BEARFARREN BLOG

This is Vision
We have launched our #TheBigShow website, with a catalogue of this years Illustration, Graphic Design an Animation graduates. I’m currently the only animator featured, chilling on my own down there at the bottom but more are scheduled to join me!
#TheBigShow runs from opening night on the 31st May until around the 10th June, so if you’re around the Derby area, come and pop into the University of Derby ADT campus and check our show out. The animators have an exciting, projection-mapped, installation piece in development too!
See you there!

We have launched our #TheBigShow website, with a catalogue of this years Illustration, Graphic Design an Animation graduates. I’m currently the only animator featured, chilling on my own down there at the bottom but more are scheduled to join me!

#TheBigShow runs from opening night on the 31st May until around the 10th June, so if you’re around the Derby area, come and pop into the University of Derby ADT campus and check our show out. The animators have an exciting, projection-mapped, installation piece in development too!

See you there!

4 days ago 2 notes

T.I.T.S.

Working on some freaky little sketches of myself for an animated YouTube series. A lot of weird, unlucky and stupid things happen to me, sometimes they’re good sometime they’re bad, sometimes they just don’t make any sense, some of them are bizarre, whilst some of them happen to everyone - either way, there are lessons to be learned from all of them.

Farrens: Terribly Illustrated True Stories (Or FarrensTITS if you’d prefer) is coming soon to a YouTube near you!

1 week ago 2 notes

FIN. 3 years of preparation and pain have lead to the completion of my two final year animation films. It’s been a long old trip, and I’m so happy they’re done, but I AM going to miss University BIG TIME.

(p.s. crab hands)

2 weeks ago 3 notes

THROUGH THIS WINDOW (2013)

Alan and Mary Davies have sat in the same chairs for sixty years. Enjoying each others company, the comings and goings of new and old family members to their farm in the iscolated hills on the borders of Shropshire and Wales. From these two pews, they gaze upon the view beyond their window, one of very few sources of natural light. This isolated, boxed view allows them to peer into our world, and for us to peek into theirs.

Here are a few snapshots from one of my final degree work, exploring ‘vision’ through an observational snapshot of two wonderful peoples’ lives. Full film to come soon.

(c) Harriet Farren

1 month ago

MOVING.

In a month, i’m moving back home to Bristol. This comes with mixed feelings. I LOVE Bristol, it’s my home, and where I grew up it’s pretty much home for me.

On the other hand, this marks as the official end of my University studies. For 3 years i’ve been independent, living in Derby - which as a city, has actually grown on me quite a bit - Living with friends I wouldn’t change for the world, they are just fantastic. Moving back home means exactly that - moving in with my mum, who I love to bits, but i’m sacrificing a part of my independence I hold very dear.

The cliches are all true, its been a learning experience, i’ve made friends for life, i’ve had a lot of fun and i’ve shaped the future of my career.

I’m going to miss a lot about Derby (friends, house, the city, university studies). But I think the thing i’ll miss the most will be my independence. I’ve got an expensive summer of travelling to pay for, which results in me getting a factory job in Avonmouth (most probably a recycling centre). Factory jobs suit me because of repetitive jobs - which is very similar to animating.

But getting a job acts as a diversion from my real goal - to relocate to London to pursue a career in art curation and filmmaking. I’m not sure what the future holds for my Tumblr, but there WILL be some exciting things happening this summer for all my followers.

But if you’re located near Bristol, and want to make some cool videos, or public art work, just send me a message, because I’m going to make the most of my time at home, and I’m planning on making some work in bizarre corners of the city in the meantime. OR if you need some pro bono videography/ Motion graphics, just send me a message and we’ll work on something!*

(*I specialise in NGO and low budget filmmaking and animation for groups that are not able to access payed filmmaking services such as students, start-up studios and charities)

1 month ago 2 notes

End of an Era

I sold my Nikon D40 today, My first DSLR I bought 6 years ago. Really is a cracking little number.

Now i’m joining the big boys and getting a Canon 600D, arriving in about a week as well as some lenses, a battery grip, a couple of memory cards for my trip to China and a microphone.

Working not only on my own final uni work at the moment and some professional pieces for a production company, but also have a YouTube series in the works, hope it works out well - i’ll start filming as soon as I get my new canon!

1 month ago 3 notes

Band Anna Ninja Party

Me and Soph are going to attempt to be funny as balls. Ask us a question or tell us something funny. And we’ll respond in a mysterious (video) form.

We’re British.

We’re Awesome.

We like beer AND PANCAKES.

1 month ago 1 note

God Bless America (2011) Wr/Dir: Bobcat Goldthwait

So, I just finished watching an incredible film, one that I wish I saw 2 years ago. God Bless America is a harrowing tale of pop culture, mindlessness, and somewhat basic human reaction to the offensive ‘lifestyle’.

