Creative times

It's been a busy couple of days.

The Tech Campers took to stop/go animation like naturals. In fact, like naturals with a good smattering of talent. The campers' first attempts to make a short and simple animation in order to rehearse the steps were more creative than we'd hoped, and they then continued to keep their heads down throughout the afternoon, cutting out coloured card, making 3D scenery (jumping from 2D to 3D of their own volition), moulding Play-Doh figures and recording voiceovers. (All this despite the promise of a games afternoon on the Xbox!)

You can catch some of the results over on Youtube. And some the week's best photos are over on a Tumblr blog.

After yesterday's time lapse plasticine-fest, today was an accumulation of visits.

Up to see Ian at Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in the morning to give the campers a chance to see how the technologies that they're looking at this week can be used behind-the-scenes (and very practically) in a church context.

This afternoon included a trip down to SARC - the Sonic Arts Research Centre at QUB - with an experience of true surround sound (left, right, front and back - as well as above and below) and a look at what the undergraduate/postgraduate students get up to.

The final visit of the day was to a production company in the centre of Belfast - Sixteen South / Inferno - which is probably best known in recent times for bringing Sesame Tree to our small screens. How cool to wander past Potto's Big Whizzing machine in reception and to see the Hilda and Potto in the flesh fur.

The challenge laid down not to waste their creative and technical talents provoked much conversation in the car on the way home, and over dinner. A big thank you to Colin for volunteering the opportunity for Tech Camp to come down and invade his space, hear about his work ... as well as gobble up the chocolate in his goldfish bowl!