Paul Driessen (animator)
Encyclopedia
Paul Driessen is a Dutch
film director
, animator
and writer
. His short films have won more than fifty prizes all over the world, including the Life Achievement Awards at both Ottawa and Zagreb animation festivals, and an Academy Award nomination for "3 misses". His films: 3 Misses and 2D or Not 2D were included in the Animation Show of Shows
.
After studying graphic design and illustration at the Art Academy in Utrecht, Driessen began animating TV-commercials in Holland in the 1960, although he had no training in that art at all. When George Dunning
, in search for talent, found Driessen at the Cine Cartoon Centre in Hilversum, he hired him as an animator for his feature animation film Yellow Submarine (1968). He also helped Driessen to emigrate to Canada where he became a member of the National Film Board of Canada
in 1972.
Driessen's unique style can be easily recognised by the delicate quality of his ever-moving and wiggling lines, as well as by the fluid but awkward movements of his characters. His storytelling sometimes splits up the screen into three or even six different parts, with all actions nicely woven into each other.
In the 1980s Driessen taught animation at the University of Kassel, Germany, after Jan Lenica
. Two of his student's films, "Balance" by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein, and Quest (short film)
by Tyron Montgomery and Thomas Stellmach
, won Academy Awards.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. His short films have won more than fifty prizes all over the world, including the Life Achievement Awards at both Ottawa and Zagreb animation festivals, and an Academy Award nomination for "3 misses". His films: 3 Misses and 2D or Not 2D were included in the Animation Show of Shows
Animation show of shows
The Animation Show of Shows is a traveling selection of the year's best animated short films, curated and presented by Acme Filmworks founder, Ron Diamond. It began in 1998 with the aim of showing the most original, funny, intelligent short animated films from all over the world and presenting them...
.
After studying graphic design and illustration at the Art Academy in Utrecht, Driessen began animating TV-commercials in Holland in the 1960, although he had no training in that art at all. When George Dunning
George Dunning
George Garnett Dunning was a Canadian film maker and animator. He is best known for animating and directing the 1968 Beatles' film Yellow Submarine.-Biography:...
, in search for talent, found Driessen at the Cine Cartoon Centre in Hilversum, he hired him as an animator for his feature animation film Yellow Submarine (1968). He also helped Driessen to emigrate to Canada where he became a member of the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
in 1972.
Driessen's unique style can be easily recognised by the delicate quality of his ever-moving and wiggling lines, as well as by the fluid but awkward movements of his characters. His storytelling sometimes splits up the screen into three or even six different parts, with all actions nicely woven into each other.
In the 1980s Driessen taught animation at the University of Kassel, Germany, after Jan Lenica
Jan Lenica
Jan Lenica was a Polish graphic designer and cartoonist.A graduate of the Architecture Department of Warsaw Polytechnic, Lenica became a poster illustrator and a collaborator on the early animation films of Walerian Borowczyk. From 1963 - 1986 he lived and worked in France, while from 1987 he...
. Two of his student's films, "Balance" by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein, and Quest (short film)
Quest (short film)
Quest is a 1996 German animated short film directed by Tyron Montgomery, written and produced by Thomas Stellmach at the University of Kassel - Art College...
by Tyron Montgomery and Thomas Stellmach
Thomas Stellmach
Thomas Stellmach directed, animated and produced several independent films and received many international awards e.g...
, won Academy Awards.
Films
- "The Story of Little John Bailey" (1970)
- "Le Bleu perdu" (1972)
- "Air!" (1972)
- "Au bout du fil" ("Cat's Cradle") (1974)
- "An Old Box" ("Une vieille boîte") (1975)
- "David" (1977)
- "The Killing of an EggThe Killing of an EggThe Killing of an Egg is an animated short produced by Paul Driessen and Nico Crama in the Netherlands in 1977...
" ("Ei om Zeep") (1977) - "Ter land, ter zee en in de lucht" ("On Land, at Sea and in the Air") (1980)
- "Jeu de coudes" (Elbowing) (1980)
- "Het Treinhuisje" ("Home on the Rails") (1981)
- "Une histoire comme une autre" ("The Same Old Story") (1981)
- "La Belle et la boîte" ("Oh What a Knight") (1982)
- "Tip Top" (1984)
- "Het scheppen van een koe" ("Spotting a Cow") (1984)
- "Elephantrio" (1985)
- "Spiegel eiland" ("Sunny Side Up") (1985)
- "The Train Gang" (1986)
- "Getting There" (1986)
- "De Schrijver en de Dood" ("The Writer") (1988)
- "The Water People" (1992)
- "The End of the World in Four Seasons" ("La fin du monde en quatre saisons") (1995)
- "3 Misses" (1998)
- "The Boy Who Saw the Iceberg" ("Le garçon qui a vu l'iceberg") (2000)
- "2D or not 2D" (2003)
- "Oh What a Nico" (2004)