Smallfilms
Encyclopedia
Smallfilms was a British company that made animated
television programmes for children, from 1959 to the 1980s. It was a partnership between Oliver Postgate
(writer and narrator) and Peter Firmin
(modelmaker and animator). Several very popular series of short films were made using stop-motion animation, including The Clangers
, Noggin the Nog
, and Ivor the Engine
. Another Smallfilms production, Bagpuss
, came top of a BBC poll to find the favourite children's programme.
, which then held the commercial television franchise for London
. Attached to the children's programming section, he thought he could do better with the relatively low budgets of the then black and white television productions.
Postgate wrote Alexander the Mouse, a story about a mouse
born to be king
. Using an Irish-produced magnetic system – on which animated characters were attached to a painted background, and then photographed through a 45 degree mirror – he persuaded Peter Firmin
, who was then teaching at the Central School of Art, to create the background scenes. Postgate later recalled they undertook around 26 of these programs live-to-air, which were made harder by the production problems encountered by the use and restrictions of using magnets.
After the relative success of Alexander the Mouse, Postgate agreed a deal to make the next series on film, for a budget of £175 per programme. Making a stop motion
animation table in his bedroom, he wrote the Chinese story The Journey of Master Ho. This was intended for deaf children, a distinct advantage in that the production required no soundtrack
which reduced the production costs. He engaged a painter to produce the backgrounds, but as the painter was classical Chinese-trained he produced them in three-quarters view
, rather than in the conventional Egyptian full-view manner used for flat animation under a camera. This resulted in the Firmin-produced characters looking like they were short in one leg, but the success of the production provided the foundation for Postgate and Firmin to start up their own company solely producing animated children's programmes.
near Canterbury
, Kent
, Postgate and Firmin worked on children's animation
programmes. Based on concepts which mostly originated with Postgate, Firmin did the artwork and built the models, while Postgate wrote the scripts, did the stop motion
filming and many of the voices. Smallfilms was resultantly able to produce two minutes of film per day, ten times as much as a conventional animation studio, with Postgate moving the cardboard pieces himself, and working his 16mm camera frame-by-frame with a home-made clicker. As Postgate wholly voiced many of the productions, including the WereBear
story tapes, his distinctive voice became familiar to generations of children.
They started in 1959 with Ivor the Engine
, a series for ITV about a Welsh
steam locomotive
who wanted to sing in a choir. Based on Postgate's wartime encounter with Welshman Denzyl Ellis, who used to be the fireman on the Royal Scot, it was remade in colour for the BBC in the 1970s. This was followed by Noggin the Nog
for the BBC, which established Smallfilms as a safe and reliable pair of hands to produce children's entertainment, when there were only two UK television channels.
After Postgate's death in December 2008 Smallfilms was inherited by his son Daniel Postgate. Also, Universal took the distribution rights to the works of Smallfilms.
Postgate had strict views on storyline development, which perhaps resultantly restricted the length of each particular series development. When asked if the "Clangers" adventures were quite surreal sometimes, Postgate replied:
The Smallfilms system was reliant on the company's only two employees – Postgate and Firmin – and was devoid of the modern considerations and essentials, as Postgate pointed out: "excused the interference of educationalists, sociologists and other pseudo-scientists, which produces eventually a confection of formulae which have no integrity. No, the mainspring of what we did was because it was fun."
Recognising their commissioning audience, Smallfilms purposefully developed storylines which had both a children's level, and a secondary adult engagement. While the storylines and production were remembered by children, the adult jokes like those about the Welsh in "Ivor the Engine," or the fact that the Clangers swore occasionally; gave them both an instant parent engagement as well as a later revival with children who had grown up and were re-watching their favourite programmes.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television programmes for children, from 1959 to the 1980s. It was a partnership between Oliver Postgate
Oliver Postgate
Oliver Postgate was an English animator, puppeteer and writer.He was the creator and writer of some of Britain's most popular children's television programmes...
