Cutbacks 2012 Review

After a year of incessantly hard toil in the cutbacks studio, we bring you the 'cutbacks' highlights of 2012. Costa Concordia, Mitt Romney, Human Scarecrow and Kate Middleton Topless among other unforgettable highlights! 14 minutes of excrutiating animated pleasure, interspersed with 2012's news and events from the 'cutbacks' project...

Thanks to all 'cutbacks' commenters, supporters, encouragers, bloggers, subscribers and a Happy New Year to yiz all!

http://tinyurl.com/bdslhjm

Cutbacks Origins

I posted a video from April 2011, on the origins of the 'cutbacks' project. Originally produced for a 'cutbacks' compilation DVD, the video gives some insight into the 'cutbacks' production process, with a few 'behing the scenes' views of my incredibly untidy and disorganised studio.

The original DVD is still for sale! @ €15 from http://www.cutbacks.ie/sales.html 

Dailymotion Remove 5,212 Views!

This week, Dailymotion removed 5,212 views from my Official ‘cutbacks’ channel! We’ve had readjustments of a few hundred views over recent months, but a reduction of 5,212 seems a little ‘excessive’? Are people in Paris working hard to keep my Dailymotion channel capped off at around 50,000 views? My viewing figures on DM are averaging around 500 per week.  I’ve toyed with the idea of withdrawing from the DM platform altogether. I even stopped uploading to the site a few months ago, but I relented a few weeks later. I object to the fact that Dailymotion have been placing long preroll video ads in front of my videos for a long time, without my permission and without making any payments to me. And I don’t get any useful analytical information from Dailymotion. And Dailymotion seem to be using really slow servers to replay the videos.

Now Dailymotion are introducing their new VoD system. I send them an email, expressing interest and I get… No reply. I’m an Official user, with a contract! No reply…

I think I’m talking myself out of Dailymotion once more? Why am I persisting with them? I started ‘cutbacks’ on Dailymotion way back in 2009. I’m remaining loyal to the platform?

Answers on a postcard please...

http://www.dailymotion.com/cutbacks

The Alarmingly Prolific David Quin!

Following her inspirational three-day visit to IADT, Sydney Padua even mentions me on her Twitter feed as 'the alarmingly prolific David Quin'. Our Dominic did pay homage to Sydney's Babbage character (from her 2d goggles comic 'The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage' http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/ ) in his 'New York Crime Free' video...

Here's my moment of fame from Sydney's Twitter feed (with two very kind links to the Rinky video and to www.davidquin.ie! Thanks Sydney and we'll see you soon!

Am I Suing Anglo The Musical?

Some one asked me at this week's Cork Film Festival if I was suing Ross O' Carroll Kelly for his shameless copying of my 2009 Cowen character in the new 'Anglo The Musical'? I admit that the Anglo puppets look extremely like my 'cutbacks' characters. Anglo producer Darren Smith (a 'cutbacks' fan) did contact me a long time ago, proposing collaborations and asking me if I'd consider helping to write the musical. I declined! And no, I won't be suing the Anglo The Musical production team...

 

I still think my Mister Cowen character looks better than theirs!

Dave Fanning Show

Thanks to Dave Fanning for inviting me to appear on his radio show, to talk about animation'. I appeared on the show with Kavaleer's Andrew Kavanagh and Jerome Morrissey (boss of Ballyfermot Senior College back in the 1980's and 1990's) phoned in from Kenya!

Dave Fanning described my father and I as 'Irish Animation Royalty', responsible for making some of the most memorable children's programming on RTE! Thank you Dave! A very enjoyable discussion, covering animation in general, some Irish animation history and the current and future potentials of 'platform agnostic' media.

You can access the discussion on RTE i-player... We appear from from 01:07:51

http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=1%3A10070848%3A1031%3A10%2D11%2D2012%3A

Thanks to Eithne O' Carroll, producer of the show for all her phonecalls and assistance.

'cutbacks' Jeds return for Children Referendum

The 'cutbacks' Jeds make an appearance late in the referendum campaign, taking the government to task for their 'neither fair, impartial or equal' lies and propaganda...

Curiously enough, the Referendum Commission still chose to slap a referendum advert onto the vid! Absurd...

