CHARLIE CONDOU CONFIDENTIAL: PIRATES IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS

The Pirates!

In an Adventure with Scientists

David Tennant with Peter Lord of Aardman Studios at London opening March 28th 2012.

Aardman's latest stop-frame animation featuring the voices of Hugh Grant, Imelda Staunton, Russell Tovey, David Tennant and Martin Freeman is at last released. The movie has been warmly received by people all around the world.

Hugh Grant & Peter Lord of Aardman Studios at London opening March 28th 2012.

What the followers of the Charlie Condou blog might not know is that my class of children and I watched the development of this movie from early 2011 and I blogged parts of its development via my other site “Russell Tovey – A Star In The Making.” The Tovey blog is nowadays closed but you can search through its contents for various clips and animations. Both Russell Tovey and David Tennant are friends with Charlie Condou.

In 2011 my class of Yr.2 students from Newcastle Australia started watching the development of the movie via correspondence with Peter Lord the director and co-owner of Aardman Studios. I can’t tell you how excited the students are to finally see the completed movie. They have watched numerous clips via YouTube over the past 12 months expectantly and patiently following how the movie as it was made, shot, voiced and finished.

It has been a pleasure to also have a great deal of personal Twitter correspondence from Peter Lord during this time. In fact, Peter drew the Tovey blog a cartoon which was used for various postings where Russell Tovey’s name was mentioned or shots of his character were shown on the blog. Russell is the Albino Pirate.

Peter Lord also graciously allowed me to blog his average day in the studio - see below - as well as allowing me to announce some of the cast before his studio officially put out releases - copies from the Tovey blog are below.
Congratulations Pete & the Aardman team,
Tom in Oz

Hugh Grant & Peter Lord

CLICK PLAY
TO SEE A TRAILER FROM THE MOVIE:

Pirates - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Pete Lord's average day while working on Pirates

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

corinbishop: @PeteLordAardman are you up yet or is 'tweet my day' not going well?

PeteLordAardman: Right, in the viewing theatre. Bring it on.

Tom_In_Oz_: @PeteLordAardman did you consider some visuals for those not at the viewing - this is torture! Like spying through a crack in wall ...lol

PeteLordAardman: Jo's reshoot of half a shot -Captain in hammock- much better.

PeteLordAardman: Darren's background animation: simple but effective. OK.

PeteLordAardman: Need to rotate the mast though...

PeteLordAardman: Dug's block: Good - we can simplify the start. All depends on Captain's performance...

PeteLordAardman: Quick debate. Do we shoot on the whole shit or the deck set?

vivvyenna: @PeteLordAardman I'm guessing you mean the whole ship set? The other version wouldn't be nice to film.

buckingabout: @PeteLordAardman I'm assuming that was a typo!

skirred: @PeteLordAardman Pete is it a Harbinger of Piratic Wrath to shoot on a whole shit? Or merely an errant digit? (btw get yersel' an iPhone)

PeteLordAardman: Light-test on Petting Zoo. Looks Fab.

PeteLordAardman: Down to the studio floor to do a live rehearsal (LAV) with Jo.

PeteLordAardman: Only 6 takes. Not bad. Use takes 4 and 6

PeteLordAardman: Rehearsing for sequence 70, Captain and Scarf, for Will. 10 takes.

PeteLordAardman: In unit 24 -Ham Night- with Rod blocking camera move.

PeteLordAardman: KymriskaDraken: @PeteLordAardman Tell him to get out of the way then!

PeteLordAardman: Into Andy's Edit suite to check continuity.

PeteLordAardman: Quick 'scratch' record of Sophie: 'come on Polly!' One take wonder.

PeteLordAardman: Stop by desk. Very unusual. Check is there's an email from Gid. There is. Good.

KezD: @PeteLordAardman Loving the constant 'my day tweets'!

PeteLordAardman: Comfort break. Aaaah.

Tom_In_Oz: @PeteLordAardman turn it offffffffff don't need to know about your bowels NOOOOOO

PeteLordAardman: Off to RP now to check mouth shapes.

SamWare89: @PeteLordAardman I love it how your so soooo busy on pirates but still have time to tweet pete! :D

PeteLordAardman: @SamWare89 And I assure you it's bloody difficult! Most of the day it's really hard to grab 30 consecutive seconds!

