03/03/2014

Barry Purves
Keynote speaker
Barry is passionate about filmmaking, his works are internationally acclaimed and has won over 60
major awards for his films. He has also animated and directed over 70 commercials, title sequences,
and animated inserts, directed and designed for theatre, presenter, written books about stop
motion animation, he promotes and teaches the art of animation in universities, he has done many
things and had a very diverse career.


Wherever he goes he promotes.were all tormented. Im tormented
Hes very much an artist, hes so old animation wasnt around when he was younger. He studied
drama and wanted to be an actor, but he cant dance, do accents or breathe on stage. He loves
telling stories, which he believes drives all artists. I AGREE its storytelling. Other ways to talk about
yourselves other than opening mouths and blabbing is making imagery, writing, sounds, acting.
Making exotic stories told you how to live your life. Greek storys told citizens how to lead their lives.
Take on different personas artists do, Give a man a mask and hell tell you the truth (Oscar Wilde)
Barry lives in this belief. Batman, drag queens, can speak about things they never could without their
masks. He wanted to talk about in his own voice things that matter to him, not gonna happen as an
actor as he cant do it. Animation seemed to be the answer. Children of the wheelies changed his
life, heads on wheels basically. He wrote 8 page letter to Direction Company and lied threw his teeth
and got a job, which he has succeeded in ever since. He was a twisted child, when he was younger
he was obsessed with Joan of arc figure and blow her up with fireworks. He did love giving life to
inanimate objects, which is how he started and found his passion. He looks at himself in different
perspective through puppets. Be open to experiences. Art isnt about reproducing life, its about
cutting out the boring and irrelevant bits, which is all personal to ourselves. Every form of art at
some point will consider idea of presentation, framing certain way, highlight certain features,
structure, editing, considering all elements. He showed us a film called Plume. Any good stories, like
a joke, set up situation, complicate it, and resolve it. He believes everything needs a journey, a start
and an end and good middle mix up. I happen to disagree. Puppets seem to be dancey, all about
dramatic, big gestures, not very chilled out. Maybe because its just movement and music like a
dance. No talking either. So its a certain type of a voice for his story, he articulates big life changing
times. Surviving trauma, finding light at the end of the dark tunnel. A certain type of story, his film
Plume is made after the death of his mother a very difficult time for him he struggled to get through.
His work is very planned, logical and fits together. He loves Alfred Hitchcocks film The Birds and the
metaphors and imagery Hitchcock uses. Its NOT about being literal. His lowest moment was making
a chip advert in a gym, and hosting pop idol is China. He is so likable and lovely. If the passion is
there you can do it. Where it not for music we would go mad, Tchaikovsky said that which Barry
always keeps in mind. Its time consuming, art, but you must love it. Enjoy all of it. Hes a performer
threw puppets.