RTE Arena Radio Show

A very good Arena interview with Donald Taylor Black on Wednesday 7th November, about Donald's 'Skin In The Game' documentary. The documentary looks at artists' responses to the Celtic Tiger Crash. David Quin is mentioned and our 'cutbacks' Jedwards were played on air...

Only slight problem was that the presenter described me as 'a Brown Bag animator'. Apologies to Cathal and Doc!

Press TV Again!

Thanks to ace 'cutbacks' watcher Jonathan Mohan for spotting our Dominic on Iranian Press tv once again... This time we're talking about Kate Middleton topless!

click on the image below to get to the Youtube link...

Irish Times Article!

Thanks to John Byrne for a great Irish Times article on the early history of Quin Films, concentrating especially on Bailebeag and on our animated inserts for Bosco. A lot of great retro reaction to the article - thanks to all for emails, phonecalls, tweets and facebook comments!

Click here to read the online version of the Irish Times article...

In the meantime, I've just produced the 450th episode of 'cutbacks'. Viewing numbers continue to crawl upwards. Thanks to all for your views, encouragement and support!

Two Years on Youtube

Two years on Youtube (joined on 28th September 2010) and numbers are crawling past 345,000 - an average of 14,000 views per month... Thanks to all...

Meanwhile, Big Phil tries to create some Septic Tank panic...

Fireballs From Space!

Cutbacks numbers, on Youtube and Dailymotion, continue to grow at a crawl... Thanks to all viewers, commenter, emailers and enthusiasts...

In the meantime, here's Dominic's latest offering... Fireballs from Space...

Rinky starts back...

After a protracted summer break, Dominic and Iggy start into the autumn of 2012, with 'Kate Middleton Topless'... Youtube numbers lurching past 342,000, with 700 subscribers. Still building slowly...

Dare Media UnderGround Short Film Festival 2012

'cutbacks' short film "Leitronium" has been selected to be shown at The Dare Media UnderGround Short Film Festival 2012! John Shiel from the Festival tells us that "Leitronium" will be shown as part of the first Comedy night on Thursday August 16th in City Limits, Cork. Yippee!

Meanwhile, Dominic discovers The Higgs Bosun...

Back In The Saddle

After a few hectic weeks, during which 'cutbacks' production was somewhat deferred, I climb back in the saddle and present the wonderful Mick and Ming...

No Galway, No Frameworks...

My God, not only have I missed out on Galway Film Fleadh 2012 (by submitting a very rough cut of the latest 'cutbacks' short film - 'Jack O' Metti'), but my Frameworks application 'The Master Animation of Sister Camera' has also been shot down - not even shortlisted... It's been one hell of a June!

'Jack O' Metti' is still unfinished - if I'm not careful, it'll miss the deadline for Cork Film Festival too! Must get ass in gear...

On Frameworks... I've long been coming to terms with the fact that neither of our potential funders (RTE or IFB) are getting their heads around the 'cutbacks' project, or it's triggering all sorts of alarm bells with them - it's political, unpredictable, internet-based, ad-libbed and it's self-funded. For all I know, RTE and the Film Board probably hate the 'cutbacks' project at this stage... Do I persist with 'cutbacks', or abandon it and move onto new projects? My current inclination is to reduce my 'cutbacks' activity somewhat,  to allow me to develop my other projects...

Believe me, other projects are on the way... Even I'm almost excited by the prospects!

BTW, I will be in Galway as ever for the 2012 Film Fleadh. I look forward to it (even if I'm the one wearing the black armband...)

In the meantime, here are John and Edward in Chernobyl...

Animated In Ireland

I've been mentioned in the Irish Film Board's 'Animated In Ireland' brochure...

complete brochure available at...

http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/files/Animated%20in%20Ireland%202012%20Final%20Brochure.pdf

Salmon of Knowledge

To counter the exhausting effects of the Fiscal Treaty Referendum, I present the Youtube Premiere of a tangled and mystical tale from the depths of Irish prehistory (certainly from 2011 at least) 'Rinkydink and The Salmon of Knowledge'. featuring the bauld Dominic, Iggy and her nibs The Snail...

Press TV again!

Well spotted ace 'cutbacks' fan Jonathan Mohan for spotting our Referendum Enda on Press tv's latest 'Double Standards' programme...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBRTjOvA1lM&feature=youtu.be&t=13m43s

Meanwhile, Enda and Noonan are chasing your Referendum 'yes' vote with their latest bulletin 'Stability and Lies'...

