Kieran Argo: Aardman Animations 'Lip Synch' Special

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: 10^th December 2014 6:30pm – 8pm with drinks reception afterwards kindly provided by Aardman and Quartz Insurance Brokers.

Hope you can make this unique event!