Ian Emes
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Ian Ronald Emes (born 17 August 1949) is a British artist and film director. He is known for using innovative and experimental film techniques, and for being
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
's original animator. Emes' animations have featured in major exhibitions, including Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A (2017) and the National Film Theatre Retrospective (1980). His works have also been used in live music tours, such as Roger Waters Us + Them (2017),
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
Live at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
(2016) and Mike Oldfield's In Concert Tour (1980). He is the winner of three
BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
(1994, 2009, 2011), a Palme d'Or (1979), a British Animation Award (2014), and is an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
(2017) and Oscar Academy Award (1984) nominee.


Career


Early career and Pink Floyd

After training at
Birmingham College of Art The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...
, Emes' career began as a painter, sculptor, and kinetic artist. In 1972 his experimental animated film ''
French Windows A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent materi ...
'' (set to Pink Floyd's One of These Days) was shown on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, bringing him to the attention of Rick Wright and subsequently
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
. French Windows is included in box set '' The Early Years 1965–1972''. Emes became the first filmmaker to create synchronised moving images for Pink Floyd, when he collaborated with the group for their late 1974 UK tour. He supplied several sequences, including the flying clock faces at the start of "
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
". He laid the foundation for the band's visuals and remains influential; his graphic style is evident, for example, in the large-scale digital animations used in Roger Waters' The Wall concert projections. In 1974, the band commissioned animations of "
Speak to Me "Speak to Me" is the first track on British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', on which it forms an overture. Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track, though recollections differ as t ...
", (the cardiogram and prism) "
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
" (the flying clocks) and "
On the Run On the Run may refer to: * "On the run", a phrase often used to describe a fugitive, a person fleeing custody Literature * ''On the Run'' (novel), by Nina Bawden * On the Run (novel series), by Gordon Korman * ''On the Run'', a novel in the S ...
" (twin towers explosion) by Emes to visualise '' The Dark Side of the Moon''. His work is featured in the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition, the first international retrospective of the band. It was presented by the V&A, Pink Floyd and Iconic Entertainment Studios.


Animation

During the late seventies, Emes created film sequences for numerous other musicians, including M.C. Escher-inspired animations for Mike Oldfield's In Concert Tour in 1980 and
The Oriental Nightfish ''The Oriental Nightfish'' is a 1978 animated film directed by Ian Emes which accompanies the Linda McCartney composition "The Oriental Nightfish". The film has a running time of 4m 30s and features animation by Ian Emes with the track "The Orient ...
for Paul and Linda McCartney, which received a
Short Film Palme d'Or The Short Film Palme d'Or (french: Palme d'Or du court métrage) is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. Since the creation of the Cinéfondation La ''Cinéfondation'' is a foundation under the aegis of the Cannes ...
nomination at Cannes. His Camden studio became world-famous for its ground-breaking visuals and in 1980 Emes was cited as Britain's foremost animator, his achievements celebrated in a Retrospective at the National Film Theatre (1980). Collaborations with musicians continued, notably
The Chauffeur
for
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
starring Perri Lister, and The Wall – Live in Berlin (1990), which was
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...
' first solo performance of the album, attended by the then largest concert audience of all time. The interpretive film by Emes starred Rupert Everett,
Ute Lemper Ute Gertrud Lemper (; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playing Sally Bowles in the original Paris production of ''Cabaret'', for which she won the 1987 Molière Award for Best Newcomer, and Velma ...
and Marianne Faithful, and included sequences of the Marching Hammers projected onto the remains of the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
.


