Hey hello. How are you? I thought I really ought to post something up here. I’ve a massive backlog of stuff to blog about, hopefully I’ll have a chance to do it soon once things get less busy. We’re currently updating the site too, so expect to see Oddball 2.0 soonish.

In the meantime, here’s an article I worte for Imagine magazine, all about the very soon to be released animated feature film ‘A Liar’s Autobiography’, which is taken from Graham Chapman’s book of the same name. I was asked to put this together for the magazine following the work I did on the Vic Reeves autobiography, and it was a nice little piece of writing to do about revisiting old comedy heros.

Incidentaly, since being published, Imagine magazine, in print, has ceased to be. It is no more. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. It is an ex animation magazine.

He was a doctor. A comedian. A prolific writer, and a manic actor. He was a shambolic alcoholic. He was one of the first celebrities to come out as homosexual. Perhaps most famously though, he was a very naughty boy.

Graham Chapman, one of the founding members of Monty Python, passed away in 1989, leaving behind a body of much loved work, including a memoir covering all of the above. Well, more or less; ‘A Liar’s Autobiography: volume VI’ was a typically dubious account – apparently he was a goat herder, too.

An audio version of this book was recently rediscovered, committed to tape in one sitting by Chapman. Very soon, this reading will find it’s way onto the cinema screen. He may not be the Messiah, but thanks to the magic of animation, Brian of Nazareth is to be resurrected and enjoy a glorious second coming.

Bill and Ben productions, made up of Bill Jones and Ben Timlett, head up this project. Having previously made the documentary “Monty Python: Almost the Truth – The Lawyer’s Cut”, we can be assured the Chapman feature is in good hands. For this production company it seems that Python is in the blood – quite literally in fact, as it turns out that Ben Jones is the son of Terry Jones.
With connections such as this, it follows that Jones has secured almost all of the Pythons to take part in the project. Working around the existing audio of Chapman, Michael Palin and Terry Jones will adopt the roles of Chapman’s father and mother respectively, while John Cleese will take on the task of playing himself. The Gilliam-esq Terry Gilliam will, as usual in Python films, shoulder many additional roles.

Given the success of many recent Brit comedy biographies, from Eric and Ernie, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams and Steptoe and Son, that have been brought to the screen in live action, the decision to make this an animation is a brave, unique departure. And even more interesting is the decision to involve not one animation company, but an astounding fifteen, farming out sections to each. More bewildering still, is that each company is to produce their sequence in stereoscopic 3D – whether they have had previous experience with it or not.

Acknowledging that the relatively small companies may not in fact actually know how to produce stereoscopic work, Bill and Ben are working closely with Made Visual Studio, to bring together the animation companies and tutor them in the art of 3D. If the whole thing is starting to sound more like a project than a production, you’ll be pleasantly unsurprised to discover ‘Project Chapman’ online. A website choc full of stereoscopic tutorials, detailed blogs following the production process, information on the film and introductions to each of the animation companies involved, although some of them, for example, Trunk, Sherbet and Arthur Cox, probably need no introduction.

Heading up Made Visual is the incredibly busy Justin Weyers, who took some time out of his busy schedule to tell Imagine exactly how busy he actually is. “My personal daily workflow is very hectic indeed – it’s going to be like this until delivery. Everyday I write a list of things I would like to complete but I never actually get there. Just too many things. My role has been one that keeps getting bigger everyday since the beginning. I’m constantly jumping from Excel to After Effects, to Cinema 4D to Dragon Stop Motion, then back to Excel; making a few phone calls, organizing some meetings and trying to fit breakfast, lunch and dinner in there somewhere!”
In order to find which companies to work with, Weyers started off with a mammoth 80 strong list of potential candidates, which was whittled down to the current 15. “I would find constantly amazing work – I always wanted to know more, and this was my chance! Starting at the top, I began calling these animators up. It was important that I met everyone face to face to see the whites of their eyes; you would have to be excited in this project from the outset to be involved.”

Though Bill and Ben would select parts of story they thought would best compliment each studio, ultimately, it was up to the individual company what they animated. “It was whatever stood out for them.” Weyers explains. “Each company had to find value and their own reasons for doing it.”

“Our role has been to create a support structure. We had tech days to explain the do’s and don’ts, we have the well known stereographer David Cox, to act as a mentor. There are still long hours, trial and error, and we are all learning together.”

Given most studio’s protectiveness over projects, it is refreshing to be able to follow the film’s progress online. It’s down to Weyer’s obvious passion and investment in creating an animation community. “You have to share the love on something like this”. He comments. “ It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger and a great deal of pride comes from it. Basically, I would want to know more about this film project and that’s why we did it.” Although there are more practical reasons as well: “Sitting there at 3am in the morning frustrated because something is not working… I know there are others like me out there!”

Indeed, and with such a varied and diverse bunch featuring the cream of Britain’s most exciting, indie animation, and some tantalizing concept artwork already online, the film looks already to have the potential to be far greater than the sum of it’s parts – and it’s parts are indeed great already. Following so many live action British comedy biopics, now really is the time for something completely different.

Set for a Theatrical release in the UK in Winter 2012

The companies involved with ‘A Liar’s Autobiography’ are:

A for Animation – ArthurCox – Asylum Films – Beakus – Beakus – Cake – Made Visual Studio – Mr & Mrs Smith – Not To Scale – Peepshow – Sherbet – Steve Lall – Superfad – Treat Studios – Tundra – Trunk.