It's been exactly 6 months since I walked under that sign on the first day of my new job.

I've spent a lot of time training, getting to grips with unfamiliar software and a different way of working, and now I am animating my first ever feature film shots on:



I can honestly say I am loving it! The people I work with everyday are amazingly talented, incredibly humble and so very very nice.

It's been a difficult journey to get to this point and almost every aspect of my life has been flipped upside-down in the process. But throughout all the insanity and things I've had to deal with, I get to go to work and do what I've always wanted to do - and for that, I am incredibly thankful.

It occurred to me that very soon (ok, tomorrow) Animation Mentor will be holding their Summer 2010 graduation, and two more classes of brand new alumni will be receiving their diplomas and awards. Which means it's been six months since my classmates and I graduated back in January, and I STILL haven't posted about it yet.

I was always meaning too, but any attempt back then to get across how much Animation Mentor helped me change my life didn't seem genuine enough, knowing what I knew but couldn't say anything about! But that's for another post....

What I should have said 6 months ago was:

Graduation. Was. Amazing.

Meeting people for the first time but feeling like you've known them for years. Catching peoples eyes, instantly recognising each others faces and being able to chat to each other like old friends. Getting to meet the people behind the scenes at AM HQ and thanking them for all they have done for us in person. Signing our names on the Alumni Alley wall. Having the opportunity to network and speak to recruiters at the job fair. Hearing the inspiring and reassuring words of our Graduation guest speaker Charles Alleneck. Being totally blown away at winning the 'Most Entertaining Video Reference Award' voted for by my classmates. Being completely floored by winning the 'Mentor's Choice Award'! Having to blag my way through two speeches and emerging relatively unscathed. Celebrating our achievements into the small hours with family, friends, mentors and each other.

It was a fantastic weekend and the perfect end to an unbelievable journey.

Thank you to everyone at Animation Mentor for putting on such a great show for us; to Bobby, Shawn and Carlos for creating the school that makes it all possible; to the mentors for passing on their invaluable knowledge and advice and helping us all become better animators; to the AM staff for all they do in running the school and supporting the students; and to my fellow graduates - thanks for all the fun, laughter, encouragement and inspiration. Completing Animation Mentor was quite a ride, a lot of hard work, and it's an achievement we should all be proud of. Here's to continued success and happiness in the future, and a whole lot more animation to come!

Anyway, I just wanted to get that all off my chest. Tomorrow belongs to the Summer 2010 graduates! I look forward to celebrating with you all.

:)

If any one knows of one, or is one, and is interested in helping out - let me know!

Thanks!

This is a REALLY rough comp of one of the shots:

Forbidden Planet have posted the final nominations for the British Animation Awards 2010, and it looks like 'Stitch Up Showdown' is in the running for Best Children's Series!

It's great for it to be recognised at such a high level, competing against the likes of Aardman and Shaun the Sheep!

Congrats again to all who worked on it! It was a lot of fun to make :D

You can check out all the other nominees and categories here:
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/british-animation-awards-nominees-announced/

And see a little montage of Stitch Up clips here:
http://www.blue-zoo.co.uk/animation/video/show/80

Enjoy!