Goodness, where did the time go? - It's hard to believe
that two
years have already breezed by and brought the bi-annually
briliant British
Animation Awards into view once more. The BAAs celebrate
all that's fab and funny and forward-thinking about the
British
animation industry, and they cover the whole spectrum
of our favourite medium, from films and specials to tvtoons
to
commercials to music videos and even new student talent.
The organisers also take the time to incorporate public
viewings
and votes into proceedings - it really is a most inclusive
event.
This year's prizes will be dished out at the British
Film Institute
in central London, on Thursday April 8th. And you
can view the
finalists in a series of special screenings there from
March
1st to 14th.
As for all those nominees, well, The Hound learned a long
time
ago not to guess who may or may not win. And - hey - it's
not
his place to show any favouritism, is it? But what he
can say is
that the BAAs have probably the best awards around town.
That's
because each winner receives a fab and unique piece of
artwork
created by a fellow animation highflyer, utilising sheep
in some
arty manner. That's because BAA sounds like the noise a sheep
makes. It's a lovely, silly idea, don't you think?
You can check out previous prizes in the BAA gallery,
on their web
site, plus look up earlier winners, and peruse their little
web store via which they sell a range of DVD anthologies,
featuring shorts and ads and promos of past winners.
Meanwhile, here are this year's nominees, and afterwards,
a selection of some of the shorts that have turned
up
on YouTube...
Best Animated Special
Varmints
dir: Marc Craste / prod: Sue Goffe / Studio A.K.A.
A Matter of Loaf and Death
dir: Nick Park / prod: Steve Pegram / Aardman Animations
Lost and Found
dir: Philip Hunt / prod: Sue Goffe / Studio A.K.A.
Best Pre school Series
Roary the Racing Car - "Cici Spectacular"
prod: Chapman Entertainment Ltd for Five
in association with Nickelodeon
My Favourite Bedtime Stories - "The Cat & the Rooster"
prod: Blue-Zoo Productions for Nick Jr.
Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom - "Big Bad Barry"
prod: Astley Baker Davies/E1 Kids for Nick Jr.
Best Children’s Series
KNTV Sex - "The Act of Sex"
dir: Garry J Marshall / prod: Harry Bell / Tern
Television
Productions Ltd. for Channel 4
Shaun the Sheep - "Ewe’ve Been Framed"
dir: Richard Webber / series dir: Chris Sadler
prod: Gareth Owen / Aardman Animations for BBC
& WDR
Stitch Up Showdown - "Bad Boxing"
dir: Oli Hyatt, Adam Shaw / prod: Adam Shaw
animation: Blue Zoo Productions / Blue Zoo
Productions
for Nickelodeon
Children’s Choice
Roary the Racing Car
Shaun the Sheep
A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best European Animated Feature
LASCARS (Round da Way)
The Secret of Kells
Panique au village (A Town Called Panic)
Best Short Film
The Black Dog’s Progress
dir: Stephen Irwin / produced for Animate Projects
Tad’s
Nest
dir: Petra Freeman / produced for Animate Projects
TXT
ISLAND
dir: Chris Gavin
Best Sound
The Black Dog’s Progress
dir: Stephen Irwin / produced for Animate Projects
Yellow Belly End
composer: Stuart Earl / sound design: Zhe
Wu
dir: Philip Bacon / produced at The NFTS
Tad’s Nest
music: Sofia Gubaidulina / sound design:
Pete Howell
dir: Petra Freeman / produced for Animate
Projects
Best Film/TV Graphics
Animal Planet
dir: Howard Watkins / prod: Kenny Reid /
The Discovery
Channel/Lipsync Post
Holland Animation Film Festival Title Sequence - "Robin"
dir: Lee Wilson Wolfe, Pete Bishop / prod: Pete
Bishop / The Shop
Five Creative Burst - "Love Story"
dir: The Plant / prod: Jonathan Bairstow / animation:
The Plant/ Sherbet
Best Student Film
Heartstrings
dir: Rhiannon Evans / produced at the International
Film
School of Wales
Yellow Belly End
dir: Philip Bacon / produced at The NFTS
Wolves
dir: Rafael Sommerhalder / prod: Animation
Staff,
Royal College of Art / produced at the Royal
College of Art .
New Media: Best Commissioned Animation
Harmonix - "The Beatles Rock Band Intro"
dir: Pete Candeland / prod: Pete Maguire, Debbie
Crosscup / Passion Pictures
Converse -"Pool"
dir: George Gendi / prod: Jonathan Bairstow
animation: George Gendi & Bishoy Gendi /
Sherbet
DJ Hero
dir: Marco Puig / prod: Sarah Hiddlestone,
Simon Whalley,
Mike Woods & Diarmid Scrimshaw / sound: Pepper
Post / Framestore in
association with Warp Films
Best Music Video
Tom Fun Orchestra - "Bottom of the River"
dir: Alasdair + Jock / prod: Richard
Barnett / Trunk Animation
for Company House Records
Animal Kingdom - "Chalk Stars"
dir: Thomas Hicks / animation: Thomas Hicks
& Paddy Molloy
an independent production for Warp Records