MD6001 and MD6003 Week 28 - London Animation Club with Vivien Halas and Jez Stewart
Last night's LAC was held to celebrate 75 years of Halas and Batchelor. They made the films listed below.
An exhibition on Animal Farm (c. 1954 - 1955) is to be set up.
Vivien Halas from Halas and Batchelor and Jez Stewart from the BFI were the guests.
For Better For Worse (1959) was made for the electronics company Phillips. It discusses the pros and cons of television and uses flat colouring and abstract shapes.
The Owl and the Pussycat (1952) is based on the poem, which is sung through the out the cartoon. It also uses flat yet vibrant colouring and abstract shapes. Below is an excrept from the cartoon.
To Your Health (1956) is an animated public information film that was made for the World Health Organisation (WHO). Vivien likes the graphics in this film, including depictions of the human body. This film has detailed human characters and discusses the history of alcohol. It also highlights the danger of drink-driving, how alcohol addiction can affect people's lives and how addicts can seek help.
Martin gave newcomers an insight of the club. It stated in 2011 when he attended animation festivals. He finds the club a good way for people to break the ice and introduce themselves.
There is a book published called Jelly Has A Wobble that is suitable for children aged around 9 and over.
Jez introduced the second half of the club. He spoke more about H & B and the BFI digitally releasing their cartoons onto BFI Player.
Fable of the Fabrics (1942) opens with live action footage of a linen basket opening. It becomes animated shortly afterwards. It has cute characters including a cherub, some dancing goats and birds in a next. The animation moves in time with the music perfectly. It bears the claim that Lux, a laundry product, makes fabrics "like new."
A DVD of the H & B cartoons has been released. Skwigly will also announce the release of the DVD.
A DVD in memory or John Halas (1912 - 1995) will was also shown. He set up an animation studio in Budapest in 1932 and set up another one in London later. He met Joy Bachelor in 1940 and made their own company.
The Shoemaker and the Hatter (1949) revolves around two different shop owners. It has intricate backgrounds and similar character designs to those in To Your Health.
It was made for the European Recovery Agency after the Second World War.
Vivien showed some books about H & B, which are available on Amazon. She mentioned that women were not given major roles in animation in the past. Despite this, a lot of cel-painters were women due to their dainty hands.
Ode to Joy (2014) is a tribute to Joy Bachelor (1914 - 1991). She was the animation partner of John Halas and was known as an unsung heroine. She drew various book and magazine images before working in animation during the war since animation jobs were scarce back then. She used experimental techniques in her animation and was uncredited in later shorts but credited in four roles in Animal Farm. In her animations women were depicted as housewives and partaking in embroidery.