Every shot is planned meticulously, beautiful colours and incredible locations. If I could have worked on a film, I think this would be it. Juxtapose this beauty of visual film with the ugliness of the context, and you have a absolute stonker of a film.

The characters are flawlessly flawed, with a constant commentary on what we consider acceptable in human behaviour. No one (or no hipster) is safe. You’ll be shocked first-laugh later (which is ever so slightly ironic within the paradigm of this film).

Such an intelligent film, if you haven’t watched this yet, please do, as it isn’t nearly as recognised as the amazing people that made it deserve. I think this would be the best film i’ve seen this year - and it’s only March!

2 months ago 24 notes

BEAR-foot.

No more China photos guys! It’s sad! (Although we managed to go 3 months!).

I have to say, that my trips to Guangzhou and Nanjing were phenomenal, and I can’t thank enough the people that sent me out there and looked after me. It was just incredible.

I’m going back out in the summer; Backpacking from Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu to Shanghai for 12 days, and i’ll be taking some new equipment out with me! And maybe again in February.

But have no fear! A lot has happened since China! And i’ve got a HEAP of trips and moments to share with you! London, Bristol, Uni, and even some incredible shots from my grandparents farm in the stiperstones and my final degree work (also have some exciting commissions on their way!).

I’ve also started writing about some strange and bizarre events in my life, so I might start with this melange of pretty abnormal experiences.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their support over the last year too! It’s officially been a year since I started this blog, and we’ve made some awesome things together.

Cheers babes,

Mwah.

2 months ago

PREVIEW: A gif preview! The first 20 frames of my Final degree Project. Currently ‘Untitled’, exploring my relationship with animation through ‘found objects’.

This is my first film that I star in! Check out my lovely little waddle. Pah!

2 months ago 12 notes

Drinking tea at Xuan Yuan Tang’s shop.

If you’ve seen my Vlogs from China then you probably know this story.

Austin and I stumbled into this pottery shop in an alleyway in a village called 小洲村东 (Small Chau Village) just outside of Gunagzhou. We were just looking around for a little bit, when Austin noticed the owner had a special tea area in a little corner of the shop. The owner then ushered us to sit down when he saw that we had noticed it.

We spent 2 and a half hours drinking tea with this man, Austin translated of course, but we talked about art, pottery, how he makes the sculptures (I make clay sculptures so i was very interested), Tea, the history of tea, culture. He then showed us these figures he had made.

The figures are from a small collection of famous Chinese fairytales. The Thief, The No-seeing Monk, The Ticklish Man, and the Old Man. (Not the actual names, but a rough sum up of the stories). The owner then proceeded to tell us the stories!

I have never been so moved in my life by the generosity of one man towards strangers. See Xuan Yuan Tang’s blog here. (Open in Google Chrome if you can’t read Simplified Chinese)

4 months ago 5 notes View high resolution

The Walking Dead Game, By Telltale Games

Just finished season 1 of this game-series. With 5 episodes in total, they are just incredible, not only did I cry during in episode 3, but also in the climactic endings of the game. If you think you know game story-telling, think again.

The writers of this game (all be it, sharing skills with the TV series writers) have redefined video-game story-telling and writing. With kudos to the animators for excellent episode-based budget work (being efficient is a sign of a genius animator). Texture artists for fantastic graphic-novel visual style, which is punchy whilst efficient. The writers have created a flawless novella within the game. And the character design is magnificent.

If you haven’t heard of, or don’t know much about the game. The Walking Dead Game is a episodic, point-and-click/adventure game series made of 5 parts. Your actions define the story, and attitudes and the lives of the characters. Create loyalties, betrayals, conflict, and love are all defined by actions, choices and Lee Everett (Your character). Based in the same universe as the popular Walking Dead TV Series (Zombies!).

I’m struggling to understand why this game hasn’t received any awards at the time of writing. It’s incredible. Telltale have finally hit the nail on the head an created a near-perfect game.

I won’t give any of he story away, because the game is magnificent, and your choices may be different to mine. But the final moments of the game had me in floods of tears.

Best of all, you can buy and download it straight away from steam at a heavily discounted price!

4 months ago 2 notes

Tangs’ Statues

If you’ve seen my Vlogs from China then you probably know this story.

Austin and I stumbled into this pottery shop in an alleyway in a village called 小洲村东 (Small Chau Village) just outside of Guangzhou. We were just looking around for a little bit, when Austin noticed the owner had a special tea area in a little corner of the shop. The owner then ushered us to sit down when he saw that we had noticed it.

I have never been so moved in my life by the generosity of one man towards strangers. See Xuan Yuan Tang’s blog here. (Open in Google Chrome if you can’t read Simplified Chinese)

4 months ago 5 notes

Fuss-free Crimbo Pies

Too many leftovers from this years christmas dinner? Fed up with turkey curry? Try one of these easy-to-make Crimbo pies, using whatever you’ve got left over from Christmas Day or Boxing day. Minimal effort, minimal price, maximum taste!

