It's Friday, I'm in love

Friday afternoon in the studio and it's hard to focus... A problem that Al and I seem to have on a regular basis. This used to be called an "orchid moment" but there is no orchid in the studio anymore. Instead we've got fish, Facebook and FreeAgent (our online book-keeping programme which we would recommend) to occupy us.

So what are we up to? Well, just made a draft film from clips we recorded with taxi drivers in Banchory. (Did any of you look at the video link throughout the Blog Title of last entry? Well worth doing if not - how many celebs can you spot?) Also working on 3D visualisations for our presentation to Banchory Town Improvement Group and tightening the whole proposal up.

Quoting for another really exciting project in Glasgow involving water-jet cutting a LOT of Cor-ten steel. At different stages at logos/branding solutions for - amongst others - a local rugby club, an egg farm, a mill, a smokehouse and a gallery. 

Still doesn't get away from the fact its Friday though...

I've taken a pic of my studio desk. Just because I can. Here it is... - FIN

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The Cure - Friday I'm In Love

Wish (1992)

Friday afternoon in the studio and it's hard to focus... A problem that Al and I seem to have on a regular basis. This used to be called an "orchid moment" but there is no orchid in the studio anymore. Instead we've got fish, Facebook and FreeAgent (our online book-keeping programme which we would recommend) to occupy us.

So what are we up to? Well, just made a draft film from clips we recorded with taxi drivers in Banchory. (Did any of you look at the video link throughout the Blog Title of last entry? Well worth doing if not - how many celebs can you spot?) Also working on 3D visualisations for our presentation to Banchory Town Improvement Group and tightening the whole proposal up.

Quoting for another really exciting project in Glasgow involving water-jet cutting a LOT of Cor-ten steel. At different stages at logos/branding solutions for - amongst others - a local rugby club, an egg farm, a mill, a smokehouse and a gallery. 

Still doesn't get away from the fact its Friday though...

I've taken a pic of my studio desk. Just because I can. Here it is... - FIN

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The Cure - Friday I'm In Love

Wish (1992)

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Our bones forever in stone, Monuments of life

After all this great weather we have been having (mostly...) it has turned pretty grim here. Not stopped raining all day and really getting pretty cold. Even weather warnings of high winds. Back to normal then. Looks like Nicolette and the team picked exactly the right time to visit Scotland and do all the pre-production filming at Aldourie Castle last week!

Ourselves? We are thankfully indoors for a while but it's not quite so much fun costing jobs and putting those kind of details together. The good news is that we are doing it for our jobs in Banchory and in Derby which are taking shape nicely.

Derby is all ready to go - just a few small details to work on regarding risk-assessments and timescales but we are happy with the way its sitting now. We have also come up with names for the pieces which has taken a long time (maybe three years or so!). Will keep it quiet for now until the commissioner gives it the go-ahead.

Banchory is also ticking along nicely. We had a meeting with Nicola from Woodend Barn this week to outline some of our initial ideas and she was happy with the direction we were taking. Lots more to do on the overall plan and concept but for the moment we are learning about new materials and techniques. Its like being back at Uni - with the exception of actually doing something.

Rather than finish on a note like that. Someone whose work displays techniques and skills that we would love to master was Michael Grab from Gravity Glue. He is due to be in the final movie as well and what he does by combining rocks with patience is incredible. Definitely worth looking at his website. - FIN

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Foo Fighters - Statues

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

After all this great weather we have been having (mostly...) it has turned pretty grim here. Not stopped raining all day and really getting pretty cold. Even weather warnings of high winds. Back to normal then. Looks like Nicolette and the team picked exactly the right time to visit Scotland and do all the pre-production filming at Aldourie Castle last week!

Ourselves? We are thankfully indoors for a while but it's not quite so much fun costing jobs and putting those kind of details together. The good news is that we are doing it for our jobs in Banchory and in Derby which are taking shape nicely.

Derby is all ready to go - just a few small details to work on regarding risk-assessments and timescales but we are happy with the way its sitting now. We have also come up with names for the pieces which has taken a long time (maybe three years or so!). Will keep it quiet for now until the commissioner gives it the go-ahead.

Banchory is also ticking along nicely. We had a meeting with Nicola from Woodend Barn this week to outline some of our initial ideas and she was happy with the direction we were taking. Lots more to do on the overall plan and concept but for the moment we are learning about new materials and techniques. Its like being back at Uni - with the exception of actually doing something.