(writer and narrator) and Peter Firmin
Peter Firmin
Peter Arthur Firmin is an English artist and animator. He was the founder of Smallfilms, along with Oliver Postgate. Between them they created a number of popular children's TV programmes, The Saga of Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Clangers, Bagpuss and Pogles' Wood.-Early life:He trained at...
(modelmaker and animator). Several very popular series of short films were made using stop-motion animation, including The Clangers
Clangers
Clangers is a popular British stop-motion animated children's television series of short stories about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and in, a small blue planet . They speak in whistles, and eat green soup supplied by the Soup Dragon...
, Noggin the Nog
Noggin the Nog
Noggin the Nog is a popular British children's character appearing in his own TV series and series of illustrated books, the brainchild of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. The TV series is considered a 'cult classic' from the golden age of British children's television...
, and Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway...
. Another Smallfilms production, Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Bagpuss is a 1974 UK children's television series, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The title character is "an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams"...
, came top of a BBC poll to find the favourite children's programme.
Background
In 1957 Postgate was appointed a stage manager with Associated-RediffusionAssociated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
, which then held the commercial television franchise for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Attached to the children's programming section, he thought he could do better with the relatively low budgets of the then black and white television productions.
Postgate wrote Alexander the Mouse, a story about a mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
born to be king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
. Using an Irish-produced magnetic system – on which animated characters were attached to a painted background, and then photographed through a 45 degree mirror – he persuaded Peter Firmin
Peter Firmin
Peter Arthur Firmin is an English artist and animator. He was the founder of Smallfilms, along with Oliver Postgate. Between them they created a number of popular children's TV programmes, The Saga of Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Clangers, Bagpuss and Pogles' Wood.-Early life:He trained at...
, who was then teaching at the Central School of Art, to create the background scenes. Postgate later recalled they undertook around 26 of these programs live-to-air, which were made harder by the production problems encountered by the use and restrictions of using magnets.
After the relative success of Alexander the Mouse, Postgate agreed a deal to make the next series on film, for a budget of £175 per programme. Making a stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation table in his bedroom, he wrote the Chinese story The Journey of Master Ho. This was intended for deaf children, a distinct advantage in that the production required no soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
which reduced the production costs. He engaged a painter to produce the backgrounds, but as the painter was classical Chinese-trained he produced them in three-quarters view
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
, rather than in the conventional Egyptian full-view manner used for flat animation under a camera. This resulted in the Firmin-produced characters looking like they were short in one leg, but the success of the production provided the foundation for Postgate and Firmin to start up their own company solely producing animated children's programmes.
History
Setting up their business in a disused cowshed at Firmin's home in BleanBlean
Blean is located in the Canterbury district of Kent, England. It is the name of the civil parish as well as the village within it: the latter is scattered along the road between Canterbury and Whitstable, in the middle of what was once the extensive Forest of Blean.The village name of Blean is...
near Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Postgate and Firmin worked on children's animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
programmes. Based on concepts which mostly originated with Postgate, Firmin did the artwork and built the models, while Postgate wrote the scripts, did the stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
filming and many of the voices. Smallfilms was resultantly able to produce two minutes of film per day, ten times as much as a conventional animation studio, with Postgate moving the cardboard pieces himself, and working his 16mm camera frame-by-frame with a home-made clicker. As Postgate wholly voiced many of the productions, including the WereBear
WereBear
The WereBears were a series of teddy bears released in 1983 in the United Kingdom. They were created by a man named George Nicholas, a famous children's author, so that boys could have teddy bears without worrying about being bullied.-History:...
story tapes, his distinctive voice became familiar to generations of children.
They started in 1959 with Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway...
