UK Budget 2012: Tax breaks for TV production
"A tax credit scheme for TV production and animation firms is to be introduced, in a bid to keep creative talent in Britain. Chancellor George Osborne announced the plans in Parliament as part of the new Budget for 2012. Mr Osborne said it was the government's 'determined policy' to keep Wallace and Gromit animators Aardman in Britain. Last month, Aardman bosses admitted they had been considering moving production abroad where it was cheaper. In reaction to the news, Aardman said the tax credit would be 'transformational for our industry'. 'We have seen a dramatic decline on UK television of home produced animation and we now have a shot a reversing that trend,' said Miles Bullough, head of broadcast and development. 'The credit will create thousands of UK jobs and our research shows that there will be a long term financial gain the for the UK.'"
(BBC Entertainment & Arts, 21 March 2012)
Fig.1 Mikey Please (2011), "The Eagleman Stag", Trailer for the BAFTA award winning short. Featuring the esteemed vocal talents of David Cann, with sound and score Benedict Please.
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Dot. miniature stop-motion animation character shot on a Nokia N8
"Professor Fletcher's invention of the CellScope, which is a Nokia device with a microscope attachment, was the inspiration for a teeny-tiny film created by Sumo Science at Aardman. It stars a 9mm girl called Dot as she struggles through a microscopic world. All the minuscule detail was shot using CellScope technology and a Nokia N8, with its 12 megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics."
(Nokia)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
'Vision On' Artist Tony Hart Dies
"'Vision On' ran for over ten years on BBC and made Tony an international star. Hosted by Pat Keysell, Vision On was the first programme to successfully bridge the gap between children with hearing and those with limited hearing. It broke new ground in entertainment programmes and used very little dialogue. It was a combination of quirky animation, art and performance with an emphasis on being creative.
Tony produced perhaps some of his most stunning artwork and Vision On inspired millions, many of whom went on to be artists or performers in their own right."
(Tony Hart)
[The claymation character 'Morph' débuted on Tony Hart's television programme 'Take Hart'. The character was created by the Peter Lord and David Sproxton who with Nick Park went on to set-up Aardman (creators of Wallace & Gromit).]
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
