The first Clay Animated film was produced in America in 1908 by the Thomas Edison Manufacturing Company. It was a trick film entitled ‘The Sculptor’s Welsh Rarebit Dream’.
102 years later the Sculptor’s Welsh Rarebit Dream has been reborn into a new form – please welcome ‘Catmoth’ – a blue Cat/ Moth hybrid – born in Wales.
Catmoth is the central character in a series of music videos and some of the proceeds will be donated to charitable causes
Catmoth is made from moulded plasticine modelling clay then filmed using stop motion clay animation. Catmoth has a kind nature and good heart and is a pragmatic optimist.
Some commentators have already suggested that Catmoth could become a really big cartoon icon.
A film and music industry expert said, ‘Producing a stop motion animation using clay is extremely laborious. Normal film runs at 24 frames per second. For a 30-minute movie, there would be approximately 21,600 stops to change the figure for the frames. Great care must be taken to ensure that the object is not altered by accident, by even slight smudges, dirt, hair, or even dust. These are seriously high production costs.’
The Wales premier of Catmoth will be held at Gio’s, Mill Lane, Cardiff on 23rd September 2010 – one hundred and two years after the first clay animated film. 102 Commemorative Catmoth chocolates are being specially made for the occasion by Martin’s Chocolatier. These will be given to the first 102 people to enter the screening and a picture with Catmoth – as a seal of authenticity.
Bronwen Davies and Kieron Da Silva –Beckerton the creators of Catmoth will be at the launch to explain themselves further.
For more information visit http://www.catmoth.co.uk
