Keeping the music going

Continuing Animation Composed, Skwigly’s celebration of the harmonious relationship between music and animation presented by myself and Wez Allard, our second episode delves into the world of composing for animated TV series, with special guests Ben Locket and Gareth Davies.
Born in Australia and presently based in London, Ben’s work in television centers around the long-running Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball, as well as the recent Magic Light adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes – both of which presently nominated for a Children’s Animation BAFTA. Revolting Rhymes also recently won Best Original Score at the Sapporo Japanese Short Film Festival and, as well as an upcoming soundtrack release, has been screened to a live orchestral accompaniment over the past year with the next performance taking place this coming February at the Southbank Centre.
UK-based composer/songwriter Gareth Davies has a wealth of experience composing for television and corporate clients alongside his own personal projects. He has most recently written for the animated television shows Scream Street (CBBC) and Everybody Loves A Moose (Rai). He also produces original songs under the moniker Band of One.
Also featured in this episode are musical scores to the National Film Board of Canada productions The Head Vanishes (Dir. Franck Dion) and I Am Here (Dir. Eoin Duffy) by Pierre Caillet and Menalon respectively, as well as more work from previously featured composers David Kamp (Réka Bucsi’s Love), Mathieu Alvado (Who’s Afraid of Mr. Greedy? from Gobelins) and Ephrem Leuchinger (Anete Melece’s Analysis Paralysis).
Full playlist:

• Theme from Love – David Kamp
  
• The Hole (The Amazing World of Gumball) – Ben Locket
• The Kidnapping [Excerpt] (Revolting Rhymes) – Ben Locket
• The Man (The Amazing World of Gumball) – Ben Locket
• Meeting an Old Friend [Excerpt] (The Amazing World of Gumball) – Ben Locket
• The Shell (The Amazing World of Gumball) – Ben Locket
• Antons Suche (Analysis Paralysis) – Ephrem Leuchinger
• Excerpts (Who’s Afraid of Mr. Greedy?) – Mathieu Alvado
• Jaqueline perd la tête (The Head Vanishes) – Pierre Caillet
  
• I Am Here – Menalon
• The Uninvited (Scream Street) – Gareth Davies
  
• Haunted House (Scream Street) – Gareth Davies
• Transformation (Scream Street) – Gareth Davies
• Otto’s Theme (Scream Street) – Gareth Davies
• Main Titles (Everybody Loves A Moose) – Gareth Davies
• Jack’s Theme (Everybody Loves A Moose) – Gareth Davies
• Sad Moose (Everybody Loves A Moose) – Gareth Davies
• Too Many Moons – Band of One
• The Climb [Excerpt] (Revolting Rhymes) – Ben Locket

How about a little music?

Following on from our end-of-year special back in December, I've launched a new Skwigly podcast series Animation Composed, a celebration of the harmonious relationship between music and animation.
In our first episode co-host Wez and I explore the musical side of some favourite animated shorts, including Le Clitoris (Dir. Lori Malépart-Traversy), Lonely Bones (Dir. Rosto) and Analysis Paralysis (Dir. Anete Melece) among others.
We also meet Paris-based composer  Mathieu Alvado, whose work spans over 50 short films including the recent animated projects To Build A Fire (Dir. FX Goby, Nexus) and The Inspector and the Umbrella (Dir. Maël Gourmelen). Having studied at the Bordeaux Conservatory, the Saint Maur des Fossés Conservatory and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Mathieu has received three Jerry Goldsmith awards and collaborated with numerous ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Paris Symphonic Orchestra.
Full playlist:

• Overture (To Build A Fire) – Mathieu Alvado
• Anton im Kaufhaus (Analysis Paralysis) – Ephrem Leuchinger
• Theme from Boris-Noris – Ben Mitchell
• Une bonne petite souris (Quenottes/Pearlies) – Mathieu Alvado
• Building A Fire (To Build A Fire) – Mathieu Alvado
• Clitoris Magnificus (Le Clitoris) – Eliazer Kramer
• Lonely Bones – Thee Wreckers
• Wings and Oars – Pierre Yves Drapeau
• End Credits (The Kiosk) – Ephrem Leuchinger
• The Inspector and the Umbrella – Mathieu Alvado
• New Fire (To Build A Fire) – Mathieu Alvado
• End Credits (To Build A Fire) – Mathieu Alvado
• Reprise (The Inspector and the Umbrella) – Mathieu Alvado

