Ivor Wood

Ivor Wood
Born Ivor Sydney Wood
4 May 1932
Leeds, England[1]
Died 13 October 2004 (aged 72)[2]
London, England
Cause of death
 Cancer
Nationality British
Occupation Stop-motion animator[3]
Years active 1960–2004
Spouse(s) Josiane
Children 1 son

Ivor Wood (4 May 1932 – 13 October 2004) was a prolific Anglo-French stop motion director, producer, animator and writer known for his work on children's television series.[4]

Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his family moved to the mountains near Lyon, France after the Second World War, where he was educated.[5] He studied fine art in Paris, and later worked in an advertising agency in Paris, where he met Serge Danot. Together they made the acclaimed French series Le Manège Enchanté (known in English as The Magic Roundabout), with Wood as the animator .[6]

Following the success of The Magic Roundabout in the UK, Wood partnered with the British London-based animation company FilmFair (now part of DHX Media). Wood became both animator and director for a number of FilmFair's animated children's programmes, starting with The Herbs in 1968. During the 1970s he animated and directed Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, Hattytown Tales, The Adventures of Parsley, The Wombles and Paddington.

Wood died of cancer in London on 13 October 2004 at the age of 72. His ashes were scattered in France. Wood was survived by his wife Josiane and one son. His friends took out a full page in Broadcast magazine which read: “You will be missed. Your legacy will remain in children's hearts for all time”.

Woodland Animations

Woodland Animations was founded in 1973 by Ivor Wood and his wife Josiane, specifically to produce stop-motion animated series for the BBC. The company produced a number of programmes, the earliest and most popular of which was Postman Pat.

Productions

Following the high popularity of Postman Pat, new seasons of it were made starting with specials in 1991, 1994 and 1996, and the show has been produced since then. In 2001, Woodland Animations was sold to Entertainment Rights, which is now part of DreamWorks Classics.

References

  1. ↑ Bond, Michael (5 November 2004). "Ivor Wood". Guardian (London). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Ivor Wood, animator". Scotsman (Edinburgh). 20 October 2004. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Post Life Pat". Guardian (London). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Ivor Wood". Daily Telegraph (London). 22 October 2004. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  5. ↑ Naughton, Philippe; Sage, Adam. "Ivor Wood – Times Online Obituary". Times (London). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ivor Wood – Obituaries, News – The Independent". Independent (London). Retrieved 15 August 2011.

External links