1950s

Smallfilms Established

The company Smallfilms is established in a cowshed by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate. Their first series of cut-out animation for children ‘Ivor the Engine’ is produced. They go on to make other successful series such as ‘Pogle’s Wood’ and ‘Noggin the Nog’.

1959

Wallace and GRommit Creator Born

1958 – Nicholas Wulstan Park is born in Preston Lancashire. He would later go onto be the creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

1958

TVC London Formed

The production company TVC London is established by John Coates. TVC made films such as ‘Wind in the Willows’ and Famous Fred’. Between 1957 and 1997 TVC made over 1500 commercials, 70 documentaries and 80 entertainment films.

1957

BATFA Winning Animation

‘Pan-tele-tron’ a promotional film for the tech company Phillips directed by Digby Turpin wins a BAFTA for Best Animated Film.

1957

McLaren wins Short Film Palme d’Or award

Norman McLaren’s animated film ‘Blinkity Blank’ wins the Cannes Festivals Short Film Palme d’Or award.

1955

Boom in Animated Advertisments

The first independent broadcast channel ITV is launched prompting a rapid growth of animation commercials.

1955

The First British Animated Feature Film - Animal Farm

Halas and Batchelor release their adult animation feature-length film of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’.

1954

Norman McLaren wins Oscar

Stirling born Norman McLaren wins an Oscar for ‘Neighbours’ (1952) a film using the animation technique ‘pixilation’ where the human body and objects are moved slightly, one frame at a time.

1953

Europe's First Stereoscopic Animation

Halas and Batchelor produce the first European stereoscopic ‘3D’ film ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’

1952

Animated Series based on the British Isles

G-B Animation – the short-lived British studio founded by Disney animator David Hand – brought us Musical Paintbox, a series of ten shorts that lasted from 1948 to 1950.Each short in the series focuses on a British or Irish locale, showcasing folksongs, legends (often with comical twists) and other bits of local flavour.

1950