Rather than finish on a note like that. Someone whose work displays techniques and skills that we would love to master was Michael Grab from Gravity Glue. He is due to be in the final movie as well and what he does by combining rocks with patience is incredible. Definitely worth looking at his website. - FIN

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Foo Fighters - Statues

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

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Dont forget to bring popcorn, Tony and his paper castle

It's not often you get the chance to be involved in a movie but that's what has been happening over the last week.

Don't worry - neither Al or myself will be in front of the camera (we weren't looking forward to the extra 10lbs it adds to your weight) but rather have been working away on the details of the set.

We were charged with "papering the castle" to create a scene that could be used to create an imagined fairy tale of paper walls and leaves. The shots of this are being used for camera tests and pre-production and although the production company ImaginationFilm had very specific areas that needed covered they were also happy to leave the creative decisions to ourselves. The art department - including the wonderfully talented Malorie Shmyr - did a great job of painting our paper (which was Tyvek) and the leaves. It really made our jobs so much easier to be able to have this to begin with.

Over the three days install we managed to get through about 70 sticks of glue (and one of the three glue guns which burnt out) but had a great time. Al in particular enjoyed playing in the cherry picker while I enjoyed having my feet firmly on the ground.

We were also assisted at different points by Jordan, Michelle and Juniper who really helped speed the process up. Thanks to all of them...look forward to seeing you when we do the strike and take it all down a week today! - FIN

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The Mighty Boosh - The Crimp
The Mighty Boosh TV (Season 3 Episode 3 - 2007)

It's not often you get the chance to be involved in a movie but that's what has been happening over the last week.

Don't worry - neither Al or myself will be in front of the camera (we weren't looking forward to the extra 10lbs it adds to your weight) but rather have been working away on the details of the set.

We were charged with "papering the castle" to create a scene that could be used to create an imagined fairy tale of paper walls and leaves. The shots of this are being used for camera tests and pre-production and although the production company ImaginationFilm had very specific areas that needed covered they were also happy to leave the creative decisions to ourselves. The art department - including the wonderfully talented Malorie Shmyr - did a great job of painting our paper (which was Tyvek) and the leaves. It really made our jobs so much easier to be able to have this to begin with.

Over the three days install we managed to get through about 70 sticks of glue (and one of the three glue guns which burnt out) but had a great time. Al in particular enjoyed playing in the cherry picker while I enjoyed having my feet firmly on the ground.

We were also assisted at different points by Jordan, Michelle and Juniper who really helped speed the process up. Thanks to all of them...look forward to seeing you when we do the strike and take it all down a week today! - FIN

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The Mighty Boosh - The Crimp
The Mighty Boosh TV (Season 3 Episode 3 - 2007)

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I can't see their faces...

The last few days have been pretty busy editing images I shot for IOTA at Culloden and Al has put together a short film of some parts of the conversations we have had with some of the folk in Invergordon - a mix of food, Gaelic and life stories... think it gives a flavour of what we are up to. - FIN

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Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin'
Aerial Ballet (1968)

The last few days have been pretty busy editing images I shot for IOTA at Culloden and Al has put together a short film of some parts of the conversations we have had with some of the folk in Invergordon - a mix of food, Gaelic and life stories... think it gives a flavour of what we are up to. - FIN

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Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin'
Aerial Ballet (1968)

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Been dazed and confused for so long its not true...

A video clip interview of us in John O'Groats - Al doing all the talking as I was still "dazed and confused" from my accident (alcohol not involved although I do sound wasted!). Part of a final film that Wee TV are hopefully making about the whole project... - FIN

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Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused

Led Zeppelin (1969)

A video clip interview of us in John O'Groats - Al doing all the talking as I was still "dazed and confused" from my accident (alcohol not involved although I do sound wasted!). Part of a final film that Wee TV are hopefully making about the whole project... - FIN

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Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused

Led Zeppelin (1969)

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Come on baby, finish what ya started...

We spent last Thursday up in John O'Groats working on a commission to produce a temporary Start/Finish line for all those fine folks who are known as End to Enders.

Working with Ian McKee at GLM architects and our client Natural Retreats we did something very simple and based loosely on the original line that sat outside the hotel in the good old days...

