RTS award line-up: Peter Lord, Lynn Barlow, Peter Salmon, Colin Rose, Nick Park and David Sproxton. (Photo: Jon Craig photography)
French animator extraordinaire, Sylvain Chomet provided his own unique contribution to a special RTS celebration of the prodigious talents of BBC Bristol producer Colin Rose.
Complete with heart shaped glasses, Sylian sang Colin a special version of "La Vie En Rose' via video, in a fitting finale surprise for a delighted audience of some of the world's leading animators and programme makers at the city's Watershed Arts Centre.
Colin worked with Sylvian on the multi-award winning animated feature, Belleville Rendezvous.
Colin was in conversation with Jeremy Howe (Radio 4 Commissioner) one of his many protégé's from a career which spanned flagship documentaries and arts programming including BBC's much loved 10x10 series and the animation unit where Colin and his team supported and developed a new generation of film and television making talent – commissioning Nick Park's Wrong Trousers and Rex the Runt.
The stellar audience included Aardman team, Nick Park, Peter Lord and David Sproxton as well as many of Colin’s BBC contemporaries and collaborators including Jeremy Gibson and Peter Symes and Peter Salmon.
There were places too for the next generation of talent - students from the University of the West of England’s undergraduate and postgraduate animation courses.
The evening was introduced by Peter Salmon, Director of BBC England, who also presented Colin with a special award from RTS Bristol - the Sir Ambrose Fleming award for outstanding contribution to the industry.
Said Colin: “I'm a dyed-in-the-wool West Country person and the award means a very great deal to me.
"To be honoured by one's fellows in one's own territory in this way is as good as it gets!"
The event was put together by RTS, Bristol, and Watershed Arts Centre to mark 80 years of the BBC in the city.
For a full gallery of pictures click here.