Roy Naisbitt - intermission

Before getting onto part 2 of my post on Roy, a quick intermission about the Bradford Animation Festival from which I've just returned.

The National Media Museum, home of the Bradford Animation Festival.

We had a terrific two hour slot within the festival, framed around Fraser MacLean's new book 'Setting the Scene'. Fraser gave a passionate talk about the importance of the animation layout process, and it's history, before introducing Scott Caple onto the stage. Scott took us through a selection of his intricate layout and design drawings for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Incredibles, before I went up on stage with Roy to briefly talk through his layout work on The Last Belle. Then we rounded it all off with a screening of the film.

We had a fantastically enthusiastic audience, and many came up afterwards to chat, and ask questions of Scott and Roy, while Fraser signed copies of his book.  Thanks to everyone who came to talk with us, and to Deb Singleton and all her super-efficient festival staff. It's always energising to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about the craft of animation, and of film in general.

Scott, Fraser and Roy

It was great too to see that the festival hosted a screening of the works of animation director Geoff Dunbar, and awarded him a well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. I had the pleasure of working with Geoff a few years back on the animated short 'Tuesday', for which Geoff directed and Paul McCartney produced and scored. Geoff's a brilliantly talented guy, and he has the funniest stories I've ever heard about the London animation scene between the 1970s to the present day... many of which are unrepeatable. Top man.

Geoff Dunbar... homeward bound.