Feline Fun

From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia

The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Feline Fun

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
1986-01-01
Silent
13m

The shenanigans of Cuthbert-Tiggy, the mischievous kitty who enjoys a tipple. An intriguing combo of stop-motion animation and live action.

This is the second reel in the Jonamation Trilogy, Jonamation referring to filmmaker Jon Coley's mix of stop-motion animation and live-action. Coley had been working under the supervision of fantasy animation legend Ray Harryhausen to produce this film, encouraged by Harryhausen's comment "if you can do a cat in stop-motion, you can do anything".

Coley's films were often a family affair. His father produced the armatures for his puppets, and his mother was often called upon to lend a hand with camerawork. Coley was also influenced by his Uncle Tommy and his hobby of 8mm filmmaking, and it was Tommy that explained the method of stop-motion animating when he was very young. Coley is still animating and making films. Over a 40 year period he has produced over 7000 feet of original Super 8 and 16mm film footage, and featuring 100+ model figures.

DIY Animation

Amateur animation auteurs bring their homegrown creations to life

The requirements for making an animated film are pretty low. With a camera that shoots in single frames and an idea in your back pocket, you're well on your way. This collection showcases an assortment of dining table Disneys, who combine homebrewed talent with the all-important dedication and patience required to bring a story to life one frame at a time. Not that this was necessarily a solitary pursuit. From the 1950s onwards networks of amateur animators like The Grasshopper Group collaborated on filmmaking and distribution, and animated shorts were often a highlight of the amateur filmmaking scene.