On Saturday I found myself at the Canterbury Animation Festival, with my husband, my six year old daughter, Claudia, and my good friend, Scott.
Canterbury AniFest was held at Canterbury Christ Church University’s new Augustine House. The aim was to celebrate animation in the south east area and was organized by Dan Richards of Animate & Create…who just happened to be an ex-student of Scott (who works at the University)…which meant that just before I clicked “buy” on the all day passes I was informed we were getting freebies (WOOT!).
We got there a little late, so sadly missed the beginning of the Wallace & Gromit talk, but thankfully that too had started late, so we got to see and hear quite a lot of it. The talk was given by Jim Parkyn, who spent the whole time holding Wallace, whilst Gromit and the Were rabbit were prominently displayed on a table. The talk was very interesting taking us through many of the techniques, followed by a Q&A session afterwards. I got to chat with Jim later in the day, terribly lovely and seemingly quiet chap.
Claudia then made a clay (plasticine) slug in a mini-workshop and played with it using some animation software developed by a chap who was basically there touting it (which worked – we now have it! Zu3D software for the record).
Next was a screening of The Gruffalo (the book being a favourite of both Claudia and her Daddy). The Assistant Producer, Daryl Shute, held a Q&A after the film. The little lady patiently waited her turn with her little arm up in the air…only for Daryl to answer her question before she could ask it. Regardless, she carried on, and when handed the mic she asked “Are you going to do The Gruffalo’s Child?” – Yes is the answer…AND Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book which is THE absolute favourite of the pair of them!
A quick break and headed into Canterbury for some lunch, then back to the hall for Children of Small Films. This was a discussion then Q&A session hosted by Martin Goodsmith, and featured some of the children of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin (Emily & Charlotte Firmin with Dan & Stephen Postgate).
I am not ashamed to say that as they walked down the aisle and I caught sight of Emily (as in THE Emily from Bagpuss) walking down with a sweet smile on her face, in her hands was a wicker basket, my emotions got the better of me and my eyes welled up. I swear I saw the little girl Emily walking down…a childhood memory being brought so vividly to life right there in front of me! May sound such a small thing for others to read, but it quite unexpectedly caught me. The basket was covered by a cloth, for a moment I wondered what broken something had she brought for us all to see that would somehow be fixed in front of our very eyes…but then I caught sight of a flash of pink fur…could it be? Could there be Bagpuss in the basket???
As the talk went on, The Witch from The Pogles was brought from the basket, with tales of her having hung in the barn/studio. The Witch was banned from the Beeb due to being far too scary for children. Auntie Clanger was next to come from the basket, along with tales of Clanger whistle conversations (the entire script having been written out) and of stolen or moth eaten Clangers. Then from out of the basket, Emily brings out Bagpuss. THE Bagpuss. The Bagpuss of my childhood, who I have loved for over 30 years. The most important, beautiful and magical Bagpuss who was very much a saggy old cloth cat…they played the opening credits…I couldn’t help (nor could many others) repeat with them.
Q&A time came again, and Claudia asked if “she could ask any question that she liked?” I said yes, as long as it was relevant to the talk, and so up went her little arm once again…holding it up for ages, doing that little girl stretch where you are not quite standing but not sitting down any more. Then the mic was brought to her once again and she asked “How soft is Bagpuss?” – fecking genius question! Why? Because Emily asked her if she wanted to find out…and so my six year old walks up to the stage and is handed Bagpuss. I’m full of both pride and jealousy, but mostly pride…but hey, what I wouldn’t have given to have held Bagpuss as a six year old…and man, she gave that fat furry cat-puss the biggest hug ever before answering that he was “very very soft indeed”.
Competition Films – Awards and Prizes were next. We watched 11 short animated films and were to vote for the Audience Choice – something the four of us all disagreed on. Perhaps the most surprising choice was Claudia’s, choosing a frankly slightly disturbing animation called Gorge (however the synopsis states the film was about inspiration…maybe it took the eyes of a six year old to see that?) We all agreed we loved both An Audience With (took two prizes including the Audience Choice) and Polished Off…I also threw The Eagleman Stag into the mix as it was wonderfully animated IMO.
Another walk into Canterbury, this time for some Wagamamas for dinner – MAJOR NOM!
Back at the venue for the final part of the day…settling down to watch some good old Warner Bros and MGM cartoons with the fantastic Phill Jupitus (wearing fetching red and white striped PJs) and Emma Kennedy (in an equally fetching Bugs Bunny outfit).
We ended up having some Postgate grandchildren sat behind and to the side of us, chatting away with them and giggling pre show – which was slightly surreal but oddly normal.
Watching some absolute classic cartoons, laughing out loud with the whole audience…finally managing to do something I’ve yet to do which was introduce the little lady to them (I’m a HUGE WB fan!). I’ve done my best to ensure she’s watched the likes of Bod, Bagpuss etc with the latest being Mr Benn. I’m not dismissing today’s kids programmes, some are completely brilliant, but there is something about the innocence of these programmes without the overt babiness of things like The Fimbles (when she was much younger) or the precociousness of many others now she is older. She is now a convert…dvd hunts are under way!
Claudia got to sit with Phill and Emma for a photograph, before having the Bugs head popped on. She was then instructed that surely a Bugs Bunny outfit should go on to her Christmas list…and guess what…it had! Thanks Phill & Emma!!!
The cartoons were going to continue into the night, and much as the little lady insisted she wanted to stay, she’d been getting restless and it was way past her bedtime. TBH she’d done very well, we’d been there for 11 hours and her interest had mostly been kept. So with sadness we had to miss the final cartoons (but not before I got Scott to check whether there was a Wile E Coyote making the list…there wasn’t…I was disappointed).
Sunday afternoon, the meester popped online and bought the Zu3D software, before nipping out to buy a new Microsoft LifeCam Cinema HD camera…the next hour and a half was filled with concentration from Claudia with a little help from Daddy. So may I introduce to you her first ever animation short…Lewis the Magic Slug – enjoy!
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