While the rest of the country was basking in sunshine we spent the first part of our day sitting in the car avoiding the lashing rain!!! Road surface left a lot to be desired but we're happy with the artwork and its looking pretty good...Used epoxy road paint and reflective glass beads - both products that were new to us but give a good effect (Thanks to Nino and his team at Promain for their help)

All done now - a few pics and video attached. - FIN

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Van Halen - Finish What You Started

OU812 (1988)

We spent last Thursday up in John O'Groats working on a commission to produce a temporary Start/Finish line for all those fine folks who are known as End to Enders.

Working with Ian McKee at GLM architects and our client Natural Retreats we did something very simple and based loosely on the original line that sat outside the hotel in the good old days...

While the rest of the country was basking in sunshine we spent the first part of our day sitting in the car avoiding the lashing rain!!! Road surface left a lot to be desired but we're happy with the artwork and its looking pretty good...Used epoxy road paint and reflective glass beads - both products that were new to us but give a good effect (Thanks to Nino and his team at Promain for their help)

All done now - a few pics and video attached. - FIN

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Van Halen - Finish What You Started

OU812 (1988)

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There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the trees...

A short film that was made about a project we did in Hilton Village. Shot and edited by Mike Webster through Creative Identities, we think its pretty good. Apologies for the bad sideburns and 'tache - was all for a good cause (Movember - we raised over £500 from our bad facial hair in the DUFI team!) - FIN

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Rush - The Trees

Hemispheres (1978)

A short film that was made about a project we did in Hilton Village. Shot and edited by Mike Webster through Creative Identities, we think its pretty good. Apologies for the bad sideburns and 'tache - was all for a good cause (Movember - we raised over £500 from our bad facial hair in the DUFI team!) - FIN

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Rush - The Trees

Hemispheres (1978)

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All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

As promised here are some more shots of the paint job up in John O'Groats. A great week of spray paint, rollers and sunburn!

An amazing opportunity to paint the entire exterior of the derelict John O'Groats hotel. Our concept was to bring some childlike excitement and wonder back to John O’ Groats. The excitement of holidays, destinations, journeys and travel. The hotel presented itself as a great canvas to work on, with a massive expanse of sea and sky in the background. From a distance the hotel now looks like some offbeat fun fair has come to towm - with closer inspection individual works by each of the artist can be discovered.

The artist who worked with DUFI (us!) were: Richie Comming, Mike Inglis, Fraser Gray and Martin McGuinness. Thanks to everyone involved. - AL

DUFI installing Are We There Yet?

Detail of Mike Inglis paste-up

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Young Ruins by Richie Cumming

Detail of Fraser Gray's work

Fraser Gray's and Martin McGuinness' details

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Interior detail of Ernö by DUFI

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Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall
The Wall (1979)

As promised here are some more shots of the paint job up in John O'Groats. A great week of spray paint, rollers and sunburn!

An amazing opportunity to paint the entire exterior of the derelict John O'Groats hotel. Our concept was to bring some childlike excitement and wonder back to John O’ Groats. The excitement of holidays, destinations, journeys and travel. The hotel presented itself as a great canvas to work on, with a massive expanse of sea and sky in the background. From a distance the hotel now looks like some offbeat fun fair has come to towm - with closer inspection individual works by each of the artist can be discovered.

The artist who worked with DUFI (us!) were: Richie Comming, Mike Inglis, Fraser Gray and Martin McGuinness. Thanks to everyone involved. - AL

DUFI installing Are We There Yet?

Detail of Mike Inglis paste-up

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Young Ruins by Richie Cumming

Detail of Fraser Gray's work

Fraser Gray's and Martin McGuinness' details

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Are We There Yet? and Ernö by DUFI

Interior detail of Ernö by DUFI

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Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall
The Wall (1979)

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Breathe keep breathing, I can't do this alone

Earlier this year we promised to upload the film that we produced called Barron Taylor's Street. The film is based on a piece of music by Calamatuer.

Here it is. Enjoy!

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Radiohead - Exit Music

OK Computer (1997)

Earlier this year we promised to upload the film that we produced called Barron Taylor's Street. The film is based on a piece of music by Calamatuer.

Here it is. Enjoy!

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Radiohead - Exit Music

OK Computer (1997)

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