Currently directing my 7th animation and for breaks from that I take photos.

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Filmography... [link]

Music... [link]

3d... [link]

Drawing... [link]

Blog... [link]

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I find photography relaxing and therapeutic (as it's a fast process...its also quite the opposite of directing a animation) you have the fact that you go out into the landscape, walk the hills, take in the air (which is good for you) (good for your brain) take the photos, come back, drink some tea, look at the photos, then sometimes manipulate the photos (that part's a lot of fun) then upload the photos. This feels good as you feel a immediate sense of achievement. My main points being that its 1) fast 2) gets you out of the house. When the day finishes you have something 100% complete with a photograph, ready for people to see, when the day finishes with a animation you have a tiny little bit of something large complete.

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Have just been thinking a lot recently about comunication and the way people think. the way things are misunderstood because of mainly assumption and lack of comunication...it leads to many many mistakes.

Communication and the human mind is such a amazing thing...It's vast...it is so very vast...we all come from different cultures and have many different ways of expressing ourselves...different types of humour, many different types of belief...and...multiple interpretation on things written out or said...further here I think too...things *not* said too...there is different interpretation on things *not* said.

Its important all across the board (daily) to not go assuming things...hard yes...but very important.

Misunderstandings are probably the bigest major problem all across the board with the human race. We must back down and stop... and think... for a moment here...and understand that we all have a different way of thinking...and...even a different speed of thought process.

There's a man called Howard Gardner that has identified that there are seven types of inteligence...Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Spatial, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal. It's important I feel to be aware of this too as we go along with our lifes.

Welcome and hello. You have come across Michael J Dowswell somehow. I'm somebody that is only just realising some things. Everybody's mind works / thinks in a different way. We must respect each others beliefs (as long as they don't involve gassing people in gas ovens, making large amounts of money out of the bible) and respect each others opinions.

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The way I see it

I've gone from point A to point B, but now need to get to point C....then...once arrived at point C, you can move into sub sections that come with point C.

Point A = Not knowing what you love to do.

Point B = Found what I love doing and am doing it, and am very content with it....but not secure financially.

Point C = Secure finacially and doing what you love doing.

I have to say that all three points have their good and bad aspects...it is lovely to be at point B...i am very very lucky to be sitting here realising the fact that I have reached point B...I reached it in 2003...and I think that a lot of people are stuck at point A for a very long time...or...don't have the luxury or incredible good fortune to be living point B...that I am living point B is a great great thing. I love what I do so very much. I continue on with taking photos and am now beginning to make some money at it...its small but its a start. My main thing (which is my filmmaking) also is starting to get recognition and it looks like a hopeful future (but very hard work) on it.

Life however, is not a list...things happen that you really don't see coming, you cannot say, for example, control, falling in love with somebody...these things just happen...if you can get to point C though... the quicker the better.


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Ok...I finally got round to setting up the other DA acount...my drawings. I dont like to have a mixed gallery you see...so created another acount for them...which can be found here [link]


Mike

Michael J Dowswell
Independent Animator/Director

[link]

dear lord...the last log entry here was Dec 22, 2005...

What has happened since then?...well...eventually a site was set up for Studio Tacitus [link] that was a good moment I think...and this year i did get my film into a one off screening alongside other short films...that was great too. It did feel special being in a actual cinema with 76 seats and short films being shown to a mixture of what looked like the public and the people who had made the films too...that was a interesting surprise as I thought members of the public would not be there. I was delighted to see two small kids in the front row sit there and watch my animation which you know...is universal...

...it must be very intersting indeed to watch the animation for the first time not having been looking at each shot ten squillion times...LOL...its kind of bizare in a way that I am sort of a bit removed from that.

Please check it out if you want to here [link]

Mike

Michael J Dowswell
Independent Animator/Cinematographer/Director/Composer

[link]

So I was sitting here, thinking about the animations I do and then it popped into my head again about the BBC talent thing that I decided *not* to enter in September, I visit various places online every so often...so I decided to go visit that site and see what was going on over there...

...it then suddenly became apparent that I should really have sent something to them...I cant believe that I didn't send off something to the BBC talent thing...but at the time I just couldn't seem to do it, I now sit here thinking how bad doubt is.

doubt is a terrible thing, a terrible terrible thing.

I hearby am going to put a sign on the wall..."doubt will stop you from moving forward" and perhaps another sign that says “people who feed doubt need shot”

I’m not saying that self criticism of your work isn’t extremely important…its very important that your happy with what you’ve done...its also very important that you don’t alter your work to try and please the public who don’t like your previous work...but self criticism and doubt can seriously get in the way if you let it...yes, I’m not happy with any of my animations but at the same time they probably should be sent out to places...

I’m taking it easy at the moment because I don’t feel too good. But will hopefully get Erráns Alba finished soon. I will then try and see if I can send it somewhere.

However I’m not altogether happy with it...have a feeling I may not like it when its finished…

One things for sure...before you start make sure that your story is a kick ass one. The story is everything...its more important that picture quality...beautiful images mean nothing if the story isn’t there. Sound is also extremely important.

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Tom Struan Brown [link]





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