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Animation Nation

Richard
UK Correspondent
#1 · Posted: 7 Apr 2005 23:32
This is sure to be of interest to many people on this forum - BBC FOUR are broadcasting a new series called Animation Nation, about the history of British animation. From the press release :

"For over a century, British animation has been employed to sell everything – from soap powder to democracy – and in the process established itself as a world-class industry.

Using material found in Government and public archives and private collections, the first film in a new series traces the use of animation as the perfect sales tool, from jingoistic cartoons in the First World War to MTV."

The first programme will be screened on Monday the 18th of April at 9pm, on BBC FOUR, entitled "The art of persuasion", including a discussion on the British animated film of Animal Farm, allegedly funded by the CIA as anti-Stalinist propaganda.
MoonRocket
Member
#2 · Posted: 7 Apr 2005 23:45
Sounds interesting, I wish we got that channel on regular cable over here in the U.S. ... If it comes out on video, it would definitely be worth a watch.

I didn't realise that "Animal Farm" had spawned an animated film! I remember seeing the live-action one a few years ago, and I found it both creepy and... well, I thought the end was better than that in the book.
jockosjungle
Member
#3 · Posted: 8 Apr 2005 07:55
The animated Animal Farm is superb, well worth a watch if you can find a copy

Will have to watch this new TV programme as well

Rik
Tintinrulz
Member
#4 · Posted: 8 Apr 2005 10:32
Cartoon version of Animal Farm can be found here. I saw it as a young kid and thought it was very sad and depressing. The novel is also. The author has good messages behind it, but all school texts were depressing. No way would I rate it G though. Its far to dark for that!

Aussies:
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/227426

UKians:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005IBB4/qid=1112953028/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_11_3/026-5374646- 6031628

Americans:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002ZYDUG/qid=1112952783/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-380823 3-0112147?v=glance&s=dvd


I heard there's a new version using Jim Henson's Creature Shop or something. Is this the one?

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00004TIYH.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
tintinuk
Moderator Emeritus
#5 · Posted: 8 Apr 2005 18:28
Animal Farm ? Great stuff, the movie, in my opinion, is a great adaptation of the book. Can't wait for the programme ! :o)

The DVD is well worth getting, as the special features are absolutely superb, including :

• The Making of Animal Farm - 20 minute documentary

• Behind the Scenes featurette – created with involvement from the original animators, director, cameraman and celebrated film critics

• Feature Commentary with film critic and historian Brian Sibley

• The Story Behind the Story featurette

• Storyboards, conceptual drawings and sketches

• Original posters

• Original newspaper and magazine articles

• Comic strip books

But I'm going off-topic ! Thanks for all the site links, Tintinrulz ! Haven't actually seen the Jim Henson's Creature Shop version, but I don't think anything can top the original - the first British animated feature film ! ;o)
Richard
UK Correspondent
#6 · Posted: 26 Apr 2005 09:50
Nice to see Harry Thompson on last night ! Couldn't help but notice that the young boy in Monkey Dust had a quiff ... :o)
tintinuk
Moderator Emeritus
#7 · Posted: 26 Apr 2005 19:07
I couldn't help noticing the ginger quiff either ! :p I enjoyed last night's programme, although not as much as I enjoyed the first, which was brilliant in my opinion. It was nice to see some clips and info about Raymond Briggs' When The Wind Blows, though !

Next week's edition is about animation for children - should be great ! :o)
jock123
Moderator
#8 · Posted: 26 Apr 2005 23:23
I found last night’s episode a real slog, to be honest (I didn’t see the first show); the interviewees were like parodies - especially the professor from Loughborough University. Considering it was about the counter-culture it all seemed so, well - boring…

Bob Godfrey was interesting, and genuinely engaged with animation as a subject, as was Terry Gilliam to a certain extent, but the others seemed far more keen on showing how clever they were. The bloke who said that he made his cartoons so that other people would think for a change - as if that couldn’t possibly happen without his aid - was truly awful.

I thought there would be a lot more about technique - When the Wind Blows was made in a very odd experimental (for the time) fashion, of cell animation over live action model work sets, but I don’t think that was even mentioned. Likewise the strange dark cartoon with the dancing skeleton - I wanted to know how it was done, not so much about what it was about…

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