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Peter LordBritish film producer
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- Peter Lord: A Biography
- Founding 'Aardman'
- Collaboration and Success
- Wallace & Gromit and Mainstream Success
- Later Achievements and Recognition
Peter Lord: A Biography
British film producer, director, and one of the founders of the Oscar-winning studio 'Aardman Animations', Peter Lord is best known for his claymation films, particularly the adventures of Wallace & Gromit. Born in England, Peter Lord fulfilled his childhood dream of creating animated films with the help of his old friend David Sproxton. He graduated from the University of York in 1976 with a specialization in English language.
Founding 'Aardman'
Soon after completing his studies, Peter Lord and David Sproxton founded the company 'Aardman'. Initially, the studio focused on short films and commercials. They worked on animation inserts for the BBC project 'Vision On' aimed at deaf children. In 1975, 'Aardman' created their first claymation film called 'Greeblies', which served as the foundation for their first recurring character, Morph. Around the same time, Lord and Sproxton attempted to create adult-oriented animated films, and their debut works, 'Down and Out' and 'Confessions of a Foyer Girl', were used in a BBC project.
Collaboration and Success
'Aardman' actively collaborated with Channel 4, primarily through the 'Conversation Pieces' project. The studio produced five short films, which were more sophisticated than their previous works for 'Animated Conversations'. During this time, Lord and Sproxton began recruiting new animators, one of whom was Nick Park. Together, they solidified the distinctive claymation style that would bring them future acclaim. Park's short film 'Creature Comforts' became 'Aardman's' first Oscar-winning work. In 1991, Peter Lord's 6-minute film 'Adam' was also nominated for an Oscar.
Wallace & Gromit and Mainstream Success
Lord and his colleagues gained widespread recognition for their eccentric inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit. The short films featuring their adventures became some of 'Aardman's' first truly successful projects. Three short films were made about Wallace & Gromit, two of which won Oscars. The studio's first full-length feature film, 'Chicken Run', was also a great success. Their subsequent film, 'Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit', released in 2005, solidified their success by winning an Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature'.
Later Achievements and Recognition
In May 2006, Lord and Sproxton attended an exhibition of 'Aardman' at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. It was during this exhibition that Peter and David met the legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, who turned out to be a passionate fan of 'Aardman Animation'. On June 17, 2006, Lord was honored with the title 'Commander of the British Empire'.
