Animation Spotlight Hits Teesside

Animation fans are in for a real treat as the University of Teesside hosts it third annual animation festival on Thursday 31 January and Friday 1 February 2002.

Animation 2002 will feature screenings, workshops and talks by visiting leading international animators covering a range of animation styles.

Highlights will include screenings of the innovative Mutant Aliens and Hubert’s Brain short films and talks on writing for animation, working in the animation industry and advice on the production process required to create a full-length animated feature.

The biggest coup for Animation 2002 is undoubtedly the attendance of two-time Academy Award winner Phil Tippet, whose 20 years in film animation has earned him widespread respect and authority within the animation world. Regarded by many animators as the natural successor to the legendary stop-motion pioneer Ray Harryhausen, who attended last year’s festival, Phil has won Oscars in recognition of his groundbreaking work on the blockbusters The Return of the Jedi and Jurassic Park. He is also the founder and president of the USA-based Tippet Studio and has worked on Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, RoboCop and Starship Troopers.

Chris Williams, Principal Lecturer in Animation at the University of Teesside and the main organiser of Animation 2002, said: “Animation 2002 aims to encourage people to open their minds to animation as an art form in its own right, as well as being a major element of many films and TV programmes. Delegates will see some of the most innovative animation theories in practice and find out about how animation is used in films, which is sometimes harder to spot than people may believe. I also hope the festival proves useful to the industry, giving people the opportunity to meet and make new contacts, as well as learning more about our animation courses at Teesside and the amazing work our students are producing.”

The festival will also include free screenings of some of the best British animation in the regional heat of the ‘British Animation Awards Public Choice Screenings’ in the University’s cinema, Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough. Workshops will cover traditional animation techniques and practices and the latest developments in three dimensional and two dimensional computer animation.

Confirmed guests at Animation 2002 include:

Phil Tippet, whose work has been seen in many Hollywood blockbusters, including The Return of Jedi and Jurassic Park Paul Driessen, multi-award winning animator from Holland

Ken Bielenburg, Dreamworks SKG Visual Effects Supervisor who has worked on Shrek and Antz

Ed Hooks, acting guru who emphasis the importance of animators understanding acting in order to create truer performances from animated characters

The conference fee is £85 for a two-day conference pass. There is a concession for students and unwaged of £45.

This year’ University Animation 2002 Festival, taking place on Thursday 31 January and Friday 1 February, is part of a wider Animex Festival - a week long celebration of animation, held in Middlesbrough, in partnership between the University and Middlesbrough Council from Monday 28 January to Saturday 2 February.

The Animex web site, www.animex.org.uk, is now on-line and contains full details of the entire festival, including a complete programme of events and an on-line ticket purchasing system.

Prior to the festival, the University is staging two free events in the University cinema on Wednesday 30 January. At 1pm, Bill Plympton, veteran of countless animated features, will give a valuable insight into the work of an independent animator. At 7pm, Sheila Graber, the University’s Animator in Residence will deliver a talk on her work and the development of Club Hype - organised for a group of young animators who attend regular workshops on campus. Sheila’s talk will be introduced by Professor Paul Wells of the School of Arts & Media.

Animation 2002 builds upon the University’s growing status as one of the UK’s best providers of animation courses.

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