Steve Smith

LaunchDay #1 - Only until sunday. Get exclusive discounts by helping indie makers go viral.

Retweeting for @dagorenouf (X) because he's running a smart discount deal on indie tools ->

The first LaunchDay is finally here ☕

I interviewed 16 indie makers 👀

Now we celebrate their launch with huge discounts 🥳

RT + click « unlock deals » to get them 🤝.

www.itslaunchday.com

This weekend: Threw stuff at stuff and sometimes shot at it too.

Stage 1 of a stag do.
Stage 2 was not filmable.

Two holes in a red wall, with some pencil marks.

I did some DIY and made Elton John, for some reason.

Pretty sure he wanted peace, but apparently not..

'Grouting' has to be one of the best words in the English language. It's surprising how mundane it actually is.

Uncertainty over whether they can be called 'diners'.

Gamboling lambs should be more careful with their money.

Tree and house admiration at Nymans c/o National Trust. Lovely spongy bark. Such happy trees.

So afraid now. If the world can be run by bullies, there's fuck all hope for regular joes. They think they're on the bully's side until he turns on them.
The parallels with Nazi Germany are obvious. People afraid to speak out. It's so sad for humanity. Why do we always shoot ourselves in the foot.

Here's just a random collection of #Edinburgh scenes from the walk back to the station this morning. Such a pleasing place to visit.

#Scotland #AnimatorOnTour

I really should post here more.
Been up in #Edinburgh at MOVE Summit. Helped out with some 1:1 creative sessions, and spoke on a panel about the future of commissioning.
Judging by the vibrancy of the whole shebang I think the animation industry is alive and kicking!😁

If anyone is up in Edinburgh late Feb I'm gonna be speaking at the MOVE Festival. Not been before but have heard great things. Come along if you can!

#movefestival

Exciting birthday present for the soon-to-be 12-year-old, thanks to @yukfunwow.bsky.social ❤️

Is AI tagging itself?
Otherwise it's going to end up in an echo chamber like the rest of us.🤯

#echochamber #deathofAI

Looks like the snow is finally melting away today 😔
Mixed emotions because it arrived in a blizzard (and scary drive) and lingered with black ice.
But it is nice to look at.

#ice #snow #melting #sheetice

Snowy landscape

Snowy field.

Snowy path next to a field.

Frosty out there. Beautiful sunlight in Lewes.
But where on earth is my dog?

#snowdog #Lewes

Animator creates video for George Michael's Careless Whisper Guernsey animator Adam Le Gallez says he enjoyed working with George Michael's team.

Great seeing animation feature on BBC News. Just a shame the video is so horrendously shit.

BBC News - Animator creates new video for George Michael hit
www.bbc.com/news/article...

HNY everyone! Hope you're going out fighting!

Not even the weather has a heart these days.

Thanks David!

Thanks Louie. Feels like we are at a pivotal moment as the industry needs change, and fast!

... creators for exploiting their work (my words, not hers!) and I think that could be the key to ensuring the 'crown jewel' (her words) of UK broadcasting remains a competitive (profitable) ecosystem for us all to work in. Now wouldn't that be good news for 2025!😁

End of rant!

#ChildrensTV

... off kids content on our PSBs. If we level the playing field YouTube could still win the match. Though the biggest winner overall would clearly be our kids, and quality content.😋
A final thought - Lisa Nandy referred to the potential for digital platforms (YouTube) to properly compensate...

->

... co-productions that originate in the UK but can't all be made here because the production eco-system fails us.
But I would have liked to hear our PSBs railing against YouTube directly, in support of Lisa Nandy. It makes me wonder whether a regulated YouTube would in fact finally kill...

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... would be ideal of course, but Lisa Nandy explained the biggest problem with such a scheme, namely that not enough kids got to see the finished content.😒
Increased tax breaks for UK-made and culturally targeted content is also very welcome. My suggestion would be to better support...

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... according to Dame Floella. She didn't label it as such, and I think she should. We all should.

It was also great to hear from Patricia Hidalgo Reina and Louise Bucknole on the issues facing the industry, and what we should do about it. Bringing back the #YoungAudienceContentFund, or YACF...

->

...children's lives, largely for the worse. It was good to hear Dame Floella call out #CoComelon as an example of addictive programming, and I'm still disappointed the BBC bought into that. There's precious little name-and-shame of low quality programming. Presumably CoComelon is 'low' quality..

->

Lots to think about, but even more to do, and plenty of it actionable today. I really felt #LisaNandy 'writing to YouTube/TikTok' is a token step, and we more desperately need actual legislation - yes Google isn't controlled by the State like PSBs are, but their content is directly affecting...

->

Posted this on LinkedIn, but worth a shout here as it's so important to me!

What a great opportunity to air thoughts on the decline of Children's TV - this morning's #BBCR4's Today programme was guest edited by Dame #FloellaBenjamin.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

-> more thoughts follow...

Surreal Christmas trip to London to see the Tim Burton exhibition at the Design Museum and the Paradox Museum, taking in Harrods facade and local wildlife.

#TimBurton