I had a letter from J. Davis of New Milton saying: “I only hope you keep the content of the newsletter firmly in the hands of ordinary film-makers and not in the hands of professional or semi-professional writers.”
It is my aim to provide a forum where animators can share their experiences with each other. We are after all a rather minority group, although I think a growing one. I would like to create a kind of club atmosphere on paper. A place where problems can be discussed, projects planned and useful information swapped. Plus of course the guest lecturers telling us about their approach to film animation.
Mind you it’s a funny sort of club where you ask a question and three months later, when the next newsletter comes out, you get an answer. However, if you write to me I will give you some sort of answer by return and if your letter is published you may got an even better answer later.
If you think you would like to write an article but are not too sure about it why not drop me a line and I will make some encouraging noises.
In other words it’s up to you, the reader, how the newsletter progresses. I must say the response so far has been really super as you can see from this issue.
The list of films in the IAC library was an idea sent in by Neil Carstairs. Such lists can make dry reading but I soon realised that this is virtually a living history of British amateur animation. Most of the films have won an award of some sort and represent the best of their particular year going right back to 1951. It is also interesting to see the trends in the choice of subject changing over the years and in other ways staying the same. All the films are available for hire at a modest fee. And a quiet word to the owners of video machines, they are even releasing some on VHS and Betamax at very reasonable charges.
I must confess to having owned a video recorder for three years but don’t see any advantages in a video camera at the moment. On the positive side of video I now have a great collection of Tex Avery cartoons that were never released on Super 8.
The next issue of Animator’s Newsletter will be out in December and will be a puppet animation special. There is an article on plasticine animation by Ten Best winner Low Cooper, an interview with a professional puppet animator, how to make lifelike puppets with wire armatures and making model scenery.
Originally printed in Animator’s newsletter Issue 2 (Autumn 1982)