Finn's Puddle -The Three Sisters - Parkgate P.S. , Antrim

This film was part of a two film project produced by Antrim Borough Council and First Light Movies that centered on a connecting theme of Lough Neagh and the Myths surrounding it.

Taking place at two Antrim Borough schools over the span of 6 months time, 4 hours at each school per week.

At the start, the children had the experience of listening to storyteller, Stephen Hall relate various legends and myths of Finn McCool and stories of how the Lough was thought to have been created.

Then, the next week, I began to draw a story out of the class through the use of drawing and a storyboard that they created themselves.

As the production progressed the children used plasticine and cut-out versions of their character designs and prepare background art and set material.

This took many weeks to finish as there was a 6 page script we wrote and acted out as well. Auditions for the roles were voted on by the class and recording of the parts commenced.

Soon editing of the sound got underway and we were able to see how long our film was going to be before it began. It was vitally important to know this as the project funding required a minimum of 5 minutes for our each of our films.

The cut-out style animation process took more time than the usual claymation style. It's requires a lot more patience and is a little more fiddly.

We hope you enjoy the results.

Finn's Puddle - Eochu's Lake - Carlane P.S. , Antrim

This film uses both flat figure art and three demential figure art. This was done to solve the issues caused by layers of art needed when moving convincingly through space, such has when the King passes through a door as he enters the great banquet hall. If we did this with flat art it would have been too much to ask of the children to do as new filmmakers...too many moving parts and levels of art. It also helped solve how to blend the two techniques.

All the music was performed by a student in the class.

The Pumpkin Spell - W5/ Studio ON

W5 Studio ON Halloween School - TRICK Or TREAT

Is it a trick or a treat? You decide...

Created during the 3 day film school at W5 by 5 young teens and myself with the help of 3 trainers from Studio On.

Day 1 - Story meeting and drafting of the storyboard. Begin design and models of main characters.

Day 2 - Build sets and continue modeling characters. Begin filming first scenes. Start edit of timeline/ shots.

Day 3 - Continue filming remaining shots. Record main character dialogue and edit sound effects to timeline. Add credits and music.

This is the first film I've made using the software iStop Motion. It is used with Macintosh computers and a video camera and it very user friendly.

Watch and beware! ...or is that, 'aware' ?

Clay Ball Morphing Loop - McCool's Club, Craigavon

A beginners excerise, able to be played over and over again, results in a quick way to show morphing ideas and the magic of the Stop-Motion technique. Every frame is an new idea.

The Magical Box Car - Part of McCool's Club, Craigavon

This is the introductory excerise I use to illustrate the patience and thought needed during the 'stop-motion' animation process.

Friendly Street with Intro by James Nesbitt

Made at Belfast's WAVE Trauma Centre with a group of enthusiastic children. [ 2.5 hours per week for 10 weeks. ]
WAVE works with the families of the missing and disapeared.

The film promotes living in harmony with your neighbour.

The main character is the local postman. We follow him on his route as he introduces us to a remarkable neighbourhood.
Filming outdoors to create the cast shadow effect of the trees on the sets proved to be a little tricky but created a very unique result.


A recent viewing by Wave Trauma Centre patron and actor James Nesbitt [Jeckle] has lead to the addition of an introduction to our film. It's a behind the scenes look at the process and outcome of a few animation workshops.

Animate! - Day One - The Magic Box & The Wedding Dance

The Magic Box has developed as a tool to introduce children the principals of stop-motion animation. The NFB's, Norman McClaren, is an influence used here. [click the NFB link to view his films] Day One-Characters are made as we gather ideas for the following day's film, 'The Moon And the Stars'. We then draw the main images that will be used in the story, like the characters and the place where they live. This also helps to visualize the set artwork the children paint.

The Music: That's pupil Ceara Tonna-Barthet on the piano. We used the piano in the room where we were working and added it for the wedding. [Maybe she'd like to leave the name of the piece in a comment when she sees his].

ANIMATE! - Day Two - The Moon And The Stars

Created in two 6 hour workshops in Templepatrick for the Antrim Borough Council's Animate! summer project. The concept was written in mind-map form then used to write the narration.

St. Peter's Youth Club,Co. Armagh-Animation Excersices

This is an example of one of my shorter workshop sessions where, there really isn't time to make a short film, but time does allow a demonstration of different techniques to develop an understanding of animation principles.

[Some sequences are repeated to allow the children to see their work without starting the video over again.]

Darkley Mill - Darkley P.S. , Darkley, Co. Armagh

A town's linen mill, once a hive of activity in it's day, is now mostly known for it's chickens and the eggs they lay.
This focal point of the small town of Darkley became a labour of love for a remote classroom of P6 & P7 students and their hard working teacher Miss Rice.
Mr. Robinson, a former employee of the mill, now 85, was kind and brave enough to read the narration in front of a studio microphone.
While in the AmmA Centre sound studio, the children had the oportunity to create their own sound track by using music loops and effects provided there.
The result is a successful, touching and charming short film.

