RND 09

After a year out, Red Nose Day is back! And this year there’s 3 noses to choose from, “this one, that one or the other one”. The live show is on BBC1 Friday 13th March, where celebrities will take part in special editions of The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing, Top of the Pops and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. Take a look at the website HERE

And if you ring 123 from a BT landline between the 3rd and 23rd March, you may get the voice of Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Cole, Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles or Fearne Cotton.

A glass and a half full production

Design a 50p Coin!

http://www.royalmintcompetition.co.uk/

Computer Arts design comp

Computer Arts magazine has launched yet another big competition. This time there’s a chance to win a high performance Intel® Core i7™ based workstation along with Adobe Creative Suite 4.
All that needs to be done is to design a signiture graphic for an intel contest, however there’s alot of constraints to consider.
Full details of how to enter can befound HERE
Closing date 12th feb 09

Good luck!

Wallace & Gromit return

Christmas just wouldn’t be christmas without Wallace and Gromit on our tv screens. This year is no exception, in fact theres more Aardman on TV than you can shake a stick at! Heres what the 2008 festive schedule looks like…

Wallace and Gromit
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit *Feature film*
Thursday 25 Dec 4:30pm BBC1

A Matter of Loaf and Death *NEW*
Thursday 25 Dec 8:30pm BBC1 (repeat 1st Jan 7pm)

The Wrong Trousers
Tuesday 30 Dec 4:30pm BBC1

A Close Shave
Wednesday 31 Dec 5:05pm BBC1

A Grand Day Out
Friday 2 Jan 5:35pm BBC1

Creature Comforts
20th – 31st Dec Various times ITV2

Shaun the sheep
21st Dec 6:25 CBBC
22nd- 24th Dec 3:25pm CBBC
25th Dec 10:20am + 3:25pm CBBC

Listings from RadioTimes

Natsko Seki

I recently came across the very unique works by Natsko, a Tokyo artist now living in London. She gets her inspiration from everything around her and manages to make any scene interesting with the use of mixed media. I love the way she uses photographs and ‘paints’ together without it looking tacky, but modern and contemporary.

View the inspiring illustrations and animations at Natsko.com
Some original prints are available to buy HERE

Top 20 TV adverts

Heres a list of my top 20 TV ads of 2008 (Jan- Nov).
Each links to its YouTube page.

20- Oasis- Cactus kid
19- Anchor Butter
18- Smarties- Blue is back
17- National Express- Miniature prices
16- Apple- 4th Gen
15- Marmite- Paddington
14- Kronenbourg- Dynamo Systeme
13- Ribena 100% pure
12- Mars
11- NHS- Quit smoking
10- Carphone Warehouse
9- Virgin Media
8- Argos- Christmas catalogue
7- Ford- New Fiesta
6- Royal Mail
5- Cravendale
4- Cadburys- Airport
3- Hovis
2- Drench- Brains
1- Barclay Card- Waterslide

Dead Set

A wierd mix of comedy and horror were mashed together into the genious ‘Dead Set’ thriller by Charlie Brooker. Shown on E4 every night from 27th-31st October at 10pm.
Its essentially about a world in which zombies live, killing living people and turning them into living dead white eyed zombies. The killing frenzy spreads and the only people unaware are the contestants of Big Brother ’safe’ inside the house. Until one eviciton night when a zombie breaks through the fire exit. They are the ones fighting to survive (literally).
Who lives? The zombies decide.

Take a look at the website (beware of bloody scenes).
The series will also become available on DVD, 4od and watch online
(uk only).

Channel FIVE re-brand

Channel 5 UK has yet again launched a new identity. From October 2008 the new logo, idents, adverts and website will be shown to the world. The identity has been created by design company DixonBaxi.

Take a look at the website five.tv & Press release
and see the idents at thisisfive.co.uk

Illuminated Films

Iain Harvey is the man behind Illuminated Films success. He’s responsible for making classic animations like the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and ‘The Snowman’. I recently discovered them after reading the book ‘Animation Now!‘ by Anima Mundi/ Ed. Julius Wiedemann, which is very good for getting creative inspiration from. I’ve always loved their films and it’s good to know the people who make them, although their latest venture into animated feature film with the 2001 Christmas Carol wasn’t much to shout about. I hope to see more from them soon.
See the work at illuminatedfilms.com