The Light Princess horse animation test

here's another thing from my animations for The Light Princess, I'm not sure if this horse is staying or not now, I think i ran out of screen-time for it:

my two (current) favourite red headed ladies: Julie Klausner and Tori Amos

I wrote a little before about a podcast I was enjoying while doing all this animating, The Flophouse.  I didn't want to overwhelm you by talking about ALL my favourite podcasts but there is another one I am keen on and that is How Was Your Week, with Julie Klausner.  Do yourself a big favour and check it out.  I am so envious of her talents, her way with words, her abilities to be snarky and rude and clever  and funny. . . about steam-punk, ukulele players*, Amanda Palmer, among other things . . . but never mean.  And Julie talks so well and with love about so many brilliant good things . . . Stanley Kubrick, David Sedaris, Rickie Lee Jones, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, oh yeah check out her live podcasts as well and hear her singing Wig in a Box, it is so pretty and haunting and I wasn't expecting that . . . sometimes I hear her put my own thoughts into words for me, I have to re-listen to try and remember how to express things better.  She records elegant and smart interviews, I get to learn about new people as well as hear her talk to people I like a lot, like Jon Ronson and Sarah Silverman, she is funny and witty and interested.

So go and listen to her.

I have been listening to Julie Klausner a lot at the moment (here is my segue) as I am very excited to tell you that I have been working in a small hot and dark room for the last couple of months making paper-cut out stop-motion animations for the new Tori Amos musical The Light Princess.  It opens in September at the National Theatre, and they said I could tease it a little if I wanted so here is a photo of Matthew helping me animate some spooky trees, which I guess won't give anything away as I put spooky trees in everything.  I'm very happy to be part of this project, I'm excited I get to ask Tori about left-hand piano riffs, Sam Adamson is writing the script and I hope you will come and see it later this year.  Meanwhile I need to go back into the little room now.  I want to insert a joke here about having my work cut out for me but i haven't worked it out yet.

Thank you a lot to all of you who bought the Flyboy bunting and helping me pay my rent.  I've now sold out but will be either making a new run of it again in a few weeks or bringing out a new edition for Halloween


*the ukulele orchestra of great britain doesn't count here because they are exciting

new product! FLYBOY BUNTING

I made some new merchandise, paper-cut Flyboy bunting.  Some of you may already be familiar with the story, Flyboy and the Wicker Cat, sometimes we sing it in our shows, or you may have bought the book from the sadlucy shop.  Now I turned it into some summer bunting:

The bunting is machine-cut, but it is mostly home-made as the machine is slightly hit-and-miss in what it cuts out and I have to finish it all off, it is about 2-3 metres long, and tells the whole story of Flyboy and the Wicker Cat.  While the sun is still shining why not get some for your garden or kitchen window.  

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT