BACKGROUND INFORMATION
For many years I have collected books by various
illustrators. In fact I have over 80 by one illustrator whom I consider to
have had a huge influence on a generation of artists and especially
animators. His name is Ronald Searle. Many of the great artists at
Disney were fans of his work and this trickled through into some of their
drawings and films. Ken Anderson's (Veteran Art Director at Disney)
wonderfully loose style owes a lot to Searle. Master Animator Milt Kahl's
character designs often have a touch of Searle in them. In fact a veteran
Disney artist once told me first hand that when Searle visited the Disney
Studios he saw a sketch of a horse on a wall. He casually looked up and
remarked at the artist, "My Horse" and continued to walk out.
So I was not alone in this obsession with this
great artist. I wanted to see however a film that truly represented his style.
There were a number of beautifully animated films such as "101 Dalmatians"
and "Aristocats" that should a strong influence, but there were not
his exact style.
There were some attempts such as Bill Melendez's
"Dick Deadeye" but somehow it wasn't satisfactory.
Part of the problem was capturing this loose ink
line effect that so clearly defines his "style". To try and do it in
traditional animation was incredibly painstaking as in animation, thousands of
drawings are required as opposed to one illustration.
A few years ago I storyboarded and shot a short
piece based on a book that he had illustrated, "The Journal of
Edwin Carp". As I had only loosely based my film on it and at
this time did not know who had the rights I gave it the working title of
"The Diary of Frederick Von Throbbit". After this I became busy
again and knowing how difficult it would be to do traditionally it sat on my
shelf.
Then a few years later a number of things happened
to help bring this to fruition. The explosion of the internet and the
development of a computer program called FLASH by Macromedia. As soon as I had
picked up this tool, then I new that I had at last found a way to may this
film, not only creatively how I wanted but also economically. I could see
immediately from the drawing tool that I could capture his line and animate it
effortlessly in space.
Whilst learning this program, I simultaneously
tested the rough version on www.ifilm.com Not only
did it get a great response, it also got the attention of another hero of
mine, Leonard Maltin.
When I was ten my mum gave me a book called
"The Disney Films" by Leonard Maltin. I would pour
over this book never imagining that one day I would become an Animator or Lead
Animator at Disney.
(At the age of 31 I achieved this milestone only
to be hungry for more.)
Well, years later I am attending an interview of
Richard Williams by Leonard Maltin in the Los Angeles Film School. Later they
screen "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", the first film I had ever worked
on, however I had seen it hundreds of times and decided to duck out early. As
I was strolling to my car I became aware of a figure in front of me. I
realized that it was in fact Leonard Maltin. I approached him and told him
about how I got his book when I was younger and how much it meant to me and he
was delighted. I also informed him of my short film on film and he checked it
out and put up a great review for which I am eternally thankful.
Whilst working on the film I e-mailed the authors
of "The Flash 4 Bible", Jon Warren Lentz, Rob Reinhardt
and the technical Editor Bill Turner. This was another
fortunate move. I have since contributed to "The Flash 5 Bible" in
which "The Journal of Edwin Carp " will be featured and co-authoring
another Flash book with Bill Turner and James Robertson. It
now seems as if the film has gathered legs of it's own.
THE AUTHOR
The book was written by Richard
Haydn, an actor by profession. The book "The Journal of
Edwin Carp" was published in the UK by Hamish Hamilton in 1954
and in the US by Simon and Schuster in 1954.
Richard Haydn began his performing career on the
London Stage, but it was as eccentric characters such as "Professor
Oddly" in the 1941 film Ball of Fire that he made his
name. Often his characters were so oddball that it was hard to visualize
that Haydn was acting--but acting he was, although he had a reputation
for eccentricity even in real-life. He was a favorite on radio shows
such as Burns and Allen--with characters like "Edwin
Carp," erstwhile fish expert. In the late 1940s he tried
his hand at directing with films Dear Wife and Miss
Tatlock's Millions and Mr. Music. Not all his film roles
were comic, most notably his role as schoolteacher "Jason Ried" in The
Green Years. His final appearance was as "Herr Falkstaff"
nine the open of Mel Brook's film Young
Frankenstein. He passed away in 1985 in the Pacific Palisades.
For other details of which films Richard Haydn appeared
in look at the following links
THE ILLUSTRATOR
Ronald Searle is one of the most
prolific artists of the century. He has illustrated over a hundred
books. His work has also appeared in Punch, Life, Look, New Yorker,
Vogue and many other major magazines around the world.
Caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator, designer and
publisher. Ronald Searle was born in Cambridge on the
3rd March 1920, the son of a railway man, and educated at Boy's
Central School, Cambridge. He started work as a solicitor's clerk,
then joined the hire purchase department of the co-op, studying in the
evenings and later full time at Cambridge Technical College and
School of Art (1935-9) where contemporaries included Joan Brock,
daughter of H.M. Brock. His first cartoons, published in Cambridge
Daily News, October 1935-9 (where his predecessor was Sidney Moon)
and Granta (1936-9), were signed R.W.F. Searle. During World War
II he served with 287 Field Co, Royal Engineers from 1939, contributing
to Daily Express (1939), Discovery, London Opinion (1940), and
Lilliput (1941), until captured by the Japanese at the Fall of
Singapore and from 1942 was a prisoner of war in Siam and Malaya.
Returning to England, he began work for Illustrated,
Strand Magazine, John Bull, Daily Herald, Pie, Tatler, Radio Times, The
Studio and Lilliput. He was cartoonist on Tribune (1949-51),
Sunday Express (1950-51), Special Features artist on News
Chronicle (1951-3) and cartoonist for the same paper (1954), and
cartoonist and theatre artist for Punch (1949-62), succeeding Stampa. His
extensive advertising has included Lemon Hart Rum, American Express,
Cadbury's and others.
In addition he has designed medals for the French
Mint (from 1974) and the British Art Medal Society (from 1983) and been
a designer and drawn animation sequences for a number of films including
John Gilpin (1951), On The Twelfth Day (1954) - Which was
nominated for an Academy Award - Energetically Yours (1957), Those
Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965), Monte Carlo or Bust
(1969), Scrooge (1970) and Dick Deadeye (1975).
Founder of the Perpetua Press he has received many
international awards for his work, including National Cartoonists'
Society of America Awards (1959, 60 and 66).
Particularly memorable characters created by Searle
include the devilish schoolgirls of St. Trinian's (featured in three
films) and Nigel Molesworth in the books written by Geoffrey Willans.
Left handed, he works in a variety of media, but
mostly pen and ink with wash, gouache or watercolor. He sketches in
fountain pen but uses dip pen for final artwork. For many years he used wood stain
instead of ink (Stephens Liquid Stains: Ebony) but has since worked with
Super Yang-tse Encre de Chine.
THE ACTOR
Hugh Laurie, who is supplying the
voice for the film is a top British actor. Hugh was born in Oxford,
England on June 11, 1959. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. Son of
an Olympic gold medallist in the sport, he rowed for the England youth
team (1977) and for Cambridge (1980). He met Emma Thompson at Cambridge
in 1978 when both joined Footlights, and was introduced to Stephen Fry
by Emma in 1980. Hugh is married and lives in London with his wife and
three children. Besides acting and comedy, he has written the
best-selling thriller The Gun Seller, is working on a screenplay for the
film version, and has a second novel being published in 2000.
FILM CRITIC AND HISTORIAN
Leonard Maltin
At the tender age of fifteen, Maltin embarked on his
life's work by founding and editing Film Fan Monthly . In
addition to writing numerous books on cinema, he has since 1969 annually
published an updated guide to movies and videos. Since 1982 he has been
critic-in-residence on the TV program Entertainment Tonight.