Fast Forward>> - Crumlin Youth Development Group, Co. Antrim

What would you do if you had one wish? Would you want to meet Elvis?

Two girls go to the Cockle House in a Glen near the town of Crumlin to make a wish in a special chair. They toss a penny behind their backs and make a wish that changes history and Elvis's diet.

The intention of this film was to promote community health and well-being without being too condesending.

A Small Dragon - Edendork P.S. Dunngannon, Co. Tyrone

Mr. Crosier's P5 class embraced this digital literacy project and the poem they had been studying in class. Written by Brian Patten, the poem's ember of longing is moved to child-like wonder with a need to test friendship and the confirmation of trust. A very contemporary theme for today's Northern Ireland where this was made.

A Small Dragon

I've found a small dragon in the woodshed.
Think it must have come from deep inside a forest
because it's damp and green and leaves
are still reflecting in it's eyes.

I fed it on many things, tried grass
the roots of stars, hazel-nut and dandelion,
but it stared up at me as if to say, I need
foods you can't provide.

It made a nest among the coal,
not unlike a birds but larger,
it is out of place here
and is most-times silent.

If you believed in it I would come
hurrying to your house to let you share this wonder,
but I want instead to see
if you yourself will pass this way.

Copyright
from Love Poems (Flamingo (Harper Collins), 1990), copyright © Brian Patten 1990.

Brian Patten's website: www.anps.co.uk/brian/index.html

The Frog Prince - Clandeboye P.S. , Bangor, Co. Down

This was part of the same SELB literacy project, run through Studio On, as was the Steel Man film.
Mr. Millar and his P5 class were new to animation and had great time making up the story. The script went through many re-writes but only got better for it. The acting of the narrators and the quality of the artwork plus the addition of an exploding troll make this one worth repeat viewings.

The Steel Man Of Killyleagh - St. Mary's P.S. Killyleagh, Co. Down

Part of a literacy project initiated by the SELB (Southern Education and Library Board).

We had a great time building the sets and creating the many characters for this film in the 10 days we had to make it. I think it has the highest number of characters in all the films I've made with school children so far mainly because it took 3 different sizes of characters to show the effect of the giants height. The giant was made using a plastic milk bottle for it's body and a yogurt bottle for his head.

After writing the story together, based on Ted Hughes' "The Iron Man" book they were reading in class, we did a coloured storyboard and had several children audition for the narrator roll. We decided the 4 narrators picked would do the job nicely.

Here Come The Ducks! - The Schools of Randalstown

Four different Randalstown schools and 500 plastic ducks.

The first school was Randalstown Central P.S. , next was Mount St. Michael's, the third was Main Integrated P.S. and the last was St. MacNissius, Tannaghmore.

I was at each school for only one hour so I could fit them all in the span of a day.

The Duck race sequence was done the following week and then edited together with the schools work. The film will be used to generate interest in the Annual Randalstown Festival that takes place the last week of June. Stop by next year and buy a duck!

Don't Throw Stones - McCool's Kids Club, Craigavon

After drawing and painting pictures of the many images conjured up from the stories related to us by Mr. Downey the storyteller, it was decided our film would show what happened between the giants Finn McCool and Belladonna.

Next, we sat together to write a script recalling the main story. Then there was an audition to choose an narrator to read it.

The next few days were spent creating the artwork needed to portray the scenery of old Ireland and Scotland and the Giants causeway.

Everybody worked together to move the characters and help to complete a rough version the film by the end of the week.

A little fine-tuning by adding titles,transitions, music and credits and it was done.

We hope you like it.

The Tree Of Knowledge - McCool's Kids Club, Craigavon

This is the second of two films made with the McCool Kid's Club.

The film was made by 12 children enrolled in McCool's Kids Club summer program between July 23-27 at Oxford Island in Craigavon, Co. Armagh.
With the aid of stories told by Storyteller Pascal Downey, the children helped to condense the legends of Finn McCool down to the most basic elements.
The artwork shown here is some of the best created for any of the films I've made with children so far. I can't take all the credit as the assistance given by the Craigavon Council was excellent. [ I will post the credits so the can be seen.] Enjoy!

Welcome to Let's Pixelate! More Info

For the time being please click the image for sharper view.

More details of the Digital Storytelling Workshops will be in further posts.

It is my intention to post the children's films as they are completed. So return often!

-Mike

Welcome to Let's Pixelate!

Images from kid's animated films created in Northern Ireland are posted here as reference for teachers, pupils and parents.
In the interest and welfare of the participants, great care will be taken to avoid posting still images of children unless written permission is granted by a parent or guardian.