Migration Animation

A short documentary animation project & residency by director Neil Baker of Electric Egg. Part of Transported - an Arts Council of England Creative People and Places project for Boston & South Holland

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MIGRATION ANIMATION by Neil Baker

The finished film as created on location during the residency in the Transported shop in Boston.

The film is inspired by the migration of birds and people in and out of Boston, South Holland and the wash. Over many hundreds of years various migrations of people and animals have shaped the landscape, settlements and trade of this area and this film is an animated sketchbook exploration of the area and these themes.

The residency was supported by Transported - a new community focused arts programme that aims to increase the engagement and enjoyment of people in Boston Borough and South Holland with the arts and arts activities. For more info on this exciting new project visit: www.transportedart.com

Directed by Neil Baker Animation and Artwork by Neil Baker, Hugh Cowling and Tom Hollingworth Produced by Electric Egg

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Boston Stump

A couple of the last shots to be animated for the residency. St Botolphs Church (or Boston Stump) is the most recognisable landmark in the town and such a stunning structure.

The shot at the top was animated by Tom Hollingworth a volunteer assistant who worked on the project for 3 days and did a great job.

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Where the Magic Happens

This is the temporary Transported shop in Boston Town Centre on Wide Bargate where the residency happened.

There will be more events going on in the shop over the next few weeks.

PS - i know there is no "P" it is there now.

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Animation in progress

Assistant Animator Hugh Cowling at work animating a Herring Gull.

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Spoonbill, Lapwing, Swallow, Oystercatcher & 2 Black Headed Gulls

Some of the avian stars of Migration as drawn by Neil Baker & Hugh Cowling. Some of them are migratory and some residents of the UK

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Thanks Martin

During the residency we had many repeat visitors eager to take a look at the work as it progressed from day to day. One such visitor was Martyn Hallam a local baker who popped by most mornings on his way home from the bakery.

One morning he even brought us some shortbread. So we drew him this as a thank you, a flying Brent Goose with a bakers hat on.

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More Pantography

Here is the image that Tim Denton drew of Neil baker, director of Migration Animation on the pantograph with Artur, a regular visitor to the Migration Animation Residency.

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Pantograph Drawings - Using Tim Denton's Pantograph

Here are some of the images drawn on the pantograph on the Saturday during the Transported residency

Policemen by Alison Richard by Tim Denton Artur by Tim Denton

Richard and Artur may have just sneaked into the final animation..

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Tim Denton's Amazing Pantograph

On the saturday of the residency we were joined in the shop by designer/artist and all round creative Tim Denton who was doing portraits of people through the window using a large specially constructed pantograph. With the pantograph you drew or traced the image of the subject on the window and this was translated through the machine onto another lever that drew on a sheet of paper.

Here two local bobbies stopped by for their portraits doing drawn by Tim's assistant, Alison.

For more info on Tim visit: www.timdenton.info

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Two portraits of myself by Oskar and Artur, both aged 10. Two chaps I met during an animation residency/workshop that I have been assisting on this past week. I was under the impression that they were drawing a car that was parked outside so it came as a bit of a surprise to see that they had both just drawn me! 

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During our residency a couple of young lads visited us on a number of occassions and did a little drawing. Both these chaps drew one of the assistants on the project - Hugh Cowling

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Migration Animation - WORK IN PROGRESS

Progress after 2 days of the residency - I assure you the film is about birds and people eventhough in this progress reel you see neither...

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Martin's crazy Bird

A chap called Martin popped into the shop today to see what was going on. Martin has moved to Boston from London so he marked his migration on the map with this ace little avian character which might just find it's way into our film.

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Gedney Water Tower Artwork created on Day 2 of the Migration Animation Residency

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The Sounds of Frampton Marsh - AVOCETS As part of my research for the this animation I spent a lot of time down at RSPB Frampton Marsh. The RSPB have been very supportive of this project including giving time to be interviewed about the reserve, the wash and the birds that migrate to these shores. Clips of these interviews will be used throughout the film but here is an interview clip of Chris Andrews discussing Avocets - the iconic wader that is the RSPB's emblem along with sound recordings of the birds themselves recorded on location at Frampton Marsh:

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Migration Map

Migration Map showing migrations that birds and people have made into Boston and South Holland. Plotted on the map are the migration routes of the birds that visit these shores and those of visitors to the Transported shop during the residency. One chaps journey to started in London and ended in Boston via Bourneo, Guyana, Norway, Germany, Zimbabwe and Redcar!

Pop into the Transported shop on Wide Bargate in Boston Lincs to plot your own migrations.

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My No.8 book cover designs have been featured on the Digital Arts website after the New Designers show in London this past week. I was also at the D&AD New Blood exhibition in the beautiful Spitalfields Market in London, had a great week and saw lots of fantastic work, very inspiring! 

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Hugh Cowling is the Migration Animation Assistant helping with the creation of "Migration" and has recently been featured by Digital Arts Magazine

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A Flock of Black-tailed Godwits

Research Photograph by Neil Baker