Animation Nation Part 1

EP 1: THE ART OF PERSUASION
Monday 21 November 1.25am-2.25am (Sun night)
How animation conveyed government propaganda in an entertaining package - selling WWII and the welfare state. Following the birth of commercial TV, cartoon characters were enlisted to sell household items.

INTERVIEW WITH SERIES PRODUCER: TOM WARE












British animation started in 1899 with Authur Melvin Cooper creating an animation of matchsticks drawing on a chalkboard, asking for money to send a packet of matches for each soldier fighting in the Bower war. According to Paul Wells its ironic that he should be using the mediums of Propaganda and advertising that have since been the post popular for animation.

"Animation does sell stuff and its memorable and its sometimes very funny" Bob Godfrey

In the first world woar they often used the method of sped up painting filmed in stop frame with artists such as Lancelot Speed. The medium then moved onto paper cut outs and was shown in theatres. The techniques grew more spohisticated in the second world war. The content was often to be seen ridiculing Hitler, humour was being used in conjunction with animation to soften the blow and provide an entertaining and exciting thing to watch.

The Government tried using live action but the theatres that were to be the only viewing platform showed contempt for it as it wasn't engaging the public. They turned to animation with Jack Reddington employing the skills of the Halas and Batchelor animation studio. They made a film about donating scrap for war in a piece called the Dustbin Parade. A British elelment contained in this was the sense of self sacrifice hat identified so much with the audience. A graphic Designer from the Buahaus called John Halas and his wife an illustraor made up Halas and Batchelor.

1943- The studio was commissioned to take their animations to the middle east to use entertaining and amusing pieces in order to persuade them that Britain was a good force. Often Britain was displayed in the form of a soft jokey military type character. In one instance the personified tank bounces along to happily take care of the enemy, skeletons with guns. These characters were clearly opposed but the significant point is the Britains used funny friendly imagery to endear them to their audience. These anti-fascist films often drew of arabian folk tales to ensure success.

The Larkin studio

Peter Sacks was trained as a graphic Designer and used jagged modernist lines in a different style from Halas and Batchelor. He was also European , from Germany. He experimented with techniques and ofter looked at the deisgn first- the animation had to support that as he was very concerned with the overall look. Bob Godfrey was given his first job by Peter Sacks. Godfrey said that Saks was very into "Big gernerous movements or little fiddly movements too draw your eye". Sacks wanted to work like other artists often and would walk into the studio pronouncing "Today we will work like Picasso". I like that idea. Work like a great and see what you get.

Halas and Batchelor then ended up working with an American producer called Louis De Rochemont
to make an adaptation of Animal Farm. This film wasn't that successful mainly as the media seemed to slate it for being for adults and not for children. A problem I think still remains today. Although it did well to promote the studio when TV advertising arrived a year later in 1955.

The introduction of ITV opened the floodgates for companies wanting to employ the skills that animation could bring in promoting their products mainly as the adverts were only 30 seconds and they needed something that could convey their message quickly. At this point 1/3 of TV commercials were animation. Bob Godfrey recalls this time and says how their company were often handed jungles that they had to 'dance' to with animation. Suddenly wit the amount of work that ITV adverts were generating around 40 animation studios started to spring up everywhere. Godfrey joined up with Jeff Hale and Keith Learner, and later Nancy Hanna and Vera Linnecar to form biographic films.

Biographic films came across a method that meant that they could create animations for adverts cheaply and quickly. Traditional animation was too detailed and clouded the message and took too long. They used forms that darted across the screen to create shorts that were more avant guard and displayed the message simply.

Larkin at this point were now part of the film producers leaugueand in the mid sixties created adverts that were embraced by British culture. The Hompride Flour men were the first succesful charcters created by Ron Wyatt and Tony Catarino. They were then in demand from these characters success and created charcters for country life, Teatly and Nesquick. Character animation was popular for product identity and merchandising property. What makes a character successul is much like what distinguishes a hollywood star from a normal actor.

Animals seemed to work well as in our culture we seem to enjoy the anthropomorphism of our pets/animals. The cresta polar bear, tony the tiger and kiora birds were all successful.

The centre of information film about child safety used a real boys voice and the voice of Kenny Everett for the tiger, this was very popular and secured this method of voice over, made more popular by Aardman animations. who created creature comforts, adverts Peter Lord helped create.

Aardman were also approached by Peter Gabriel to create a music video for Sledgehammer. This stop motion film was exquisite in its display of skill didn't use any electronic effects. It remained experimental right into the mainstream, a trait characterised by British animation.

MTV created an influx of animations for music videos giving a new aspect too the craft much as ITV did.

Award winning Don't Panic video also used old fashioned techniques. Animator Tim Hope stuck real pictures on 3D objects and moved them to create a completely orginal piece.

I think my stuff is very British. The architechtures all based around London, its Dixons and Currys and Housing Estates and masses of Satalite towers. The high street is so uniform now I think its a defining point of modern Britain." Tim Hope

More recently a NSPCC advert uses a child (animated) being abused by its (live action) father. A advert that couldn't exist without animation, you couldn't tolerate it in live action and the animation itself played upon the violence you often see in cartoon such as Tom and Jerry.

ANIMATIONS OF THE SERIES