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Richard Starzak

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English animator, screenwriter, and film director

Richard Starzak
Starzak in 2008
BornApril 1959 (age 65)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Other namesRichard "Golly" Goleszowski
Occupation(s)Animator, screenwriter, film director
Notable workRex the Runt
Creature Comforts
Shaun the Sheep
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Richard Starzak, previously known as Richard "Golly" Goleszowski, is an English animator, screenwriter, and film director.

Life and career

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 DJing 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.

In July 2005, Starzak rejoined Aardman as creative director of the Broadcast and Development department, writing scripts, and overseeing new projects in development. Aardman's first children's TV series, Shaun the Sheep, was directed by Goleszowski who also wrote several episodes. Shaun has sold to over 150 territories. In 2015, he co-wrote and co-directed Shaun the Sheep Movie with Mark Burton, for which they both received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

References

  1. Andrew Pulver (22 January 2015). "Baa-hind the scenes on the Shaun the Sheep movie: 'In a good week we can shoot two minutes'". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Aardman Animations plan new Shaun the Sheep film". BBC. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  3. ^ "Hooves of Fire" (PDF). Berlinale. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. ^ Clydesdale, Lindsay (30 January 2004). "An Aard Act to Follow; Animator set to come to our awards". Daily Record. The Free Library. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  5. ^ Dawtrey, Adam (20 December 1999). "Aardman's 'Hare' to run with Goleszowski". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  6. ^ Zahed, Ramin (27 July 2005). "Aardman Goes Ga Ga for Golly". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. Miller III, Randy. "A little chat with Aardman Animation's Richard Goleszowski". DVD Talk. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Shaun the Sheep Movie - Production Notes" (PDF). Lionsgate Publicity. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Beastly beatitudes". The Guardian. 22 September 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  10. Osmond, Andrew (1 May 2000). "The 2000 British Animation Awards". Animation World Network. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  11. Ball, Ryan (19 December 2003). "CBS Doubles Up on Robbie the Reindeer". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  12. "Aardman's Tortoise and Hare halted!!!". Ain't It Cool. 5 July 2001. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  13. KAFF 2002 - Díjak (English: "KAFF 2002 - Award"). Kecskeméti Animáció Film Fesztivál. 2002.
  14. Balsley, Sarah (4 June 2007). "American Version of Creature Comfort Premieres on CBS". Animated World Network. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  15. Holmwood, Leigh (8 October 2007). "Aardman to round up pre-school viewers". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  16. Lodge, Guy (24 January 2015). "Film Review: 'Shaun the Sheep Movie'". Variety. Retrieved 29 October 2015.

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