Referendum

Never mind the disappointment of the Eurovision (get over it people, the Russian grannies' church, demolished by Stalin, will never now be rebuilt...). We have a Referendum to defeat! Unless you're too scared to vote 'no'? After all, the government, aided by their pals in RTE News and The Irish Times, have been doing their damndest to scare the pants off the population for weeks. There are no other options? This is the only way? We need stability?

These are rollercoaster times people - we need agility, ideas and good judgement, not a pretence of conservative stability. But then... Politicians are neither agile, clever or quick witted. Who voted these assholes into power? Oh yeh... The poeple did...

Here are Ming and Mick, two stalwart revolutionaries... Vote 'no'...

401 'cutbacks' episodes

Since starting 'cutbacks', all the way back in September 2009, I've animated (to the end of April 2012) 401 episodes - including the four short films and the longer 'rinkydink' episodes. 4 hours and 45 minutes in total. I knew I was tired... Now I know why.

401 episodes! Here's the latest, from Ming...

Klout Hovering

My Klout score continues to hover around 24 (I'd prefer it to descend further) - I see some of my 2nd Year students have elevated to 58, way past Vincent Browne, Fintan O' Toole AND The WorldIrish website/Irish government social media diaspora 'initiative'. It just goes to show that the artificialities of well-funded, politically harnessed PR count for nothing against a gifted 21 year old creative with some friends! Go Melissa!

Jazis, am I actually influential about Iran???

Annecy 2012

My original first short film (15 mins long) from 1991 'To Forget' has been selected by Steve Woods for the 'Forty Frames of Green' Irish Animation retrospective at Annecy 2012. I am honoured.

Sorry, neither of the 'cutbacks' films ('Mister Heaney, a wee portrait' or 'Leitronium'), or my most recent Frameworks 'T'Was A Terrible Hard Work' made the selection... Every silver lining has a cloud?

NUI Maynooth 'cutbacks' Presentation

Thanks to Jeneen Naji (and to Kylie) for the invite to present 'cutbacks' at the launch of NUI Maynooth's Media Showcase on May 10th... Jeneen writes...

Well, thanks to all who attended last week's digital arts student work showcase in the Illuminations exhibition space in NUI Maynooth.

People seemed to really enjoy browsing the media films, the digital media web applications, and the music technology electroacoustic compositions. As if that wasn't enough guest Speaker David Quin, stopmotion cutbacks animator gave a really interesting talk on the trials and tribulations of getting your work out there using current digital media solutions.

Here's me, describing how to build President Sarkozy out of corrugated cardboard and electrical wire...

More of Jeneen's images are available at...

http://nuimedia.posterous.com/131102349

Be Still My Beating Art...

Well done to Laura et al on setting up the 'Be Still My Beating Art' exhibition in The Drawing Project. Very impressive work on the walls - as Paddy Graham said 'very accomplished...' Here's an Eimhin Mc Namara picture of me talking to Aine Mc Guinness... It's captioned 'With Dt Finn, Controversial figure linked with the DT Finn media Empire? and Áine Mc Guinness'

Controversial figure???

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1697572738#!/media/set/?set=a.3873195789815.2167960.1276275956&type=1

Sarko Admits Defeat

As voting closes in France, Sarko concedes that he has tonight become, 'just a mere Frenchman'.

My wife spent today making chocolate coffins and cuckoo clocks (as the dogs devoured them behind her back) for my Jack O' Metti film - the rough cut needs to be finished by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here's Sarko's Goodbye...

Japan Budgie

Three days he stood up to the interrogation of the Japanese Police, but in the end, we all reach a breaking point and we have to spill the beans...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0503/smart-budgie-tells-police-his-address.html

Sarkozy's Last Message?

Is it true? The end of Sarkozy? It seems so... For 'cutbacks', my Napoleonic Sarko has been a great character, pairing up neatly with Frau Merkel, defeating Gaddafi and saving the eurozone - it's been an occasionally exciting Presidency!

Apologies for the paucity of 'cutbacks' videos this weekend - I'm up to my ears trying to finish the 'Jack O' Metti' film in time for the Galway deadline... It's getting there slowly.

Meanwhile, here's President Sarkozy...