Maltin has also created TV and video specials about entertainment
FILM CONSULTANT
Victor Haboush - Haboush has won
numerous awards, including, Cannes Golds and Silver Lions, Clios and
IBAs. His commercials often combined both dialogue and animation with live
action, although Haboush has worked in almost every commercial genre his
extensive commercial credits include the Kibbles N' Bits "The
Hook" campaign, numerous commercials featuring Ronald McDonald for
McDonald's, the Taco Bell "Crashing Bell" series, the Hefty
Bag series starring Jonathan Winters, and the Schlitz Malt Liquor
"Bull" campaign.
Haboush began his career as an art director
at Walt Disney, after studying at the Art Center College of Design in
Pasadena. At Disney, he received screen credit for his work on such
animated classics as "Sleeping Beauty," "The Lady and the
Tramp," and "101 Dalmations" as well as the Academy
Award-winning short film, "Toot Whistle, Plunk and Boom".After
that, he became head art director at UPA, where he worked on the
animated feature "Gay Puree." While at UPA, he also worked for
Hanna-Barbera Productions on "The Flintstones" and "The
Jetsons". He then formed Spungbuggy Works with writer John Dunn,
where he made the switch to live-action from animated films.
SCREENING
This film will not be screened on the web for
sometime. It will first have a theatrical release and will therefore be
entered into the Animated Shorts Category at the "Oscars".
Once it has done the Festival circuit it will then be free to be
screened on television and will ultimately be available on video through
the web-site Bazley Films
REVIEWS
As well as the positive review given by Leonard
Maltin, the film has received a number of other favorable comments.
Ronald Searle saw the original storyboard
and commented on how the rough sketches captured his characters very
well. Here are some other quotes.
Amusing and innovative. I look
forward to more films from Richard
Louise Levison- Author Filmmakers
and Financing (Business Plans for Independents published by Focal Press)
I worked at Disney many years
ago and worked in layout on 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, Toot
whistle Plunk and Boom and Sleeping Beauty in which I
designed the thorn forest. I think that your film is a terrific short
subject and is very well told. The graphics are very original and well
done.
Victor Haboush-Owner of Haboush
Studios and veteran Disney artist.
With a
drawing style reminiscent of Edward Gorey and subtle slapstick
recalling P.G.Woodhouse's Jeeves and Wooster, Richard Bazley, one of the
chief animators on The Iron Giant, is storyboarding a gem that
aches for the big screen.
Gord Wilson-Writer for Animato!
magazine.
This is a charming story told
with gentle whimsy and broad slapstick. I itch to see this project fully
animated so that Mr. Bazley's well-known sense of comic timing can be
fully realized.
Duncan Marjoribanks-Lead animator on
Sebastian the crab in The Little Mermaid.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION/EDWIN CARP
Although Edwin is a rather pompous character,
he is nevertheless likeable. He is pompous but not obnoxious. His dislike
of Harrison, his intended's child is reciprocal. They are both very
stubborn, therefore they are always at odds.
Edwin has the ability to turn the most
simple tasks into disaster, in much the same way as Michael Crawford's
character Frank Spencer in the BBC Classic "Some Mother's Do 'Ave
'Em ".
He will always chose the hard way
In the first short we are very briefly
introduced to Harrison. However this film concentrates on Edwin as we
get to know his character. In subsequent shorts we will see more of
Harrison and the tension between the two. Ultimately they develop a
tolerance of each other and by the last short they "dare we say"
become friends.
Edwin also has a very personal view on
things, which he believes to be right. When he isn't right, he doesn't
realize, as seen in his commentary in this first short "The Journal
of Edwin Carp", he just doesn't get it! We are all guilty of this and that
is part of his appeal.
His dry and very understated narration
highlights the absurdity of the goings on around him.
Poor Mr. Carp-put upon by everyone, from his
dear Mother, with her deaf-aid, to the formidable Maude (now in the ninth
year of their betrothal) and little Harrison, the malevolent result of her
previous and otherwise childless marriage. Industrious as a bee,
determined to live with dignity, eager to please, and never, whatever his
predicament, betraying a glimmer of humor, he is a creation of English
dead-pan comedy.
THE FILMMAKERS/PRODUCERS
Ray Bengston -Actor/Filmmaker/Photographer/Videographer
Ray Bengston has been in show business for over 30
years, producing, directing, acting, singing, dancing, and choreographing.
