KEEPING THE PUPPETS UPRIGHT
By Ian Whitworth.
A number of puppet animators have written to Animator’s Newsletter about the difficulty they had in keeping figures stood up or moving them about without falling over. What the puppet department at Cosgrove Hall use is a sheet of metal, which can be obtained from any local sheet metal firm, 20 or 22 gauge. On this the sets are built and the puppets have a small metal plate on their feet. Then a magnet is placed under the table to hold them in position.
MARK JEFFERSON, AGED NINE, GIVES HIS OPINION OF WIND IN THE WILLOWS
The puppets were very good quality, very detailed especially the faces. Their clothes were neat looking. The hands were good because of the claws which went in and out. The background was also good especially the footprints in the snow.
Toad Hall had immense detail, the paintings and tapestries must have taken a long time to make. You could almost smell the food it was so realistic.
The animation was very good, probably the hardest part was to get toad to swing on the chandelier. The sound was exceptionally good because each character had a voice to match his personality, for instance the badgers old deep voice and moles young high voice. All in all the film was very good.
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Produced by Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove – 1983 75 minute film.
Directed by Mark Hall. 13 x 20-minute episodes.
From a book by Kenneth Grahame
Animation Director: Chris Taylor
Adapted by Rosemary Anne Sisson
Voices: Richard Pearson, Ian Carmichael, David Jason, Sir Michael Hordon, Beryl Reid, Una Stubbs.
Music composed by Malcolm Rowe and Keith Hopwood.
Animators: Mariorie Graham, Barry Purves, Andrea Lord, Sue Pugh.
Model characters designed and sculpted by: Brian Cosgrove, Bridget Appleby,
David Hayes.
Constructed by: Peter Saunders, Neal Scanlan, Rebecca Hunt, Bridget Smith.
Models, sets and props: Chris Walker, Yvonne Fox, Terry Brown, Jerry Andrews, John Squire, Tony Dunsterville.
Illustration: Beverly Bush,
Costume Design: Nigel Cornford.
Model Camera: Joe Dembinski.
Printed in Animator’s newsletter Issue 8 (Spring 1984)