Monday 23 July 2012

Discovery of the day: 23 July 2012

OMG! I just opened up a trunk to discover a pile of dusty, old 16mm film, including some of dad's early attempts at animation, a short film him & his friends made in NYC in the 1960s and a film can labelled "Beware of the Elephants" (gem!)... Digital scanning facilities here I come (I hope the film hasn't faded too much)!

22 comments:

  1. Hopefully you won't be cross to find that "Beware of the elephants" has been on youtube for some time now, uploaded by an archivist/admirer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNMhgFq0fY8
    I also recall that a 1999 Monty Python documentary showed tantalizing seconds of "Elephant warfare", which I'd love to see complete!

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  2. Monty Python 'sendeband'? Could it be the animations for Fliegender Zirkus? Also the 'Elephants' animation could be the orig negative. So this is a fab discovery! :)

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  3. (2) Also what looks like a video tape for one of the early philips home video systems... Perhaps the BFI could help you with all these different formats? They'd be no doubt keen to recover any TV material that has been shortsightedly wiped in the past.

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    1. Looking closer, the yellow white tape (that sayd "audio + video") reads N1700, which is a philips home video system that was used only around 1978-1980. It could still contain older things, but it was probably recorded around that time. That system's picture quality is apparently very good.
      Also, many people may not know "Do not adjust your set", but that is probably the show that "Beware of the elephants" was made for. The original episodes that featured TG's animations (only some in series 2) have all been lost except for one christmas special. That means there could be some animations in this box that haven't been seen for 45 years!

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  4. Amazing blog! I love your father´s work so taking
    a eye to his secret files is a treasury!

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  5. Hi Holly

    Only just found this blog, and I love it. I’m a huge fan of your dad’s work, so thanks a million for posting.

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  6. Hi, first I want to thank you for this, second, I consider your father my "film father" and I die to meet him and be his padawan, so thank you again for what youre doing, I'll love to get in touch maxicontenti@gmail.com

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  7. Be careful with those old videotapes like the N1700 in the box, the magnetic material may come loose after so many years of storage. A friend of mine can restore virtually every video format that's been on the market, but he is (like me) located in The Netherlands. I am sure you can find specialists in the U.K. and they will be honoured to restore this material for you.

    (great blog btw - I'm a long-time MP fan :-))

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    1. Sending them by post would be a bit risky. I'm sure the BFI will be able to help.

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    2. I think the BFI would be your best bet if you're in the U.K.
      We have a similar organisation here - called "Beeld en Geluid" (Vision and Sound), which is also non-profit and has the same goals. Btw, there has been considerable wiping of 1960s and 1970s television tapes here, too.

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    3. If you need help scanning to 4k ping me off list.
      Great stuff. Big fan.
      Shai
      srdbx@netvision.net.il

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  8. Hi Holly,

    Loved you in BRAZIL!

    This is already a fantastic blog. Looking forward to more...

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  9. Thank you for sharing all your dad treasures!

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  10. oooh! a box of mysteries to flicker on the wall!

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  11. these are amazing!!! : D Keep up the good work!

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  12. I can't wait for this! Please, please, please share it with us. If it's worth sharing :)

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  13. This is recently Terry-Ship, has lifted from a bottom of ocean of imagination and a creative way of the клад-treasures the seas found at the bottom-pathbreaker of animation of film, and anew, and has in a new fashion opened new island of success, and the world of imaginations:'Beware of the Elephants'!

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  14. I don't know what is a better find; uncovered dusty boxes or this blog?

    Thank you so much for sharing

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  15. Hi Holly -

    I'd like to talk to you about archiving the film work at the Academy Film Archive (AMPAS's film archive), if you're interested. If so, please drop me a line at mtoscano -at- oscars -dot- org. all the very best, and thanks so much for what you're doing! - Mark T

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    1. Mark, the things in that box are very likely bits of UK TV shows, not American movies.
      I notice a lot of interest in that box from various comments (including mine, to be fair), but I'm sure the G family has connections enough to get the whole lot sorted out if and when they want to.

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  16. "Digital scanning facilities here I come" <<Oh I can't wait!!

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