You will need:

Leftovers: Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce (Although, these are just what we had leftover, use whatever you’ve got left, see end of post for alternative fillings).
Shortcrust Pastry: You can buy a roll form the supermarket, or make some yourself (A great recipe for shortcrust pastry here.)
1 Egg, Beaten (for glazing)
Gravy (leftover gravy is best, but if you don’t have left, you can just use about 200ml of gravy - thick custard consistency)

Lets get baking!

Pre heat oven to 160 (celsius). Heavily grease a tin with butter, trek or stork (whatever you’ve got in the fridge), I’ve used a muffin tin for a deep pie, but you could use a large pie dish for a family size meal, or make small canapés with a fairy cake tin.
Roll out your pastry, get it to about 3-4mm thick but it doesn’t have to be perfect - rustic is more fun!
Take a small bowl, it’s usually best to use something about 2-3 inches larger than your tin cavity. Carefully use a sharp knife to cut round the bowl or plate. I use a little trick for getting the pastry into muffin tins without holes (although, if using a large dish or fairy cakes, this won’t be necessary). Pinch the disc with 4 fingers to create an origami style cross, drop the point into the cavity, and press the sides out into the walls of the cavity, removing any air from between the pastry and cavity wall.
Cut up your leftovers: Turkey and Stuffing in this recipe. Chunks no bigger than a grape would be best.
Brew up some gravy, and add the leftovers to the gravy to make your filling. Mix well. (this bit doesn’t look nice, but tastes lovely in the pies!)
Spoon into the pie bases till about two thirds full. Place a teaspoon of cranberry sauce onto the top. In my family christmas dinner, we love bread sauce, so i’ve put a dollop of that in too, but you can put whatever you like! Push down the filling so that the gravy rises a little to the top, this helps make sure the mixture has filled all the way to the bottom of the pies.
Use a cuter, or a teacup to cut out lids for your pies. Place on the top.
I can’t crimp, but if you can, or want to, do so now. I’ve just pinched and trimmed the sides so that they don’t separate. Which gives my pies a very ‘homemade’ look (thats mum talk for “crappy looking, but taste good!”)
You can make little decorations from any leftover pieces of pastry to pop on the top, lightly brush an egg wash on the top to glaze the pies.
Pop in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. The pastry has cooked when the tops have a lovely brown colour, and are solid when you tap them lightly.
Leave to stand in the tin for about 10-20 minutes (it’s ok if they cool a little, you can always put them back in the oven, grill or microwave to warm up).
Use a sharp knife to gently skim round the sides and wiggle the pies out.
Time to eat!

Other filling ideas:

Nutroast, cranberry and stuffing
Sausage meat/ leftover sausages or pigs in blankets, apple sauce and stuffing
Cheap cut beef, horseradish, and peas
Sweet potato, Pumpkin and a few chilli flakes
Smoked Salmon, hollandaise, sprouts, broccoli or spinach
Christmas pudding, Custard or Brandy Sauce, and a few squares of dark chocolate

Use your imagination! And better still, use whatever you’ve got in your fridge, as long as the meats are already cooked, if the vegetables are cooked already thats fine too. Try to include some sort of liquid binding agent (like gravy, hollandaise or custard) to bring all of the tastes together, and something to give it a kick form the storecupboard (like cranberry sauce, chocolate, chilli or horseradish).

Pies will keep for about a day, so try to eat either that evening, or for tomorrows lunch!

Enjoy!

4 months ago 4 notes

Currently working on an animated music video for David Guetta, “Every chance we get we run”.

I really shouldn’t be doing this because of more important final year uni work. But stuff it. I just want to have a go anyway!

5 months ago 2 notes

End of an Era

I sold my Nikon D40 today, My first DSLR I bought 6 years ago. Really is a cracking little number.

Now i’m joining the big boys and getting a Canon 600D, arriving in about a week as well as some lenses, a battery grip, a couple of memory cards for my trip to China and a microphone.

BEAR-foot.

No more China photos guys! It’s sad! (Although we managed to go 3 months!).

I have to say, that my trips to Guangzhou and Nanjing were phenomenal, and I can’t thank enough the people that sent me out there and looked after me. It was just incredible.

I’m going back out in the summer; Backpacking from Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu to Shanghai for 12 days, and i’ll be taking some new equipment out with me! And maybe again in February.

I’ve also started writing about some strange and bizarre events in my life, so I might start with this melange of pretty abnormal experiences.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their support over the last year too! It’s officially been a year since I started this blog, and we’ve made some awesome things together.

Cheers babes,

Mwah.

End of an Era

Band Anna Ninja Party

BEAR-foot.

End of an Era

Band Anna Ninja Party

BEAR-foot.

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