PeteLordAardman: Mouths chosen. Back to edit.

PeteLordAardman: Trying to repurpose a line of dialogue from elsewhere for Ham Night.

PeteLordAardman: Decide to use a generic "wey-hey!"

Tom_In_Oz_: @PeteLordAardman generic eh?....erm, are they the "wey-heys!" that come in the plain packaging???

PeteLordAardman: @Tom_In_Oz_ No no! These are family-friendly wey-heys such as you could safely show your Mum.

PeteLordAardman: Make tea and discuss the Pirate with Gout's next line with Jay.

PeteLordAardman: Big discussion with Jeff Newitt about the Title sequence.

PeteLordAardman: OK finished up on the Title, discussed the epilogue AGAIN. It really seems that we're nearly - oh so nearly - at the end of storyboarding.

PeteLordAardman: Now to go and meet with Julie (my Producer no less) *puts on smart suit* Exit

Bloler: @PeteLordAardman Hi, just wanted to say this commentary on your day is brill, a great insight into the world of animation features. Thanks!

PeteLordAardman:A long conversation about teaser-trailers and teaser-trailers-posters. A very tricky area. Hmmmm

PeteLordAardman:Now ample time to eat a tuna sandwich.

PeteLordAardman:Mmm. The tuna sandwich was both delicious and dolphin friendly (though that's small consolation to the tuna)

Wankzombie: @PeteLordAardman when is Pirates! released?

PeteLordAardman: @Wankzombie March 2012 - - - - - Oh my days.

PeteLordAardman:Bah! Enough of this sitting at a desk game, off to unit 35 to see Andy Sym.

PeteLordAardman:Check character stills with Sharon. Now time to grab a cup of TEA

PeteLordAardman:Andy's good to go with the Captain turning round in the Tavern "oh, hello Bellamy..."

PeteLordAardman:Returns to desk. Opens email. *Sighs*

bowendesign: @PeteLordAardman You love your job really! ;)

PeteLordAardman:.... and off again. Back to edit to see Lee's shot cut in: Darwin reacts in horro. I hope.

PeteLordAardman:Looks pretty good...let's try trimming a few frames...

mjnewham: @PeteLordAardman Wow, that's a lot of running around and it's only 3pm now.. Phew! Is this a typical day?

PeteLordAardman: @mjnewham That was a pretty typical day. There's a lot of running around, and a lot of decision making. And a lot of tea.

Tom_In_Oz_: @PeteLordAardman It's 2am in Oz and I'm still up reading your tweets...I need to get a life OBVIOUSLY.

PeteLordAardman: To Unit 18.

PeteLordAardman: It's rather quiet here on 18. Just two Extra Pirates having a good old laugh in a bar.

PeteLordAardman: Unit 37. The rubbish tip. Also a bit quiet. Christophe's off sick. Re-frame.

PeteLordAardman: Back in the viewing theatre. Laurie's shot of the Pirate King. Great.

PeteLordAardman: Quick check in what we call The Black Hole. Stereo seems to be working well.

PeteLordAardman: In Editorial with Justin and Jeff.

PeteLordAardman: We're trying out a few late-breaking lines of dialogue.

PeteLordAardman: So we looked at: Trailers; a new line in the pub; two new lines in the Petting Zoo; some comedy Muzak; added at least 5 seconds. All good.

PeteLordAardman: Back at desk and - - - oh no you don't - - - off to the viewing theatre.

mary_russell: @PeteLordAardman The cover of my eleventh memoir is quite whimsical, isn't it? http://bit.ly/hiTdlj

PeteLordAardman: @mary_russell Neptune's Teeth! That sounds like a sure-fire hit.

PeteLordAardman: Florian's shot of the half-destroyed house. Looks lovely. The shot of the quayside can be better maybe.

PeteLordAardman: To Unit 26 to check on a bush - it's a tough job.

PeteLordAardman: Yes, well. The amazing walking bush is sorted. Rich is going to run a test. The day might be over...

DJAnimations: @Tom_In_Oz_ wow you are very lucky!!, I'd love to get a my own drawing from the amazing @PeteLordAardman you must keep that 4 ever!! : D

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011

Tom_In_Oz_: @PeteLordAardman David Tennant to voice an animated Pirate movie alongside Grant, Freeman, Tovey, Pivens, Hayek and more...Can I tell to world now?