I was asked by Graham Clutterbuck, the Founder and Managing Director of Filmfair if I would like to direct and animate the Pilot Episode of a potential brand new children’s stop frame animated TV show called Windfalls created by Jenny Kenna.
Naturally I said yes straight away and accepted this exciting and challenging offer of employment!
Another reason I really wanted to work on this project with Filmfair was because some of my favourite inspirational childhood animated shows were produced by this outstanding British Animation company including; The Wombles, The Herbs and Paddington.
Anyway, the great day came for me to start work on Jenny Kenna’s Windfalls project! I was wondering how best to animate them, and it very quickly became clear that I would have to invent a unique and rather unusual technique for animating the 2D characters Jenny Kenna had created. They were all made from pressed, dried flowers, leaves or herbs, with tiny dried twigs arms and legs.
This was not an easy task at all, but I persevered and after countless hours of fiddly experimentation involving dried flowers, a rectangle of glass (60 cm x 30 cm), two small blocks of wood, tweezers, blue tack, magnets, glass cleaner and endless patience, I eventually succeeded in animating the characters! Yaay! Such an exhilirating feeling of satisfaction and achievement!
I kept a highly detailed daily animation log of the entire process from the very first to the very last frame!
I animated and filmed the entire pilot episode using a Bolex rostrum camera in one of Filmfair’s studios at their premises in Jacobswell Mews (it was the really tiny broom cupboard one!)
I was so happy and proud for Jenny Kenna, the creator and writer of the Windfalls, to hear that following completion of the Pilot, 26 x5 minute episodes of Windfalls were commissioned for broadcast by and on ITV.
The production company was Filmfair. Central Independent Television.
Windfalls TV series lovingly created, crafted, written and directed by Jenny Kenna.
Windfalls premiered on ITV 14th April 1989
Episode List
01. Fine Weather Friend. 14/04/1989
02.Bella Donna. 14/04/1989
03. An Evening with Primrose. 21/04/1989
04. Rosebay Willowherb Needs a Home. 21/04/1989
05. The Wild Ones. 28/04/1989
06. Nettle and Dock. 28/04/1989
07. Pampas. 5/5/1989
08. Weather Signs. 5/5/1989
09. Springtime. 12/5/1989
10. Flying Flowers. 12/5/1989
11. Green with Envy. 19/5/1989
12. Creatures of the Night. 19/5/1989
13. Cowslip Needs Protection. 26/5/1989
14. The Sting. 26/5/1989
15. Light and Shade. 2/6/1989
16. Honey Day. 2/6/1989
17. Lucky. 9/6/1989
18. Scarecrows. 9/6/1989
19. Country Cousins. 16/6/1989
20.The Oak Tree. 16/6/1989
21. Butterbur’s Marsh. 23/6/1989
22. Bramble Shrub. 23/6/1989
23. The Red Toadstool. 30/6/1989
24. Autumn in Windfall Land. 30/6/1989
25. The Invaders. 7/7/1989
26. Winter in Windfall Land. 7/7/198