Klout Score Again

My Klout score leaps from 24 to 26. My son says '26? That's disgraceful!' One of my 4th Year students offers to trade me some Klout points in return for 'a word' when he applies for that all important lecturing job. I explain that no-one in our Institute listens to me anyway... My word is probably poison... That's why my Klout score is only 26...

Also, I don't live on Facebook, like normal people. Tomorrow IS another day...

Vatican Flashbacks

With Cardinal Brady and The Vatican shamelessly sticking to their guns, I remembered this overlong and rather unfunny 'cutbacks' episode from April 2010, with Mister Heaney replying to The Pope.

Two years on and they're still pretending that it's all okay!

Klout Again

My next project will be to keep my Klout score doggedly below 20... It will make me distinctive. I pride myself on going against the crowd...

My Klout Score

OMG, after three days hard work grooming my Klout profile, my score has leapt from an initial 10 (out of 100) to 24 (and it's declining slowly). Klout measures my influence in social media? 24? God damn it, I have 3rd year students who have a score of 41! They should have their own tv chat shows (I always believed in them). I am not an envious person...

But then I discover this caveat in the 'Understanding Klout' info...

'Other networks that we're working to measure are Facebook Pages, Youtube, Instagram, Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress, Last.fm and Flickr. You can already link these accounts with your Klout profile, and we look forward to incorporating your activity from these networks to our score soon.'

Aha! I look forward to that day too... Work faster Klout people... Once Youtube is hotwired into Klout, my score will soar from 24!

To 25...

Jedward's Referendum Stability Brainwashing and Lies

Jedward answer the latest Referendum question...

Press tv - Israeli Submarine

Well done to loyal and eagle-eyed 'cutbacks' fan Jonathan Mohan for spotting that Press tv are using our Dominic the hedgehog to front one of their articles on the Israelis' new submarine 'Tannin'. As usual, you thought I was making this up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP61thNDPN4&feature=youtu.be&t=5m10s

Here's my original, unedited 'cutbacks' Israeli Submarine from March 2012...

Enda's Vision of The Near Future

Don't listen to lies! Taoiseach Enda outlines his somewhat threatening vision for a 'post no' Ireland - rats in the street, no pay for the gardai (or gardai going feral as Laura Venables once put it - you get the picture). A post-apocalyptic nation... Sort of like 28 days later, but with Fine Gael as the zombies... Or maybe that's where we are right now, before the Referendum? Nah?

Household Charge Still Unpaid

Even as we're sliding inexorably into the combined frenzies of Eurovision and the Stability Treaty Referendum, we mustn't forget all the unpaid Household Charges out there. Can't pay, won't pay...

300,000 views

youtube/cutbacks2010 passed 300,000 over the weekend! Thanks to all subscribers, regular viewers, commenters and emailers for all the support over the past year and a bit...

'cutbacks' is occasionally viral, but the intention is to keep producing a viable and sustainable series of Irish political commentary, developing characters and tv programme potentials along the way.

I'm still trying hard to move the 'cutbacks' project towards real funding and tv, but it's an uphill battle. I'll persist, but it may take some time to achieve...

Thanks to all the 'cutbacks' believers! Hump the begrudgers! Keep watching!

Enda Kenny's Deep Meditation

Enda apparently didn't fall asleep during a jobs announcement last Thursday, but was 'reflecting deeply on the thoughts being put out...' Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore leapt to his defence 'I have never caught him asleep anyway...'

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/kenny-brushes-off-snoozing-claims-3093545.html

Mikey Casey (biffoandbuddies) told me about this one yesterday... I immediately remembered an Enda and Eamon 'cutbacks' from July 2011... Who says I can't predict the future?

Finally - A cutbacks2010 Blog

Despite having run a cutbacks website for nearly 2 years (www.cutbacks.ie), a cutbacks blog is long overdue. This is a start on it...

The next week will see me trying to close off a version of my latest 'cutbacks' short film in time for the 2012 Galway Film Fleadh deadline (May 11th). The film is called 'Jack O' Metti' and is progressing slowly. The film already missed the deadline for the 2012 Corona Fastnet Film Festival - apologies to Maurice, Pauline, Helen Wells and the rest of the committee.

Here's a 'cutbacks' from the weekend... Enda, on his mountainside...