Robert Morgan (animator)

Robert Morgan (born 1974) is a British filmmaker, director and writer. He is most known for The Cat with Hands (2001), The Separation (2003) and Bobby Yeah (2011) which between them have won over 30 international awards.

Robert Morgan
Born1974 (age 46–47)
Yateley, England
NationalityEnglish
OccupationFilmmaker, director, writer
Years active1997–present
AwardsBafta (2012 Nominee - Best Short Film),
WebsiteOfficial website

Personal life

Raised in Yateley, Hampshire. Has an older sister 'Eleanor'.[1]

Career

Robert Morgan's passion for film began when he was aged three and watched 1958′s Fiend Without a Face film. He previously studied fine art, so was always drawing and painting.[2] He then studied 'Animation Filmmaking' at The Surrey Institute Of Art And Design (now part of University for the Creative Arts). He then started his career in film animation with a student short The Man in the Lower Left-Hand Corner of the Photograph in 1997.[3] 'FilmThreat' ran an article describing The Cat With Hands as "mandatory viewing for anyone who wants to write a horror movie".[4] This film lead to him being commissioned to make 2 short films for Channel 4 and one from S4C in Wales.[5]

He was earlier influenced by Francis Bacon, Edgar Allan Poe, Jan Svankmajer, the Quay Brothers, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Joel Peter Witkin and Hans Bellmer.[6]

He was a former Channel Four/MOMI animator in residence.[3]

In 2003, he filmed Separation. A 10-minute animated short, begins with a pair of conjoined twin brothers in a hospital room.

Monsters was produced through the Film Council and FilmFour's Cinema Extreme scheme. The film was based on his fears when his family moved close to Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire. It also uses the idea of violent relationship between siblings, which was also autobiographical. It was premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2004.[5]

In 2009 he filmed Over Taken for the 48 Hour Film Project (as part of the Branchage film festival),[7] - filming the whole film in two days (i.e.4 8 hours). He went to Jersey in the Channel Islands, and then he had to pick out of a hat a film genre (he picked 'Western') and a title, and was given a couple of actresses. Then he created a short film out of those elements.[8]

Bobby Yeah is his longest short at 23 minutes, with more characters and development than its predecessors. He likes working with live action or animation/claymation film making processes. He tried to alternate between the two forms.[2]

In 2013, he produced Invocation for Channel 4's 'Random Acts' series.[3][9]

He also occasionally paints, this is another outlet for his creativity as sometimes the film-making processes can take a long time.[7]

Filmography
Films
Year Title Role
1994 Paranoid (student Short) Editor, director, writer, animator
1997 The Man in the Lower-Left Hand Corner of the Photograph (Short) Editor, director, writer, animator
2001 The Cat with Hands (Short) Director, writer, animator
2003 The Separation (Short) Director, writer, animator
2004 Monsters (short) Director, writer
2009 Over Taken (short) Director, writer
2011 Bobby Yeah (short) Director, writer, animator, editor, producer
2013 Invocation (Short) Director, writer, editor, producer
2014 ABCs of Death 2 Director of "D is for Deloused" segment

Awards
  • BAFTA Awards 2012 - Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Short Animation - Bobby Yeah(2011)
  • BAFTA Awards, Wales 2004 - Won BAFTA Cymru Award Best Short Film (Y Ffilm Fer Orau) - The Separation(2003)[10]
  • Fantasporto 2002 - Won Onda Curta Award - The Cat with Hands(2001)[11]
  • Leeds International Film Festival 2005 - Won Grand Prize of European Fantasy Short Film in Silver - Monsters(2004)[12]
  • London Sci-Fi Film Festival 2003 - Won Audience Award - The Cat with Hands(2001)
  • Mediawave, Hungary 1999 Won Youth Award Best Youth Animation - The Man in the Lower-Left Hand Corner of the Photograph(1997)
  • Rotterdam International Film Festival 2012 Nominated Tiger Award for Short Film Bobby Yeah(2011)[13]
  • Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2003, Won Animated Dreams Grand Prize "Wooden Wolf" with The Separation(2003)

References
  1. "ROBERT MORGAN writer/director". animusfilms.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  2. Lion, Brian (9 August 2012). "THE SHORT CUT: An Interview with Director Robert Morgan". underthegunreview.net. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  3. Mitchell, Ben (29 October 2013). "Robert Morgan returns this Halloween with 'Invocation'". Skwigly. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  4. Knox, Jeremy (17 June 2005). "THE CAT WITH HANDS". filmthreat.com. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  5. Foley, Jen (September 2004). "Edinburgh shorts: Monsters". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  6. Neil (18 April 2013). "Interview with Robert Morgan". blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  7. Knox, Jeremy (20 January 2012). "Reflections in the funhouse mirror: A conversation with Robert Morgan". filmthreat.com. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  8. Wilson, Evan (17 January 2011). "Interview with Robert Morgan". text-appeal.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  9. Emmetton, Neil (3 January 2014). ""Random Acts": Creating A Space for Independent Animated Films in Britain". cartoonbrew.com. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  10. "S4C BAFTA SUCCESS - CONGRATULATIONS". s4c.co.uk. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  11. Moore, Barrie (15 January 2008). "The Cat with Hands". blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  12. "Cinema Extreme Green Lit Projects". 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  13. "Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films 2012". filmfestivalrotterdam.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
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