Film & Television

Concurrently Emes diversified into live-action, writing and directing short films, amongst them the ballroom dancing comedy '' Goodie Two Shoes'' (1984), produced by
Jeff Katzenberg Jeffrey Katzenberg (; born December 21, 1950) is an American filmmaking, filmmaker, animator, and media proprietor. He became well known for his tenure as chairman of Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994. After d ...
then of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, for which Emes received an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA Award. A career in film and television followed, including the series ''
How to Be Cool ''How to be Cool'' is a 1987 novel written by Philip Pullman and intended for older teen readers. The plot revolves around a young man named Jacob who finds out the truth about the sinister plans of the National Cool Board and hits upon an idea ...
'' starring
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...
, adapted by Emes from the book by Philip Pullman (author of '' The Golden Compass''), ''
Streetwise Streetwise may refer to: Knowledgeable *Streetwise, possessing knowledge of youth culture, also called "street" *Streetwise, possessing know-how (practical knowledge), as opposed to ivory tower or book knowledge, knowledge on how to succeed throu ...
'' starring Andy Serkis (1989), and '' The Invisible Man'' (2000) for
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. In 1987 Emes wrote and directed his feature debut '' Knights & Emeralds'', produced by Sir David Puttnam for
Goldcrest Films Goldcrest Films is an award-winning independent British distribution, production, post production, and finance company. Operating from London and New York, Goldcrest is a privately owned integrated filmed entertainment company. Goldcrest Films ov ...
and
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
. Television movies include the cult film ''
The Yob "The Yob" is the 21st episode of the British television comedy series The Comic Strip Presents..., written by Keith Allen and Daniel Peacock, with Allen also in the title role, and was directed by Ian Emes. It was first screened on Channel 4 ...
'' (1987) for ''
The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The c ...
'' starring Keith Allen, ''
The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas ''The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas'' is a 1996 American made-for-television science fiction comedy film featuring characters from the 1960s sitcom ''The Munsters''. It featured a different cast from the original series, the 1980s revival seri ...
'' produced by
John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...
and the critically acclaimed '' Deadly Summer'' (1997). In the mid-nineties, Emes became an in-house director for
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
at
Ridley Scott Associates Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
.


Exhibitions

* ECHOES, No 20 Arts (2018) *Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains, V&A (2017) * On the Run, City Gallery, Wroclaw (2016) * Ikons' Icons, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2015) * This Time Tomorrow, Ray Davies, Konk Gallery, London (2014) * Time, BIAD, Birmingham (2013) * One of These Days, Unit 24 Southbank, London (2012) * It Was a Thursday Night, The Horse Hospital, London (2010) * National Film Theatre Retrospective, London (1980)


Tours

* Roger Waters Us + Them, US Tour (2017) * David Gilmour European Tour, Royal Albert Hall, London (2016) * Mike Oldfield In Concert Tour (1980) * Pink Floyd, Knebworth (1976) * Pink Floyd World Tour, The Hollywood Bowl (1975) * Pink Floyd, Empire Pool Wembley (1974)


Filmography

* The Endless River, Pink Floyd (2019) * Nothing Part 14, Pink Floyd (2016) * The War of the Worlds, Jeff Wayne (2013) * Rats (2001) * The Invisible Man, Universal Studios (2000) * Deadly Summer, C5 (Feature Film) (1997) * The Munsters, Universal Studios (Feature Film) (1996) * In-House Director, Ridley Scott Associates (1992 - 1998) * The Wall: Live in Berlin, Roger Waters (1990) * How to be Cool, Granada, Phillip Pullman (1989) * The Yob (Feature Film), The Comic Strip - C4 (1987) * Knights and Emeralds (Feature Film), David Puttnam, Warner Bros (1986) * The Box of Delights, BBC (1985) * Goodie Two Shoes, Jeff Katzenberg (DreamWorks), Paramount Pictures (1983) * The Magic Shop (1982) * The Chauffeur, Duran Duran (1982) * The Beard (1979) * Hyde (1979) * The Oriental Nightfish, Paul and Linda McCartney (1978) * Hearts Right, Roger Daltry (1976) * Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield (1975) * The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1974) * One of These Days, Pink Floyd (1973)


Awards and nominations

* Emmy Nomination (2017) * British Animation Award Winner (2014) * BAFTA Award Winner (2011) * BAFTA Award Winner (2009) * BAFTA Award Nomination (2002) * RTS Directing Award (1989) * RTS Design Award (1989) * BAFTA Award Winner (1984) * Oscar Nomination (1984) * Palme d'Or Winner (1979) * Award de Qualité (1979)


Personal life

Ian Emes was born in Handsworth,
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England. He was educated at Marsh Hill Boys Grammar Technical School in Birmingham's
Erdington Erdington is a suburb and ward of Birmingham in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Warwickshire and located northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutton Coldfield. It was also a council constituency, managed by its o ...
district and then studied at
Birmingham College of Art The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...
. He now lives in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.


References


External links


Emes' website
*
Emes on Flickr
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Emes, Ian BAFTA winners (people) English animators English film directors British animated film directors Living people People from Handsworth, West Midlands 1949 births Alumni of the Birmingham School of Art