Richard ‘Golly’ Goleszowski is the award-winning director of Shaun the Sheep, who is also responsible for directing Robbie the Reindeer, Rex the Runt, and Creature Comforts. He has also worked on numerous commercials, for clients including Grolsch, Cadbury’s Crème Eggs, Weetos and Maltesers. Golly works as Creative Director of the Broadcast Development department at Aardman Animations.

In this funny and heart-warming talk, Golly discussed the progression of his career as a director, as well as the evolution of Shaun the Sheep from his beginnings in the Wallace & Gromit short, A Close Shave, to being a much-loved star in his own right. Golly also discussed his work on Creature Comforts, his comic influences, and the talk was followed by audience Q&A’s.

Shaun the Sheep is best known as a British stop-motion animated children’s television series, and was first aired in the UK by CBBC in March 2007. Produced by the Bristol-based Aardman Animations, the character first appeared in the Oscar winning Wallace & Gromit short film A Close Shave into 1995, and has since gone on to feature in two television series’, licensed in over 150 territories. Aardman Animations were awarded the International Emmy for Shaun the Sheep in the ‘Children & Young people’ category in 2008, and again in 2010. The series has received various other awards, including ‘Best TV Production’ from Annecy Animation Festival 2007, ‘Children's Choice’ from British Animation Awards 2008, ‘Audience Awards’ from Anima Mundi Festival 2007, and ‘Parent Choice Award’ from New York Children's International Film Festival 2007.

Please note: We apologise for the audio quality on this recording which at some points features excessive background noise from the auditorium.

Related Links:
Slapstick Festival 2011
Shaun The Sheep
Aardman Animations

Posted on Sun 30 Jan 2011.

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