Company Research number 6

The Smallfilms Treasury

Smallfilms made animated childrems television programmes, from 1959-1980s. Olvier Pastgate, a writer, animator and narrator, partnered up with Peter Firmin, a model-maker and illustrator, to make several very popular stop-motion animation short films. This included, ‘Noggin the Nog’, ‘Ivor the Engin’, ‘The Pogles’, ‘Pingwings’, ‘The Dragons’ Friendly Socirty’,  and my favourite ‘The Clangers’, which they now have remade in 2014. I’m not a fan of the new Clangers as it does not feel the same or have that nostalgic feel to it.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there were two overgrown boys called Oliver and Peter.

And Peter lived on a farm.

It was a rather unusual farm because it didn't grow any crops and there were no sheep or cows, but it was the home of Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog, the Clangers and of course Bagpuss.

And there they made the most beautiful, the most brilliant, funny old Small Films in the whole wide world or so we like to think.

 

I was inspired the way they worked and what amazing ideas they had. I will never forget sitting down and watching all of the programmes that smallfilms has made. This is why I want to become an animator and puppet maker, to be back the old fashioned animation and keep them the way there were made in the start.