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A Sight & Sound Book of the YearJez Stewart charts the course of this extraordinarily fertile area of British film from early experiments with stop-motion and the flourishing of animated drawings during WWI. He reveals how the rockier interwar period set the shape of the industry in enduring ways, and how creatives like Len Lye and Lotte Reiniger brought art to advertising and sponsored films, building a foundation for such distinctive talents as Bob Godfrey, Alison De Vere and George Dunning to unleash their independent visions in the age of commercial TV.
Stewart highlights the integral role of women in the industry, the crucial boost delivered by the arrival of Channel 4, the emergence of online animation and much more. The book features 'close-up' analyses of key animators such as Lancelot Speed and Richard Williams, as well as more thematic takes on art, politics and music. It builds a framework for better appreciating Britain's landmark contributions to the art of animation, including Halas and Batchelor's Animal Farm (1954), Dunning's Yellow Submarine (1968) and the creations of Aardman Animations.
List of contents
Acknowledgements
British Screen Stories: Editors' Introduction
Introduction
1. Signing in and Signing up
Close Up: Arise, Sir Lancelot
2. Dog Eat Dog
Close-up: Anson Dyer
3. The Shadow of the Mouse
4. Shelter from the Storm
Close-up: All Together Now: Music and Animation 1
5. Back to the Front
6. Rebuilding
Close Up: Bob Godfrey
7. Never Had It So Good
Close-Up: Grasshopper Group
8. Kids' Stuff
Close Up: Richard Williams
Close-up: Alison De Vere
9. Top of the World
Close-up: Money for Nothing?: Music and Animation 2
10. OK Computer
Close Up: Search for the British Simpsons
11. British Animation in the 21st Century
Recommended Reading
Useful Websites
A British Animation Playlist
Notes
About the author
Jez Stewart is a curator at the BFI National Archive, responsible for the animation collection. Jez has worked at the BFI since 2001 as part of the non-fiction team, and has done extensive research into the BFI’s holdings of cinema and television advertising. His interest in animation overlaps with his passion for comics and illustration.
Summary
A Sight & Sound Book of the Year
Jez Stewart charts the course of this extraordinarily fertile area of British film from early experiments with stop-motion and the flourishing of animated drawings during WWI. He reveals how the rockier interwar period set the shape of the industry in enduring ways, and how creatives like Len Lye and Lotte Reiniger brought art to advertising and sponsored films, building a foundation for such distinctive talents as Bob Godfrey, Alison De Vere and George Dunning to unleash their independent visions in the age of commercial TV.
Stewart highlights the integral role of women in the industry, the crucial boost delivered by the arrival of Channel 4, the emergence of online animation and much more. The book features ‘close-up’ analyses of key animators such as Lancelot Speed and Richard Williams, as well as more thematic takes on art, politics and music. It builds a framework for better appreciating Britain’s landmark contributions to the art of animation, including Halas and Batchelor’s Animal Farm (1954), Dunning’s Yellow Submarine (1968) and the creations of Aardman Animations.
Foreword
This richly-illustrated books draws on unique material from the BFI Archive to tell the story of animation in Britain, from early experiments with stop-motion to Wallace and Gromit.
Additional text
Well researched and dense with historical detail … Stewart’s own evident passion for animation brings welcome color to the history.
