Companies I Have Worked For Include:
Experience
Puppet Fabricator, Tomcat Bistro - Scale Model Studios Ltd - September 2021
I was hired to work remotely and fabricate 4 mouse puppet heads for the Tomcat Bistro add campaign. These characters needed to have a balsawood core with sculpted details on top, a movable wire jaw and to be covered in styled fur that matched the directors designs.
Custom Puppet Maker - Norwich University of the Arts, August - September 2021
I was commissioned by the course leaders to design and make 4 robust fully fabricated puppets for their first-year students at the University to do there animation testing and training with. i armatures and costumes designed and made by me with 3D printed parts supplied by Animation Toolkit
Puppet Maintenance on Scream Street season 2- Factory Create, Jun 2020 - July 2021
Working in the Puppet Maintenance department on Scream Street season 2, where my job roles include:
. Tensioning the puppet's armature to the animator's request.
. Fixing silicon splits on set mid-shot and after shooting with once back in the maintenance room.
. Fixing chips and cracks in any acrylic paintwork.
. preparing puppets for upcoming shots, attaching props to them, and getting costumes changed.
. Taking puppets and full replacement mouth sets to and from the set.
. Making and casting out spare body parts, hands, arms, legs, shoes, and blinks.
. cleaning and storing the puppets till requested on set.
Armature Maker, The House - Mackinnon and Saunders, September - October 2020
I was hired by Mackinnon and Saunders to work on The House a Netflix film. I worked remotely from my workshop to create 6 different sets of armature feet, using their original design and moulds for the size reference.
Head of the puppet department, Norman Picklestripes - Factory Create, September 2019 - January 2021
Head of the puppet department on Norman Picklestripes at Factory Create.
consisted of the same day to day jobs as puppet maintenance but now included these new jobs
. Assigning and delegating jobs within the puppet department.
. Scheduling and planning out new puppet builds
. Been a part of production meetings and animatic breakdowns
. Organizing and Scheduling the puppets for shooting with the production coordinator.
Guest Stop Motion Animator, The Clangers Series 3 - Factory Create, August 2019
I was a guest Stop Motion Animator on The Clangers series 3 for a week. where I got 3 shots approved for use in the show and got to do a series of animation tests before that.
Puppet Maintenance, Norman Picklestripes - Factory Create, May 2018 - September 2019
Puppet Maintenance on Norman Picklestripes where my job roles included:
. Tensioning the puppet's armature to the animator's request.
. Fixing silicon splits on set mid-shot and after shooting with once back in the maintenance room.
. Fixing chips and cracks in any acrylic paintwork.
. preparing puppets for upcoming shots, attaching props to them, and getting costumes changed.
. Taking puppets and full replacement mouth sets to and from the set.
. Making and casting out spare body parts, hands, arms, legs, shoes, and blinks.
. cleaning and storing the puppets till requested on set.
Stop Motion Animator - Little Star, July- August 2018
I was asked by Martin Cooper to animate a 30-second end Credit Sting for his short film Little Star. Featuring the Voices of Sally Phillips & Dane Baptiste I Animated the short as wells as making the Puppets, set and editing.
Armature maker, Norman Picklestripes - Factory Create, November 2017 - May 2018
I was a part of the Armature making team on Norman Picklestripes season 1 where I got to make:
Chest sections, Hips sections, Arms, Hands, Ears, wiring up fingers and tails.
Puppet Technician Newzoids Israel - Factory Create, July- October 2017
Puppet Technician on Newzoids Israel
Freelance Armature maker, October 2016 - Present
Making made to order custom silver soldered armatures for Animation Toolkit going to a number of clients including small independent productions and student projects.
Puppet Maker - Mackinnon and Saunders, July – October 2016
Working in the main Armature workshop over a number of projects where my jobs included: silver soldering joints, bars and balls in large batches, cutting out custom feet and metal plates, making and wiring replacement hands, casting silicone, prepping armatures and molds for casting.
Puppet Fabricator - Factory Create, Jun- July 2016
Working as an armature puppet fabricator on a yet to be announced project. This followed by a week’s holiday cover assisting in the Scream Street puppet department. Jobs included taking and removing puppets from the set, repairing damaged silicone, Re-tension the armatures, fixing chipped paintwork, wiring up, and casting new silicone hands.
Armature Maker & Assistant - Animation Toolkit, Dec 2013 – May 2016
Whilst at Animation Toolkit, I have made over 400 custom silver soldered Armatures that have been used on a number of, television, short, and feature film productions. Among these clients, were Factory Create and Animortal Studios. I also have knowledge of how to color, mix, cast, and seam silicone for custom puppet making. During the production of animated content my job roles included, Armature / Puppet maker, Prop Maker, Set Dresser, Animation Assistant, and Runner. This experience also led to me animating armature test clips to be used as promotional videos.
Other tasks entrusted to me were:
Workshop Production Manager
Photographing for promotional material
Making porotypes of new products
Customer services
Casting stock and puppet parts in fast cast resin
Running social media accounts
Co running festival workshops and talking on panels
Packing and posting all orders
Stop-Motion Animator & Director -- Thinking Out Loud, May 2015.
I was commission by Kazuki James to create and animate an LGBT music video for a cover to the Ed Sheeran song Thinking out Loud. The video has received very positive feedback and has been played at a number of LGBT events across the UK.
Stop-Motion Animator -- B.Animated March 2015.
I was hired by Baz Sells to animate four 10 -15 second long stings for the YouTube page of the G7th Capo company.
Stop-Motion Animator -- Mystro Aug 2015.
I was commission by Nick Light to animate cassette tape elements moving around on a green screen to match live-action footage used for a music video Benga, Benga by Mystro
Assistant Model Maker -- Second Home Studios, October 2013.
Working on the CITV Share a Story project, I was involved in prop making, set dressing and overall studio assistance.
Stop-Motion Animator -- 360i, Aug 2013.
I supported the ‘What Matters Most’ campaign for John Lewis Insurance. I was hired to animate a 6 second clip using the Vine app for promotional material.
Assistant Animation Director -- Carse & Waterman Productions, July 2013.
Working on the short film ‘Blue Bird’. My job role included animating all of the stop motion shots, puppeteering the characters, set dressing, puppets and model making.
Assistant -- ‘Compost Corner’ series 4, November 2012.
Working at CITV Granada TV Studios as prop maker and set dresser. I was also given the opportunity to animate a short workshop piece for them called ‘Roswell’.
Stop Motion Animator -- Carse and Waterman Productions, August 2012.
I animated clay made “Del Boy” for the Big Kids music video ‘Heart Sing’.