Fancy the opportunity to meet genre legend Ray Harryhausen, stop-motion extraordinaire and producer of such seminal fantasy classics as Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts and the Sinbad series? Of course you do! And the good news is you’re in luck, because the lovely people of The Barbican Centre and Aurum Press want to make it happen for you!
Below is their official press release with all the details you need. Good luck, and don’t forget to tell Ray Starburst said hello!
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To mark publication of Ray Harryhausen’s Fantasy Scrapbook, a beautiful hardback celebration of the work of the legendary animator, Aurum Press have teamed up with the Barbican and online community Don’t Panic to launch an animation competition with an incredible prize. Three winners will:
- Meet Ray at his London home
- Have their short animations screened at the Barbican during a special Ray Harryhausen event, featuring some of the UK’s leading animators including Nick Park, in spring 2012
- Receive an individual hour-long session with animation tutors at the National School of Film and Television
- Win a year’s free Yellow membership to the Barbican, including 20% off all films
- Bag signed copies of Ray Harryhausen’s Fantasy Scrapbook, The Art of Ray Harryhausen and A Century of Modern Animation
Entry to this spectacular competition is via a storyboard, rather than a finished animation. A selection of storyboard templates can be downloaded from www.dontpaniconline.com/rayharryhausen. Entrants should go to the same page to upload their finished entries – all on the theme of monsters. Finished storyboards will sit in a viewing gallery where visitors to the site can vote for their favourites. The ten entries with the most votes, together with up to two judges’ wild cards, will make it to a shortlist judged by a distinguished panel:
- Robert Rider, Head of Cinema at the Barbican
- Helen Nabarro, Lead Animation Tutor at the National School of Film and Television
- Tony Dalton, Ray’s writing partner and curator of The Ray And Diana Harryhausen Foundation
- Jodie Mullish, Head of Marketing at Aurum Press
Ray Harryhausen’s Fantasy Scrapbook features a wealth of previously unseen film artefacts and concept artwork, much of which was only recently discovered in a forgotten LA garage. Boasting models from unrealized projects, early scripts, storyboards, colour photos of Ray at work, as well as posters and publicity stills, it’s a visual feast for fans of one of the world’s most influential film-makers.
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The competition is open now and will close at midnight (GMT) on February 12th 2012, so best get your skates on guys!
Ray Harryhausen’s Fantasy Scrapbook is available from all good retailers now.
