animation

Aardman model maker Jim Parkyn shares his secrets of animation

(Credit: Bottletop)

A crowd of animation fans were let in on those secrets and more at the very first “Animorsels” evening at Antenna, Nottingham in late October.

Aardman model maker Jim Parkyn was the star attraction at the evening event, which was organised by the Nottingham-based animation and production company, Bottletop and sponsored by RTS Midlands.

Applications open for research-based film competition

Kate Baxter and Elizabeth Dixon won last year for their film Whirlpool (Credit: AHRC)

The RIFA awards recognise the best short films, of up to 30 minutes in length, which will be judged by a panel of experts from academia and the film industry. The the winners will receive a trophy and £2,000 in prize money for future filmmaking projects.  

This year's panel includes Richard Davidson-Houston, Head of All 4, Channel 4 Television and Matthew Reisz from Times Higher Education.

Bristol buzzes with media festival fun

Attendees enjoying a session at the Bristol Futures Festival (Credit: (Credit: Ellie Kynaston)

"Mists and mellow fruitfulness” means festival season in Bristol. This is when the city’s creative sector comes together to celebrate its talent and share a sense of belonging. 

A festival is all about entertainment. Those festivals with a specific focus on cultural groups often seek to inform community members of their traditions and involve elders who share stories and experiences. 

That couldn’t be a more fitting description for the creative-industry family that calls Bristol home. 

ITV Studios to produce new kids show for Netflix

Robozuna will premiere on CITV early in 2018, before being made available on the SVoD service across the world. 

The show follows 14-year-old Ariston and his robot sidekick Mangle as they battle evil robot centurions to free a nation from the tyrannical empire.

Steve Green, Executive Vice President of Kids Content and Distribution for ITV Studios Global Entertainment said the show combines "cinematic production values" with "warm and relatable characters and action-packed storylines, as well as a rich and diverse play pattern".

The Clangers returns to television

Iconic British children's series, The Clangers, officially returned to the small screen yesterday, 46 years after the first episode aired. 484,000 people tuned in to see the reappearance of the treasured characters.

CBeebies is playing host to 52 episodes of the loveable pink creatures who live on a small blue planet. The classic, which enchanted viewers in the 1970s, has had a £5 million makeover.

Tips in 60 seconds... How to break into animation

Birthplace of Wallace and Gromit, Bob the Builder and Peppa Pig, Britain is the home of some of the word's most recognisable animations. As the industry experiences a boom, now is a great time to get involved. 

Oli Hyatt, managing director of Blue-Zoo animation, knows a thing or two about success in the industry. Here he explains how to get your foot in the door as a budding animator.