Richard Starzak
Birth : 1959-01-01, Suffolk, England, UK
History
Richard Starzak, previously known as Richard "Golly" Goleszowski, is an English animator.
Starzak was born in Suffolk in 1959 and grew up in Ipswich, attending Northgate Grammar School. After completing a degree in Fine Art at Exeter College of Art and Design specialising in animation, he experimented further with animation and DJ-ing before joining Aardman Animations in 1983 as its first employee.
During his first nine-year stretch at Aardman he worked on several short films and promos including "Morph", "Sledgehammer" for Peter Gabriel, Pee-Wee's Playhouse in New York, his own film Ident (1989), which introduced the character Rex, and two Rex the Runt pilot films. His commercial work includes Domestos Big Dom, Grolsch, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs, Weetos and Maltesers and several European commercials.
In 1992, Starzak left Aardman to pursue a freelance career during which time he worked in New Zealand as Production Adviser for Oscar and Friends, and wrote and directed 13 episodes of Rex the Runt for BBC2, winning the Carlton Award for International Animation at The Indies in 2000.
He then directed Robbie the Reindeer in 1999 for BBC Animation Unit. Robbie went on to win 19 international awards including a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (BAFTA). Following the success of Robbie, Starzak worked for two years on a project for Aardman’s feature film department as well as directing and writing the second series of Rex the Runt. In 2002, Starzak was honoured with the Award for Best TV Special for Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire at the 3rd International Festival of Animated Feature Films and TV Specials. From 2003, he directed two series of Creature Comforts – 2x13 episodes for ITV based on the Academy Award winning Nick Park short film. The first series went on to win 17 awards, and both series were nominated for a BAFTA. The second series includes a half-hour Christmas special. In between these two series, he devised Shaun the Sheep, writing and directing the pilot.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Characters
Based on the Aardman TV series 'Timmy Time'.
Executive Producer
When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her.
Self - Creative Director of 'Shaun the Sheep'
Julie Walters tells the story of how Morph, Shaun the Sheep and that cheese-loving man Wallace and his dog Gromit first came to life.
Writer
In The Farmer's Llamas the wily sheep bluffs his dim-witted farmer master into bidding for three llamas at a county fair. Once they show up at the farm, however, they cause such chaotic destructive mayhem that Shaun has to carefully remove them – high speed chases, careful rooftop scrambles and dangerous falls ensue.
Writer
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Director
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Creative Consultant
Wallace and Gromit open a bakery, accidentally getting tied up with a murder mystery in the process. But when Wallace falls in love, Gromit is left to solve the case by himself.
Director
Robbie the Reindeer (voiced by Ardal O'Hanlon) arrives at the North Pole, ready to take his place as navigator on Santa's Christmas sleigh team. However, Robbie is soon plagued by doubt regarding his ability, and sets out to regain his self-respect and the admiration of his team-mates. This festive animated tale also features the voices of Jane Horrocks, Steve Coogan, Caroline Quentin and Harry Enfield, and features a script co-written by 'Blackadder' writer Richard Curtis.
Director
A collection of 8 short films from the Aardman animation studios :
- "Heat Electric" from Nick Park (1991)
- "Pib & Pog" from Peter Peake (1994)
- "Wat's Pig" from Peter Lord (1996)
- "Creature Comforts" from Nick Park (1989)
- "Adam" from Peter Lord (1991)
- "Not Without My Handbag" from Boris Kossmehl (1992)
- "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" from Jeff Newitt (1992)
- "Rex the Hunt" from Richard Goleszowski (1991)
Director
The gang journey to the North Pole, and drill a hole to find out "What's at the center of the Earth?"
Director
Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his dreamworld.
Writer
Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his dreamworld.
Director
Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his world, introduces us to his friends, and illustrates how Bad Bob caused dinosaurs' extinction (whoops!)
Writer
Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his world, introduces us to his friends, and illustrates how Bad Bob caused dinosaurs' extinction (whoops!)
Writer
Explores the nature of man, not only with feet of clay, but with a face of clay as well. Within a colourless city of walls, corridors, and small rooms, a man makes his way from home to work, then to a bar, and then, by a stroke of luck, into an outdoors of space, fresh air, and colour. Along the way, he changes his face to fit his surroundings, interacts with his dog, argues with co-workers, and gossips at a bar. His altering of his visage suggests a two-faced nature, and his stepping into the outdoors provides the ultimate test of his real identity.
Director
Explores the nature of man, not only with feet of clay, but with a face of clay as well. Within a colourless city of walls, corridors, and small rooms, a man makes his way from home to work, then to a bar, and then, by a stroke of luck, into an outdoors of space, fresh air, and colour. Along the way, he changes his face to fit his surroundings, interacts with his dog, argues with co-workers, and gossips at a bar. His altering of his visage suggests a two-faced nature, and his stepping into the outdoors provides the ultimate test of his real identity.
Thanks
Wallace and Gromit have run out of cheese, and this provides an excellent excuse for the duo to take their holiday to the moon, where, as everyone knows, there is ample cheese.
Director
Aardman's claymation to the song Barefootin'.