Starting as a live show performer working with Merv Griffin, Frank
Sinatra, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Juliet Prowse, Sammy Davis, Buddy
Ebsen, Kenny Rogers, and others, he has moved into a successful commercial
acting and photography/videography career. His clients include API, UPI,
Lovinger/Cohn, Complete Post, Ackerman/Benson, Disney Channel, Sierra West
Productions, Cornerstone Animation, Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, Air West
Airlines, IFX Productions, Warner Brothers, Equity, AFRTA, and Screen
Actors Guild (for over 12 years.). He has produced/directed/shot/and
edited behind-the-scenes videos for Kraft, Mazda, Taco Bell and Kellogg's,
and the Wheel of Fortune.
Ray is co-owner of the award-winning Divisek Casting
and Associates. Some of their clients include, the Cohen Brothers,
Y&R, J Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Inc., Paul Cade, Traktor
Films, Gray Advertising, Footcone and Belding, Uniworld Group, and Leo
Burnett.He is a noted seminar leader in improv, and has taught at Warner
Brothers and Disney Feature Animation and Dream quest Images. Ray's also developed
and teaches several commercial acting workshops for adults and children.
He's also producing animation on his beloved Macs for major clients.
Richard Bazley-
Producer/Director/Supervising Animator
Having
shown an interest in Animation from a very early age Richard went on to
achieve his childhood ambition to work at Disney, not only as an Animator
but as a Lead Animator on Disney's "Hercules" (Amphitryon and Alcmene)
working with The famed British Political Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe on some of
the designs. He got his first job in animation on the Disney Blockbuster
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and got to work with Oscar Winner
Animation Director Richard Williams, the artist whose work originally
inspired him to get into the business. For the past decade he has worked as
a Supervising Animator at three of the Major Animation Studios, Sullivan
Bluth Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Warner Bros. He is most
well in the industry for his work on the critically acclaimed "The Iron
Giant" supervising three of it's sequences. It was a project that he
had a deep personal interest in as he had pitched his version of the same
property over nine years ago to Don Bluth. He has also contributed to Pocahontas
(John Smith) and many more classic animated films.
Most recently Bazley animated and supervised in CGI (3D Computer
animation) on a character called Drix voiced by David
Hyde-Pierce on the all-action animated film "Osmosis
Jones".
He also has a broad knowledgeable grounding
in the arts having received a BA(hons) in Graphic Design. Early in his
career he was an Art Director for two of the top Advertising Agencies in
London and created many ads for Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic
including press and radio. His other advertising work has appeared in
all the Major British Newspapers as well as the more glossy magazines
such as "Vogue" and "Tatler".
Online you can find many interviews about
his work on films as well as in articles in the British Papers "The
Sunday Express" and "The Express and Echo". His radio
Interviews include KFM (The River) in St.Louis Missouri USA in which he
talked about "The Iron Giant".
He has developed a number of projects and has developed two with Howard
Kazanjian (Producer Raider's of the Lost Ark and The
Return of the Jedi).
"The Journal of Edwin Carp" is
his Directorial debut. It presents some
interesting challenges. The commentary throughout is extremely dry and
understated. It is the interest of Bazley to retain the flavor of the
book, but with the added dynamics of animation add humor and absurdity to
the visuals, increasing the comic effect.
The film will also be featured in "The
Flash5Bible" in which he is a contributor, the main authors are Jon
Warren Lentz and Rob Reinhardt. He is also co-author on a book
with the working title of Cartoons and Games with
Bill Turner and James
Robertson, to be published by Coriolis. This
book will also feature "The Journal of Edwin Carp".
You can read about the filmmaker at the following links
Press information and details about the film can be
found at the following links.
DIGIT
MAGAZINE
VISUAL MAGIC
FAQ- HUGH LAURIE
WILDCOAST
IMDB
FILMCENTRE
I would like to extend a big thank you to
Bill Turner at www.turnertoons.com
for assisting in getting this site up.
