Production - Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance - page 254

him). He was one of my favourite characters, and I never tired of him. He was tiring but never
boring. Toad was remarkably complex, and after a while I realised that his still moments were
just as ef ective as his more manic moments, of which there were many. In the topic, Toad is not
the main character … the topic is Mole's journey, but it's hard for Toad not to be the energy, the
catalyst, the driving force, the drama and the enthusiasm of the piece. He is carefully balanced
with the other three main characters, Badger, Mole and Ratty. They are the four humours, the
four elements, and if one takes too big a share, the others suf er. It was easy for Toad to upstage
by sheer presence, and many times he did, but I hope we managed to give him a balance of
hyperactivity and moody stillness. His mood swings, almost bipolar, were great fun to play, and
he was a superb puppet.
The Wind in the Willows
With my involvement in the Thames TV/Cosgrove Hall i lms of The Wind in the Willows it's hard
to be objective about their inl uence, but many people are animating now as a result of these
programmes. So indulge me further by letting me talk about something I'm very proud to have
been involved with. I wonder why it had such an impact. The story is a brilliant piece of writing,
with characters that are instantly likeable. At its heart are various aspects of loyal friendships,
existing in an environment that is threatened, like a childhood fading. Both, for many, have
gone. It is a satisfying combination of sunshine and shadow, and although it all seems an
innocent tale of animals having adventures, something very sad and melancholy is going on
underneath, even more so in the context of Kenneth Grahame's tragic life. It's Toad's excitement
and enthusiasm for the newfangled that inadvertently push the old ways further away. In terms
of animation, the series represents an era of television that seems to have passed. For a teatime
animation series, there's seldom been such a consistently high set of production values or such
a lovingly crafted series. With a cast of A-list voices, and sets, props and costumes overl owing
with meticulous detail, the series set a standard higher than most children's programmes at the
time. That, maybe, was its appeal: it wasn't just for children. There were great, literate scripts,
and told with warmth and pacing that may today be seem languid. Perhaps audiences have
responded to the brilliant puppets, and animation that was about performing and not just
wobbling the characters. Maybe it was the detail in all aspects of the production, the sheer
lushness and richness of everything that have stayed with people. All in all, it was a generously
hearted series, free of product placement or cynicism, made like miniature feature i lms.
I will admit that that some of the animation now looks rough, and a few decisions turned
out to be less successful: photographed painted backgrounds blown up looked exactly that
next to the real sets; mixing smaller versions of the puppets with larger ones does not work;
a few attempts at backprojection look a bit clunky; but it was quite a feast, and a real joy
to work on. The 16 mm looks a bit drab now, and the camera moves are basic. Some of the
ef ects are dei nitely not special, but six years in the company of Toad was dei nitely one of the
best friendships I have known. Shooting the series was not without dramas and
tensions, but the characters always kept us interested. I would be upset if a day's
shooting did not involve Toad. We were aware that these were special puppets,
enabling us to do some good performances. I planned days in advance how Toad
would behave or react. Oh, to have a chance to work with him again. A surprisingly
complex but loveable character, and his inherent physicality and enthusiasm were
a gift to any animator.