite difficult to get of the ground for me, as I was unable to visualise anything from the voiceover given. This may have been a touch of creative block since I had been working myself pretty hard.

 I then focused on creating character designs for a few months after this before finally finishing off the year with the animated intro to Live 7 which was again in Classic Grand.

As mentioned in other posts, I have started pre-production on an animation that may be getting sold to the BBC. I am still unable to give any information on the project just yet but rest assured as soon as I can I will. My point of contact on the production is estimating the project to be completed by April 2019.

Below I have included my most recent character design and also a tribute I created to legendary comic creator Stan Lee.

I am currently working on a character design for the BBC project and creating a production intro for Campbell Animation, which should be completed within a week or so.