Published between 1982 and 1995
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
David Jefferson visits a toy manufacturer who is looking for an idea for an animated film they can back. A clever concept could make a fortune in royalties. The headquarters of Newfeld Ltd. is near the reservoirs on the outskirts of London’s Heathrow Airport. The building houses offices, a design studio, packing plant and a … Read more
On the rides in Fantasyland you can clearly see how the Disney ‘Imagineers’ (as Walt called them) have utilized the lessons they learned in animating film. Take, for example, ‘Peter Pan’s Flight’: boarding a model pirate-ship, I fly through the Darling children’s nursery, out of the window and into the night; dipping suddenly I find … Read more
In the Eighties, the agency man invariably arrives at the studio with completed model sheets and storyboard in his hand to ask: “Will you make this?” “We have very little freedom to alter their characters, particularly if they have already appeared in the Press,” Keith commented, “and nine times out of ten they will have … Read more
Another time they made a series of adverts for a certain fountain-pen ink manufacturer, which were so successful mothers-to-be were drinking it believing their off-spring would be born able to write!!! Mind you, no one was prepared to vouch for the authenticity of that story. After Bob Godfrey left the team to set up on … Read more
David Jefferson talks to Steve Flack about the exciting new projects his company are getting involved in. Hierographics is a trace and paint service that is situated in a Wardour Street basement. You enter through a small shop front office, down a flight of stairs to be confronted with a maze of rooms set out … Read more
Bigger companies were using Hierographics for the odd two or three scenes that they needed to get finished by the end of the day. Then companies with four productions would pass on one of them for trace and paint including the job of making up the colour models. Hierographics was becoming paint, trace and co-ordination, … Read more
David Jefferson went on safari down The Old Kent Road to find Britain’s smallest animation studio. Tiger Trax Animation is situated in a block of flats just off the Old Kent Road. As Paul Thomas, who owns Tiger Trax, lead me up the concrete stairs and along the open passageways that lead to his front … Read more
An avid collector of animation memorabilia, Paul has off-cuts from Bob Godfrey’s editing bin, paper animations from “Rhubarb”, cels from various well known productions and a collection of posters issued by animation studios plastered over the walls of his work room. Working from home can be a problem if tradesmen call and he has cels … Read more
page 1 | page 2 | page 3 Printed in Animator Issue 11 (Winter 1984)