Bird Studios
Encyclopedia
Bird Studios is a UK production company specializing in design, computer animation
& visual effects
for TV, film and the digital world.
The Managing & Creative Director
is acclaimed designer/animator Ian Bird whose studio is at the forefront of one of the most demanding disciplines in TV and film. Bird Studios specialize in combining photo-realistic 3D Computer animation with live action as well as stand alone CGI
animation
and the creation of character animation
.
s, commercials and music videos.
'Liberation' from their Very (album) for IMAX
as part of its 70 mm stereoscopic 3-D film
, 'Cyberworld
',
Ian Bird worked with Roger Avary
to create the animation and special effects for Sci-Fi TV Film 'Mr. Stitch', starring Rutger Hauer and Wil Wheaton
for Rysher Entertainment
.
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
& visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
for TV, film and the digital world.
The Managing & Creative Director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
is acclaimed designer/animator Ian Bird whose studio is at the forefront of one of the most demanding disciplines in TV and film. Bird Studios specialize in combining photo-realistic 3D Computer animation with live action as well as stand alone CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and the creation of character animation
Character animation
Character animation is a specialized area of the animation process concerning the animation of one or more characters featured in an animated work. It is usually as one aspect of a larger production and often made to enhance voice acting. The primary role of a Character Animator is to be the...
.
History
Bird Studios evolved through a number of companies (Electric Image, Framestore CFC, SOHO 601FX, EYE Animation) under the direction of Ian Bird, producing broadcast title sequenceTitle sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
s, commercials and music videos.
Projects
Bird studios re-created one of its award winning music promos, the Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
'Liberation' from their Very (album) for IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
as part of its 70 mm stereoscopic 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, 'Cyberworld
Cyberworld
CyberWorld is a 2000 3-D comedy film shown in IMAX. Several segments originally filmed in 2-D animation are showcased as converted to 3-D format.-Segments:* The "Homer³" segment from The Simpsons, episode "Treehouse of Horror VI"...
',
Ian Bird worked with Roger Avary
Roger Avary
Roger Avary is a Canadian film and television producer, screenwriter, olive farmer and director in the American mass media industry. He was behind the screenplays of the films Silent Hill and Beowulf...
to create the animation and special effects for Sci-Fi TV Film 'Mr. Stitch', starring Rutger Hauer and Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
for Rysher Entertainment
Rysher Entertainment
Rysher Entertainment is the owner of TV and film programming content, primarily distributed around the world by CBS Television Distribution and CBS/ Paramount Pictures...
.
Credits
- Commercials: P&GBounty 'Robots', ICRCInternational Committee of the Red CrossThe International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
'Abuse grows hatred', BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
'Wimbledon', NurofenNurofenNurofen is the brand name of a range of pain-relief medication made by Reckitt Benckiser. Introduced in 1983, the Nurofen brand was acquired following Reckitt Benckiser's acquisition of Boots Healthcare in 2005...
'For Children', Diet CokeDiet CokeDiet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
'sponsoring Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
', Npower (UK)Npower (UK)RWE Npower plc is a UK-based electricity and gas supply generation company, formerly known as Innogy plc. As Innogy plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
'New friend', NHSNational Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
'Flu-Jab', The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
'food guide', Save the ChildrenSave the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
'Poverty'.
- Music Videos: Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
"Wildest Dreams", "Different World", Robert PostRobert PostRobert Post is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. Post won two awards, Best Male Artist and Best Video, at Norway's equivalent of the Grammys, Spellemannprisen, in 2005 for his debut album...
'Got None', Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
'Liberation', 'Yesterday, When I was mad', 'Single Bi-lingual', A-HaA-haA-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
'Analogue', SoundgardenSoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
'Black Hole SunBlack Hole Sun"Black Hole Sun" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris finneran, "Black Hole Sun" was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown . It is arguably the band's most recognizable and most popular song, and remains a well...
', Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
'Let there be light', Meat LoafMeat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
"I'd Lie for You (and That's the Truth)I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)"I'd Lie for You " is a song composed and written by Diane Warren, and recorded by Meat Loaf and Patti Russo. The song was released in 1995 as the first single from the album Welcome to the Neighborhood. The single release reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 13 in the U.S.-Music video:The video for...
".
- Title Sequences: WoganWoganWogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
, Des O'ConnorDes O'ConnorDes O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
Tonight, The Chart ShowThe Chart ShowThe Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
, Little NapoleonsLittle NapoleonsLittle Napoleons was a 1994 British television serial starring Saeed Jaffrey, Norman Beaton, Simon Callow and Lesley Manville as four politicians involved in local council elections. Beaton and Jaffrey played rival Labour candidates while Callow was their Conservative colleague....
, Capital City, Dennis PotterDennis PotterDennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's Lipstick on Your CollarLipstick on Your CollarLipstick on Your Collar is a 1993 British television serial written by Dennis Potter, originally broadcast on Channel 4 expanded from Potter's earlier play Lay Down Your Arms...
, Fay WeldonFay WeldonFay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
's Loves and Lives of a She Devil and 'The South Bank ShowThe South Bank ShowThe South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
'.
Awards
- Best TV Sport Commercial: Gold Medal winner – BBC WIMBLEDON 'Breaking of champions'.
- New York Festivals 'World Medal': Gold Medal winner – International TV advertising. ‘Save The Children’.
- International Broadcasting Awards: Graphic Artist of the Year – Ian Bird
- Golden Award of Montreaux: Best Animation - Milky Way ‘Magic Stars’
- Golden Award of Montreaux: Best Commercial - Ford Ka ‘Travelogue’
- Imagina: Best Computer Animation - Martell ‘Art of Cognac’
- Leaf: Best Music Promo - Mike Oldfield ‘Let there be light’
- Nicograph Grand Prix: Art Prize winner - Martell (cognac) ‘Art of Cognac’
- Art Directors Club (New York): Gold Award Best Music Video - The Pet Shop Boys ‘Liberation’
- MTV Awards: Best Music Promo - Soundgarden ‘Blackhole Sun’
- Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television SocietyThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
: Gold Team Award - Dennis Potter’s ‘Lipstick On Your Collar’ - Computer Animation Festival: Best Programme Content - Channel Four ‘High-Tech Dreams’
- Parigraph: Winner Advertising Grand Prix - ‘Dubro Dojke Holland’
- International Monitor Awards: Best titles - BBC Barry NormanBarry NormanBarry Leslie Norman, CBE is a British novelist, impresario, film critic and media personality. He was the BBC film critic on television from 1972 to 1998.-Early life:...
's ‘Talking Pictures’