, a series for ITV about a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
who wanted to sing in a choir. Based on Postgate's wartime encounter with Welshman Denzyl Ellis, who used to be the fireman on the Royal Scot, it was remade in colour for the BBC in the 1970s. This was followed by Noggin the Nog
Noggin the Nog
Noggin the Nog is a popular British children's character appearing in his own TV series and series of illustrated books, the brainchild of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. The TV series is considered a 'cult classic' from the golden age of British children's television...
for the BBC, which established Smallfilms as a safe and reliable pair of hands to produce children's entertainment, when there were only two UK television channels.
After Postgate's death in December 2008 Smallfilms was inherited by his son Daniel Postgate. Also, Universal took the distribution rights to the works of Smallfilms.
Choice of name
The name "Smallfilms" is appropriate in a number of ways:- The company was small;
- The company made short films;
- Its films were intended for small people, ie., children.
Series development and philosophy
Postgate and Firmin recognised that their product was not to be sold to or bought by children, but by the commissioning television executives. Postgate described in a later interview the then "gentlemanly and rather innocent" business of programme commissioning thus:Postgate had strict views on storyline development, which perhaps resultantly restricted the length of each particular series development. When asked if the "Clangers" adventures were quite surreal sometimes, Postgate replied:
The Smallfilms system was reliant on the company's only two employees – Postgate and Firmin – and was devoid of the modern considerations and essentials, as Postgate pointed out: "excused the interference of educationalists, sociologists and other pseudo-scientists, which produces eventually a confection of formulae which have no integrity. No, the mainspring of what we did was because it was fun."
Recognising their commissioning audience, Smallfilms purposefully developed storylines which had both a children's level, and a secondary adult engagement. While the storylines and production were remembered by children, the adult jokes like those about the Welsh in "Ivor the Engine," or the fact that the Clangers swore occasionally; gave them both an instant parent engagement as well as a later revival with children who had grown up and were re-watching their favourite programmes.
Coolbai
In October 2008, production company Coolbai acquired the merchandising and distribution rights until 2013 to a number of the Smallfilms productions. Coolbai planned to introduce Bagpuss to a new generation; the company said there was "significant potential to build on the affection in which this classic brand is held".Productions
- Alexander The Mouse (1958)
- The Journey Of Master Ho (1958)
- Ivor the EngineIvor the EngineIvor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway...
- (1959–1963, black and white for ITV; remade in colour in 1975-77 for the BBC) - Noggin the NogNoggin the NogNoggin the Nog is a popular British children's character appearing in his own TV series and series of illustrated books, the brainchild of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. The TV series is considered a 'cult classic' from the golden age of British children's television...
(1959-1965 remade in colour in 1970 and 1982 also for the BBC) - PingwingsPingwingsPingwings was an animated black-and-white children's television series of 18 ten-minute episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV in 1961. It first aired on Southern Television. Created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin of Smallfilms, it starred a family of penguin-like creatures who lived at the back...
(1961–1964) - Pogles' WoodPogles' WoodPogles' Wood was an animated British Children's television series produced by Smallfilms between 1966 and 1967 and screened by the BBC between 1966 and 1968 as part of the Watch with Mother series. The Pogles were tiny country folk who lived in a tree...
(1966–67) - ClangersClangersClangers is a popular British stop-motion animated children's television series of short stories about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and in, a small blue planet . They speak in whistles, and eat green soup supplied by the Soup Dragon...
(1969–1972) - BagpussBagpussBagpuss is a 1974 UK children's television series, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The title character is "an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams"...
(1974) - Clangers election special: Vote For Froglet (1974)
- What-A-MessWhat-a-MessWhat-a-Mess is a series of children's books written by British comedy writer Frank Muir and illustrated by Joseph Wright. It was later made into an animated series in the UK in 1990 and again in 1995 by DiC Entertainment and aired on ABC in the United States...
(1980) - Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House (1984)
- Pinny's House (1985)
External links
- The Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
entry for Smallfilms - The Smallfilms Treasury
- Smallfilms filmography
- The Dragons' Friendly Society – further information about Smallfilms productions