The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
Encyclopedia
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is a 1993
stop-motion animated
film
made by bolexbrothers
, and funded by the BBC
, La Sept
, producer Richard Hutchinson and Manga Entertainment
, which also distributed the film on video. Though it draws its title character from the fairy tale
Tom Thumb
, the story and setting is substantially different, depicting Tom as a fetus
-like child living in a grim and squalid urban environment.
The story follows the tiny Tom Thumb as he is abducted from his loving parents and taken to an experimental laboratory, and his subsequent escape. He discovers a community of similarly-sized people living in a swamp, who help him on his journey to return to his parents. The film is largely dialogue-free, limited mostly to grunts and other non-verbal vocalizations.
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb was made using a combination of stop-motion animation and pixilation
(live actors posed and shot frame-by-frame), often with live actors and puppets sharing the frame. It was originally commissioned as a 10 minute short for BBC2's Christmas programming, but was rejected for being too dark for the festive season. The short version nevertheless garnered critical acclaim through showings at animation festivals, and a feature-length version was commissioned by the BBC a year later.
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
stop-motion animated
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...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
made by bolexbrothers
Bolexbrothers
bolexbrothers is an independent British animation studio based in Bristol. The studio specialises in stop motion animation, producing numerous short films and commercials, as well as one stop motion feature film, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb...
, and funded by the BBC
BBC
The 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...
, La Sept
La Sept
La Sept was a French television broadcaster and production company created on 23 February 1986 to develop cultural and educational programming for transmission via the TDF 1 satellite...
, producer Richard Hutchinson and Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
, which also distributed the film on video. Though it draws its title character from the fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. The History of Tom Thumb was published in 1621, and has the distinction of being the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangling with giants, and becoming a...
, the story and setting is substantially different, depicting Tom as a fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
-like child living in a grim and squalid urban environment.
The story follows the tiny Tom Thumb as he is abducted from his loving parents and taken to an experimental laboratory, and his subsequent escape. He discovers a community of similarly-sized people living in a swamp, who help him on his journey to return to his parents. The film is largely dialogue-free, limited mostly to grunts and other non-verbal vocalizations.
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb was made using a combination of stop-motion animation and pixilation
Pixilation
Pixilation is a stop motion technique where live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an animated film, by repeatedly posing while one or more frame is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames. The actor becomes a kind of living stop motion puppet...
(live actors posed and shot frame-by-frame), often with live actors and puppets sharing the frame. It was originally commissioned as a 10 minute short for BBC2's Christmas programming, but was rejected for being too dark for the festive season. The short version nevertheless garnered critical acclaim through showings at animation festivals, and a feature-length version was commissioned by the BBC a year later.
Awards
- 1993 - SitgesSitges*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
- Catalonian International Film Festival - Best Director - 1993 - Cinanima Espinho Portugal - Best Feature
- 1994 - FantasportoFantasportoFantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to commercial feature films, auteur films and experimental projects from all over the world, Fantasporto has created enthusiastic audiences, ranging from...
- International Fantasy Film Award - Best Director - 1994 - FantasportoFantasportoFantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to commercial feature films, auteur films and experimental projects from all over the world, Fantasporto has created enthusiastic audiences, ranging from...
- Critics' Award - Special Mention - 1994 - Houston Worldfest - Gold Special Jury Award - Feature Film
- 1994 - San Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
- Best Animation - 1994 - Worldfest Charleston - Gold Special Jury Award - Feature Film
- 1994 - Video Home Entertainment - Award of Excellence
- 1995 - Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
British Film Award - Best Technical/Artistic Achievement - 1995 - Yubari International Fantastic Film FestivalYubari International Fantastic Film FestivalThe , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.-History:...
- Special Jury Prize - Feature Film - 1995 - Atlanta Film and Video Festival - Best Animated Film
- 1995 - Mediawave - Grand Prix
- 1995 - Mediawave - Audience Prize