From Bristol to Bexley: Bringing Professional Animation to end2end TV! Pt.2
Something exciting is happening at end2end TV — our new animation suite is getting ready to open in time for Christmas (sorry, but we are in October!) all very exciting with the Aardman birthday celebrations happening right now.
Our idea has been developing for some time. We originally met our now patron Jay Clarke back in 2019, when he met a bunch of brilliant young news reporters and our first comic strip guy, Jack. This led to our online animation workshops during the Pandemic recovery in 2021 and many other projects over the years. Jay’s support has been and continues to be invaluable and very much appreciated, in bringing the excitement and craft of animation to young people that we work with.
Further inspiration for our dedicated Animation Suite came from a very special visit we made to Aardman in Bristol last April, where we had the opportunity to meet up with Jay for coffee and tour the Aardman Academy!
We even saw Shaun, who travelled on Artemis!
It was a fantastic opportunity to see how a world-leading animation organisation approaches creativity, training and professional production — and it really helped us see how our animation ideas were developing and what else we could implement in the studio. We brainstormed further:
How can we bring some of that experience back to our young people here at end2end TV?
Learning from the professionals
Visiting Aardman gave us a valuable insight into the environment in which aspiring animators can learn and develop their skills. We were particularly interested in the way animation training can combine hands-on making (characters, sets, all sorts), professional techniques and creative experimentation.
We've taken inspiration from that approach as we've developed our own dedicated animation booths. We're not recreating Aardman exactly, but we are taking inspiration from what we saw and creating our own version, designed specifically for the community we work with (although very, very similar!)
This is where the magic starts. Little by little, frame by frame, a story begins to move.
Professional tools
We've also invested in professional animation software, including Dragonframe, a tool used by professional animators and studios. Giving young people access to professional tools means giving them the opportunity to learn on the same kind of technology used in the industry, while developing their own creative voice. They'll be able to experiment, make mistakes, try again and gradually build their technical skills. Totally in line with our experiential learning approach.
And who knows where that first animation might lead?
A space that's way more than a classroom
The technology is only one part of the vision.
As we've developed the suite, we've wanted to create somewhere that feels genuinely inspiring.
Jay is sponsoring an original mural for the studio, celebrating animation and helping transform the space into a living art gallery. Alongside him, e2e Senior Jack (our original comic strip guy back in 2019!) is project managing a small group of artists creating another mural, which will be installed alongside.
The finished studio space will incorporate the history of animation, while also providing room to showcase the work created by our own students and young people. So the gallery will continually change.
Today's learners become tomorrow's inspiration. We like that!
From Aardman Academy to our brand-new Blue Door Animations!
Our April visit to Bristol helped us to think differently about what an animation space could be. Now we're taking those ideas and putting them into practice:
Professional software.
Creative equipment.
Animation Booths.
Original artwork.
Stop frame, digital & more
A history of animation.
And, most importantly, young people with ideas will have the opportunity to bring them to life. We can't wait to open the doors and see what they create.
Opening Soon!!
end2end TV Animation Suite
Blue Door Animations!
Where ideas come to life, one frame at a time.
Real Projects. Real People. Real Impact.
Comments