back row L-R: Kieran Argo, Barry Purves, David Sproxton, Richard 'Golly' Starzak, Helen Brunsdon, front row: Peter Lord, Sara Mullock, Nick Park, Richard Williams
Photo: ©Jon Craig
Encounters
Festival presents:
Aardman Animations ‘Lip Synch’ Special
a 25 year
celebration
In 1989 the
youngest TV network, Channel 4
commissioned Bristol-based Aardman
Animations to produce a new animated series. The five films they created, collectively
known as ‘Lip-Synch’, were a huge
success for the channel and crucial to Aardman’s future development.
The most
spectacular success story was Nick Park’s ‘Creature
Comforts’ – which went on to win an Academy Award, but all the films were
highly acclaimed and influential in their time: ‘Ident’, ‘Going Equipped’, ‘Next’ and ‘War Story’ were each personal, unique and ground-breaking.
Aardman had been making films for the previous
thirteen years, producing shorts such as ‘The
Amazing Adventures of Morph’ and ‘Conversation
Pieces’ – also for Channel 4.
The unique attribute of Aardman films back in
the late 1970’s and 80’s was their creative use of vox pop interviews and overheard conversations. It was an idea that
had previously been explored by Faith and John Hubley in America, using 2D
drawn animation but it was Aardman who pioneered and developed the technique
using plasticine character model animation.
This special
25 year anniversary celebration brings together the four original film
Directors: Peter Lord, Barry Purves, Nick Park and Richard
‘Golly’ Starzak along with Aardman Co-Founder David Sproxton and the Series Producer Sara Mullock. Between them they played a central role in
placing British puppet animation on the world stage.
The evening promises to be
not just a fascinating glimpse into the origins of one of the most important
short series of animated films in British film history but also a prognosis of
the current health of the animation world in the UK today.
The event
will be at the Watershed – the UK’s preeminent cultural cinema and digital
creativity centre.
Where: Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road,
Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX
When: 10th December 2014
6:30pm – 8pm with drinks reception afterwards kindly provided by Aardman and Quartz Insurance Brokers.
Hope you can make this unique event!
‘Creature
Comforts’ Director: Nick Park © Aardman Animations Ltd 1989
‘Going
Equipped’, Director: Peter Lord © Aardman Animations Ltd 1989
‘Next’
Director: Barry Purves © Aardman Animations Ltd 1989
War Story’,
Director: Peter Lord © Aardman Animations Ltd 1989
‘Ident’
Director: Richard ‘Golly’ Goleszowski © Aardman Animations Ltd 1989
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