About Me

Hello there!

Welcome traveller to the blog of 'The' Ginger Animator, I take it that as you're here, you'd like to know more about who I actually am. It's kind of hard to sum up who I think I am, especially on a blog post... but lets try!

My name is Jon Gransden, and, dare I say I'm an artist, specialising in Animation.

Unfortunately, this is what I really look like.
I was born and brought up in Kent, on a little known Island by the name of 'Sheppey'.
Someone once asked me, "So... what do you do on the Isle of Sheppey?" to which the only I found was "Get away". All the traumatic 'emo-ness' of that statement aside, I would like to say, I love Sheppey! its where I was born and its where my Family live! So it will always be home, the problem is... there is NOTHING for Animators! There isn't much in that corner of Kent come to think of it.
The closest to 'Art' I'm interested in would be at Maidstone Studios, where they used to film 'Art Attack'.
Anyway, I'm rambling!

Qualifications wise, I completed 'high-school' (The Westlands School - Sittingbourne, if your interested) with C's and B's, Even an A in Photography!
However, as most of you will know, GCSE's don't really count for anything.
After a disastrous AS level, I went and completed a two year Art and Design course at UCA Maidstone with a D*,D,D (D means Distinction, in this case)... I'm rather proud of that!

With those marks in the bag I was literally able to choose from any of my Five choices for University!

I should probably point out that I'm a lifelong lover of animation! Some of my earliest memories are of watching Wallace and Gromit or Toy Story, and the effect they had on me, I wanted to make things then make them move and tell a story! (cheesy cheques I know, but as much as its soppy, it is true.)
So from an early age, I've wanted to be an Animator, is it any surprise that all the choices for Uni courses where 'Animation Production' then?

Out of the five places offered, I always suspected I'd end up in Bristol, at the UWE, I got an unconditional offer and everything! But then, a damming Google review and a look around campus later, I knew it wasn't for me. In steps AUB (or AUCB as I knew it then).
Cracking online reviews, one of my all time favorite Directors (Edgar Wright) studied there, and I found the interview day was great! It just felt right, and so it became my first choice.

And thats where I am now! I write this just days after getting the results in for my first year at the Arts University Bournemouth.
This course is AMAZING! '(BA) Animation Production' is the thing you want to be searching on UCAS ;)
The tutors are fantastic really know how to motivate you, and, if you're willing to listen, they can teach you some brilliant things!
But this blog isn't about me giving free advertisement to AUB!

Its about me!

I literally think I've got nothing more to say though... Ill probably get a wave of self deprecating flattery in the bath sometime, but its interesting that when you are typing about yourself... nothing is there?
Thats not to say that I think I'm boring or anything... I think it's because, there's literally too much to say.
If you want to know the basics, apart from being an animator, I love film and TV (massive Whovian right here) and maybe someday I'll get to make my dream projects?

In the meantime, keep an eye on my blog. I'll TRY and keep it updated as often as possible!
I may even add to this page eventually...
Until then, I need a cuppa Tea.

Jon~G
The Ginger Animator