For those that have been following me over the last month or so you will probably have picked up murmurings about my incredibly fortunate break with WeAreSocial.net, Samsung Mobile and the Olympic Games.
I have written about this most amazing opportunity a few times, here and here. But a short summary: I was picked by Samsung Mobile, via WeAreSocial.net, to join them for 4 days of VIP Olympic festivities with their Galaxy Note as a means to record it all with. The basic idea was to see how useful the Galaxy Note would be to capture the amazing atmosphere of the Olympic games, and to use it as creatively as possible during these few days, it became a: sketching device, camera, phone and note taker during these 4 days.
So along with 3 other bloggers: Leigh, Derek and Andrew, we each were given a Samsung Note to record our experiences with the ultimate goal of creating an animated short starring each of us!
After a few days wondering around the Olympic Park in London the last day required all of us to travel up to Manchester to watch the Egypt vs Japan football match at the magnificent Old Trafford stadium.
The following images are selected stills from the animated video:
Old Trafford, Manchester
The trip up to Manchester started at 4am for me ensuring I could get up to London for 7.20 to meet the other 3 bloggers: Derek Addo, Andrew Williams and Leigh Geary, the team from WeAreSocial.net and each of the animators from Cake.tv.
We then had a comfortable journey up to Manchester on the Virgin train, and we used this time to each talk to our assigned animators—mine was the very inspiring +David Pocull—about the way we each wanted to capture the days events. It was quite the trip, as along for the ride were the fabulous chaps from Cake.tv who were there to record, using the Galaxy Note only, each of our personal experiences of the football match: before, during and after, with the ultimate aim of creating an animated video short: following us around, and trying to capture our experiences as seen through our eyes.
After being introduced to my very own animator, David Pocull, I expressed to him my desire to try capture the rawness of emotion at these games, and so used my preference for black and white photography, and portrait illustration, as the main style drive. We then discussed other ways we could stylise the animattion and the animated video for Take on Me, by Aha, came to mind.
The video at the beginning is the combined result of these pre match discussions, the recording of the day though each or our respective Galaxy Notes’. The video below is the combined version with: Andrew, Derek, Leigh and myself.
This animated video simply follows my day up in Manchster starting out on the train, using the Galaxy Note to take photographs, experiencing a goal and the numerous Mexican Waves that shot round Old Trafford.
I am so supremely chuffed with David’s work on the animation. Watching it for the first time this morning just made the whole days experiences come flooding back, and made the hairs on my back stand on end.
Watching an animated ‘you’ is just so weird, but so very very awesome.
David did a bang-up job on translating my initial thoughts and ideas on how I ideally wanted to convey the whole experience. Had to laugh at the grinning me at the beginning of the video—which I am now using as a new Twitter profile pic— as well as managing to capture the fans holding the flag and my two favourite Japanese supporters with painted faces, not to mention the neat little sound effects in the background.
The trip to the Olympics was nothing short of a life time experience high for me, but seeing this animated video has well and truly topped the whole incredible experience off with a huge huge grin.
The other videos from this amazing day:
Making Of: http://youtu.be/UBWhcsHJ7-Q
Combined video: http://youtu.be/7Pnf8ySpqcg
Derek: http://youtu.be/PgBqt6zKhks
Graham: http://youtu.be/8npEIQYBGRY
Andrew: http://youtu.be/fyRIPHVPbi4
Leigh: http://youtu.be/aN_8PS5SHAo
Thank you again
Saying thank you to the fine fine people at WeAreSocial.net and Samsung Mobile never seems to be enough as this was simply such a massively inspiring, and hugely enjoyable, few days for me. I truly feel incredibly lucky to have been picked for this, and just wanted to say again how much it meant to me.
So, thank you again to: Damien Koh of Samsung Mobile; +Seb Robert +Lauren Wellicome +Lauren McGregor +Allison Cairns and +Tom Ollerton +Tom Kelk of WeAreSocial.net, and+David Pocull (standing next to me above) & +thiago maia from EatCake.tv Also it was an extreme pleasure to meet the other bloggers: Derek, Leigh and Leigh.
It truly was an unbelievable experience and few days for me. Thank you for making me feel incredibly special and worthy. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8npEIQYBGRY&feature=youtu.be