Phatimation! It’s a sound design party.

Phatimation! A special screening of six short animations that feature sound by Dion Clark aka PhatCo.

This event will highlight the collaborative nature of animation, with a focus on the appreciation of sound, and the role it plays in bringing animations to life.

Featuring real live musical performances by Rob Zosars of LeSuits fame, and the ever angelic Kathleen Maloney.

Phatimation is an opportunity to meet and network with the animators themselves, as well as the voice actors, composers, and the sound designer.

It’s at a lovely little space called Bird Gallery and Studio, 181 George Street Brisbane, just duck down the lane!

RSVP on facebook right now

PhatCo sound design featured at Endslate 2012

I was fortunate to have designed sound with some fantastic final year animation students this year. The resulting animations were recently screened at Endslate 2012, the QUT Film, Screen, and Animation showcase. Two of the animations, Erratus and Wanderers, were even nominated for a peoples’ choice special screening.

My aim with these animated works was to involve sound early in the production process so as to achieve an more cohesive result for sound and vision overall. In all cases this goal was achieved. It was highly rewarding to work with with such a creative and diverse group of animators,  and the resulting works are of a very high standard.

Check out the animations here on this site, or on the phatco vimeo page.

Stay tuned for some special screenings of the the animations, as well as my other sound design work coming up at Bird Gallery and Studio George Street Brisbane, in February 2013.

The Wanderers – animation

The Wanderers preview frame

Check out this sneaky character preview from the upcoming short animation The Wanderers. Drawn by the  talented artist Jack Peereboom, it is inspired by the game Journey. The story follows the touching interaction between two characters as they wander across an unrelenting landscape.

Sound design will involve field recordings, clever use of curtains, and castor sugar in the foley studio.

Character vocalisations will be performed by the always angelic Kathleen Maloney, you should check out her songs by clicking here.

Keep an eye and and an ear out for the launch of this beautiful work.

Blood Heist

Blood Heist test composition

Blood Heist is a short animation featuring a motley crew of vampires, who execute a raid on an everyday Transylvanian blood bank. Here we feature the undead mastermind Victor. Victor likes long walks along the beach at midnight, and goat’s blood Pina Coladas.  Blood Heist is scheduled for release later this year, but you can check out the special sneak preview sync test below.

Concept and Animation by Alex Berry
Sound Design by Dion Clark
Voice Acting by Robert Zosars

Victor’s dialogue sync test

Back to the 1980s!

I’m looking forward to a year of doing sound for cool animation projects.

Last night was spent in the  recording studio with my favorite voice actors Robert Zosars, and Oscar Roberts. We were going back to the 1980s for an animation project by Shaun Beaumont called 1980s SCHOOL DAYS!

Stay tuned for the completed animation to be released later this year, featuring 80s fanatics DeLaCruz on the sound track.

Curious about the animation process? Check out Shaun’s animatic here. It’s like an animated sketch or storyboard that helps get us all on the same page, so we can collaborate and talk about sound.

Last Drinks

Last drinks is a short in the film noir genre by the up and coming Shared House Productions. Shooting scheduled to begin shortly, this will make great summer viewing. Last Drinks is all about mood, mystery, and the femme fatale. Tonight’s viewing will be ‘The Maltese Falcon’ as my refresher course in noir.

Sound plays a strong role in noir films with tense silence, sudden noises, and heavy breathing being trademarks of the genre. I’ll be playing the role of sound recordist, and designer on this film and I’m looking forward to it.