We are currently experiencing weather that even a hardcore Scot would call dreich! The rain has been volumous in its descent, kicking off last week with an almighty storm, fork lightning and even a power cut! Luckily ACER is still brimming with colour and sunshine and we have lots of exciting things to show you from our recently completed animation course.
Or character Torch Head continued his journey through Brazil and paid a visit to Eldorado. Using some of the brilliant photos the young people took of their surroundings we started to play around with mixing real photography and our own drawings!
We used these and the photos as a back drop for Torch Head who we brought to life as a puppet! On one adventure he encounters Mauro and Yago, two of the animation participants, doing Capoeira; a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music.
Capoeira is taught here at ACER Brasil and the center is often filled with the incredible sound of the teacher and children singing one of the many distinctive Capoeira songs. Please do have a wee listen to this wonderful sound. capoeiramusic
Above are some of the stills from a short animation we made of Mauro and Yago doing capoeira and meeting Torch Head along the way.
After introducing Torch Head to Capoeira and Eldorado we went back to our story boards and did a quick succession of four boards with six stills on each. The first was done in black and white, the second in colour, the third was bigger and bolder and the fourth was made up of all the best stills from the previous three.
We focused on facial expressions like the animator Gray Schwartz had suggested and drawing one item per still instead of a whole picture each time in order to better describe a story without words.
Our final animation class (blimey time is flying!) found us doing a spot of mask making. We brought animals of the Amazon to Eldorado! With Mauro and Ana dressed as Monkey and Butterfly we got up to mischief in the streets of Eldorado.
All the amazing work done by the young people has now been whisked off to Gary to be transformed into a final one min animation. We eagerly await the completion of the piece the young people at ACER Brasil have inspired and look forward to having our very own premier with popcorn and everything!
The animation class has been fantastic fun, Ana said she particularly enjoyed taking photo’s and Mauro enjoyed ‘everything!’.
In other ACER Brasil news, I am now into my third week of running yoga classes at the center. Classes are free and open to the kids, staff and the whole community. I am very privileged to be able to run these classes here and have Thiago to thank for the wonderful banner he made to put outside ACER! Muito obrigada Thiago! Here’s to stretching and um-ing our way to a more zen Eldorado!