SHAKESPEARE I N A N I M A T I O N

Transcription

1 SHAKESPEARE I N A N I M A T I O N

2 INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE Shakespeare s works are still wildly popular in the present day. His plays have been used for inspiration for other pieces for decades, including him appearing in Doctor Who, and Romeo and Juliet s storyline being the inspiration for many different films. His plays have even been translated into 75 different languages, including Klingon for Star Trek fans! Shakespeare was praised often praised for coining up to 3300 words and phrases, including swagger, fashionable and in a pickle. Digital technology has since dropped his number of invented words to It has even been speculated that Hamlet could have been the origin of Knock-Knock jokes. (1) Shakespeare currently holds 946 writing credits for television and film, making him the most prolific screenwriter in history. Shakespeare s plays have even been found to be more helpful for mindfulness than self-help books, as studies by scientists at the University of Liverpool have suggested. (2) The works of William Shakespeare have inspired creativity in all different fields for decades. His home in Stratford upon Haven has been well-maintained for the likes of tourists and protecting his memory, with his work being continued on and recreated in different ways, particularly in the form of animation.

3 HIS WORK Shakespeare is particularly well known for his extremely popular plays such as Romeo and Juliet, a Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Taming of the Shrew. Bob Godfrey has added a comedy effect to the characters through his illustrations but has not failed to ensure his characters are recognisable as the famous, beloved Shakespearean characters. Much of Shakespeare's literature has been used to inspire the art and the work of other creatives all of the world, provoking plot lines for films, sculpture, animation, illustration, fine art, other works of literature and much more!

4 HIS WORK And all of this was done while he was only in his 20s!

5 TUDOR COSTUME Shakespeare s works such as A Midsummer Night s Dream and Henry VII have lived on through animation works through particular features like costume and landscape. Animators have made every effort to preserve the realistic, Tudor-style design of clothing and costume in works based off Shakespeare s plays. There aren't actually many historic artifacts which can tell us what the fashion was like during the Tudor era, only a few drawings and portraits (but only of the higher class) to work from. (3) However, a distinguishingly Tudor dress has formed from directors who stage Shakespeare's plays, and that same iconic dress is displayed in Shakespeare Music Hall.

6 TUDOR COSTUME CONTINUED Bob Godfrey has carefully preserved the distinguishing Tudor costume through his intricate fashion illustration in Shakespeare Music Hall. The style of Elizabethan dress set aside all notion of simplicity or even fitting. People of that time wore clothes to such a ridiculous extreme, that it has since been made the subject of numerous satires. Tudor dress has been one of the most popular points of attack by writers of satire, imitating its bright colours, elaborate styles, and very over excessive padding. These are the most notable of Elizabethan dress, and Bob Godfrey has joined in with the popular delivery of satire with costume through his own work. (4)

7 TUDOR LANDSCAPE Artists have ensured that particular symbols of Tudor lifestyle are reflected in their work. Within the artwork for Shakespeare Music Hall, the distinguishing features of Tudor homes such as the black and white paintwork, and particularly styled architecture can be seen clearly. Despite Godfrey's work with Shakespeare being portrayed as somewhat of a 'parody', he has still preserved the iconic Shakespearian look in his areas of his animations such as the landscape. These drawings are clearly recognisable as being set in a Tudor story. It also reflects how well Shakespeare's home in Stratford Upon Haven has been protected in order to preserve his memory.

8 MUSIC AND DANCE It was customary in Tudor and Stuart drama to include at least one song in every play. Only the most profound tragedies occasionally avoided all music except for the sounds of drums. Music and dance are another traditional aspect of Shakespearean theatre that has been successfully preserved and portrayed in animation, particularly in Shakespeare Music Hall.

9 SHAKESPEARE MUSIC HALL AND THE ARCHIVES If you would like to find out more about Bob Godfrey's Shakespeare Music Hall collection or any of the other collections available at UCA, then pay a visit to the University for the Creative Arts' Animation Archive, or visit the archive blog at BIBLIOGRAPHY 1) 2) 3) 4)