End on a Song

The podcasts keep coming over in Skwiglyland, and I'm very pleased to bring you the end-of-year special Animation Composed, a celebration of the harmonious relationship between music and animation. This one's been brewing for a while as, being a musician myself, I've often found myself enamoured of the consideration that goes into animation music - quite frequently it's something that can make or break a film entirely. With the aid of Skwigly contributor and freelance composer Wez this episode's been put together as a sort of podcast 'pilot' that may very well have series potential depending on how well it goes down. The nice thing about it is that, on top of the regular interview segments the podcast series are known for, there's the inclusion of music itself which makes it a pretty different beast. So settle in for over two hours of standout animation music selections and exclusive interviews with special guests.
In this podcast we speak with Norwegian multi-instrumental composer/performer John Erik Kaada (AKA Kaada) whose discography includes the solo releases Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time, Music For Moviebikers and Junkyard Nostalgias as well as the Kaada/Patton albums Romances and probably my favourite album of this year, Bacteria Cult. Kaada’s work as a composer for independent film scores recently extended into the world of animated shorts with The Absence of Eddy Table, directed by Rune Spaans.

We also meet Scot Stafford and Alexis Harte of Pollen Music Group, the songwriting organisation responsible for the music of the ongoing 360 VR filmmaking series Google Spotlight Stories, which includes the immersive film projects Duet, Windy Day, Buggy Night and Pearl.

Also included in this special is music by Phil Brookes, Shane Holly, Thee Wreckers, Happy Camper, Tim & Puma Mimi, François-Xavier Paquin and Skillbard.

Listen to the special below or over on Soundcloud (NB – this episode is streaming only):

Full playlist:

•Phil Brookes – Theme from But Milk is Important

•Shane Holly – Coda (Excerpt 1)

•Kaada – The Absence of Eddy Table (trailer snippet)

•Thee Wreckers – No Place Like Home

•Happy Camper – Winnie & Otto (Otto)

•Tim and Puma Mimi – Dupi Dough (Ivan’s Need)

•Pollen Music Group – No Wrong Way Home (Pearl)

•Pollen Music Group – Les Brises (Windy Day)

•Happy Camper – The Accident (Otto)

•François-Xavier Paquin – Crazy Dance (Wackatdooo)

•Shane Holly – Coda (Excerpt 2)

•Pollen Music Group – Buggy Night (Excerpt)

•Pollen Music Group – Breathless (Duet)

•Phil Brookes – Theme from Three’s A Crowd

•Phil Brookes – The Outsider (But Milk is Important)

•Skillbard – Lovestreams

•Thee Wreckers – Splintertime

Small steps, giant leaps...

In the latest episode of the Skwigly Animation Podcast we’re joined by Skwigly contributor Wez Allard in discussion of the recent Annecy festival and its film/event highlights, in particular the presentation of Blue Sky’s latest offering Ice Age: Collision Course which is released this Friday in UK cinemas. Joining us are the film’s director Michael Thurmeier and producer Lori Forte who discuss the journey of the franchise, the evolution of its technological sophistication over the years and the process of working with the film’s voice cast among other topics. Give 'er a download or stream below:
Other discussion points of this episode include the value of staying practiced when it comes to animation fundamentals, the legacy of the recently-passed Camberwick Green and Trumpton creator Gordon Murray, hopes for Disney’s upcoming Wreck-It Ralph sequel and Laika’s latest offering Kubo and the Two Strings.

I also talk a little bit about the upcoming release of my book Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films, which I'm very happy to say will be tied-in with Skwigly upon its release. In fact there's quite a lot in mind for the ways in which the site and the book will complement one another, and there's some real potential for the book to be the foundation of something quite exciting that I'll be building on in the months (possibly even years) after it comes out. On that note, don't forget the book will be released this September through CRC/Taylor & Francis, so swing by their site and give it a look!