Published between 1982 and 1995
D. J.: How long have you been operating as Animus? T.W.: About eight years. It has gone through various forms. It has always been my company but I started off in association with a live action company, and then we went our separate ways. In 1982 I joined forces with Carl Gover (the ex-Richard Williams … Read more
At the same time, I had made two short films at Halas & Batchelor, one called Quartet which won first place in the Chicago Film Festival. The other one was called A Short Tall Story which, I was subsequently told by John Halas, was adopted by the United Nations, it had a peace theme to … Read more
D. J.: On your show reel all the commercials have a different style. Which one is your particular style? T. W.: We don’t have a style. That is part of the Animus philosophy. Our style is the animation quality. People working here have a strong drawing ability. If you are capable of controlling the co-ordination … Read more
D. J.: It’s nice when you see the end result. T. W.: It is if you feel you are progressing. Running a studio is a heavy responsibility. I was much happier as an animator without the responsibility but as an animator working for somebody else there was no way I could do what I wanted … Read more
Thoughts on micro-computer rostrum control and still being able to afford to eat. Introduced by Mike Joyce. To some people, making animation films is about rough scribbles turning into polished drawings full of movement and life. But to me this is only part of the fun. I am lust as excited by the whole process … Read more
There are a number of features of computer control which are extremely beneficial for the rostrum cameraman. Firstly the enormous amount of time saved by getting the computer to do the number crunching. This is what computers do best. The speed of calculation is quite dazzling. Take a typical diagonal pan and zoom shot of … Read more
The Filmcraft 80 Rostrum is suitable for 8mm cameras and light 16mm cameras. In the final part David Jefferson describes the construction of a glass platen. The platen glass holds the artwork and cels flat for filming. If it is to accommodate various thicknesses of artwork, a simple hinge system would not work because thick … Read more
A personal view of collecting original animation artwork from Stewart Selkirk. Collecting things, from cigarette cards to fine art paintings, can be both a strange and enjoyable business. Strange when one sees the inflated amounts that can be paid by some individuals at auction for a penny black or a signed Picasso sketch. Enjoyable when … Read more
If you have an idea for a film but never have the time to make it, Neil Carstairs can recommend a two year posting to a remote part of Scotland to get you started. I finished all the drawings for my previous film The Circle and the Square in the first three months of a … Read more
After each painting operation the cels had to be laid out to dry. It was just as well that I was back home from the far north by this time, since, although my landlady up there was kind enough to let me use the dining room table for drawing, I could not have spread out … Read more