Christopher Sadler
{{short description|British animator, director and writer (born 1970)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2016}}
Christopher Sadler (born 1970{{cite web|url=http://www.animacor.com/animacor07/selected-films.php?pelicula%3D8|title=III International Animation Festival ANIMACOR'07|accessdate=24 August 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829171948/http://www.animacor.com/animacor07/selected-films.php?pelicula=8|archivedate=29 August 2010}}) is a British animator, director and writer. He is primarily known for his work on Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Rex the Runt, Cracking Contraptions, Creature Comforts and Shaun the Sheep.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
He completed his secondary education at Codsall High School, Staffordshire, leaving in 1989 having passed four A levels. He then joined a one-year art and design foundation course at Stafford College before moving to Bristol and embarking on a Graphic Design degree at University of the West of England.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
Although he originally focused on illustration, Sadler later turned his hand to stop motion animation. He graduated in 1993. He began his professional career as a freelance model/set builder before returning to animation. During the 1990s he worked for various film production companies including Bolex Brothers and Elm Road Studios in Bristol, Aaagh Animations in Cardiff and Gnome Productions in Wellington, New Zealand.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
He first worked for Aardman Animations in 1994 as a freelance animator and model maker, working on several commercials and the pilot episode for Richard Goleszowski's Rex the Runt series. This led to him being given his first chance to direct when the second series went into production in 2001. In 1999 he was a member of the animation team on Robbie the Reindeer for the BBC, his last independent production before joining Aardman.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
He became a full-time Aardman staff member in November 2000 and enjoyed several roles during his time there, including key/character animator on the stop frame feature film projects, "Chicken Run", "Curse of the WereRabbit" and "The Pirates! In an adventure with Scientists!" He joined the Shaun the Sheep team in late 2005, helping to develop the look and animation style of the series and was director of ten episodes.{{cite web|url=http://www.shaunthesheep.com/forum/read/29075/1|title=Shaun the Sheep - Forum - Series 2 - Your New Series Director|accessdate=30 November 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410204455/http://www.shaunthesheep.com/forum/read/29075/1|archivedate=10 April 2009}}
He was made series director for the second series of forty episodes, which completed production in March 2010. After the filming of "The Pirates! In an adventure with Scientists!" completed in December 2011, he returned to direct five more episodes of "Shaun the Sheep" series 3. He left Aardman Animations in August 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cjsadler|title=Linked In|last=Sadler|first=Christopher|date=|website=Linked In|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}
Awards and nominations
{{Incomplete list|date=August 2009}}
- 2010 - International Emmy Awards - Winner of Children and Young People category for 'Shaun The Sheep'
- 2010 - The Writers' Guild of Great Britain - Winner{{cite news|title=Writers' Guild Award winners|url=http://www.writersguild.org.uk/news-a-features/general/105-guild-award-winners-2010|publisher=The Writers' Guild|date=22 November 2010|accessdate=15 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724145704/http://www.writersguild.org.uk/news-a-features/general/105-guild-award-winners-2010|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead}} Best Children's Television Drama/Comedy
- 2010 - BAFTA Children's Awards - Winner{{cite news|title=British Academy Children's Awards Winners in 2010|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/awards2010,1452,BA.html#jump0|publisher=BAFTA|date=28 November 2010|accessdate=15 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210075827/http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/awards2010,1452,BA.html#jump0|archive-date=10 December 2010|url-status=dead}} for Animation - Director: Richard Webber, Series Director: Chris Sadler; Producer: Gareth Owen
- 2010 - British Animation Awards - Winner{{cite news|title=Aardman sweeps board at British Animation Awards|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8609918.stm |publisher=BBC News|date=1 March 2010|accessdate=9 April 2010}} for Best Children's Series for "Ewe've Been Framed" Director: Richard Webber, Series Director: Chris Sadler; Producer: Gareth Owen{{cite news|title=British Animation Awards nominees announced|url=http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/british-animation-awards-nominees-announced|publisher=Forbidden Planet|date=1 March 2010|accessdate=20 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304174514/http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/british-animation-awards-nominees-announced/|archive-date=4 March 2012|url-status=dead}}
- 2008 - International Emmy Awards - Winner of Children and Young People category for 'Shaun The Sheep' (Director with Richard Goleszowski and JP Vine){{cite news|title=UK Wins in Seven Categories including Best Performance by an Actor & Best Performance by an Actress|url=http://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=72|publisher=International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences|date=24 November 2008|accessdate=23 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226204105/http://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=72|archive-date=26 December 2008|url-status=dead}}
- 2007 - Annecy Awards - Winner of Best TV Production - 'Still Life' from the 'Shaun the Sheep' (Director) {{cite web|last=Gordon|first=Joe|url=http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2007/brit-animation-steals-the-show-at-annency|title=Brit animation steals the show at Annecy - Forbidden Planet Blog|website=Forbiddenplanet.co.uk|date=18 June 2007|accessdate=20 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021001205/http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2007/brit-animation-steals-the-show-at-annency/|archive-date=21 October 2016|url-status=dead}}
- 2007 - BAFTA Children's Award - Nominated for 'Shaun the Sheep' (Director, along with Julie Lockhart & Richard Goleszowski) {{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3354879/BAFTA-Childrens-Awards-will-Harry-get-the-public-vote.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|title=BAFTA Children's Awards: will Harry get the public vote?|first=Suzi|last=Dixon|date=22 October 2007|accessdate=30 April 2010}}
- 2007 - Rushes Soho Short Film Festival - Winner of The Era Animation Award - ‘Shaun the Sheep – Off the Baa’ (Director){{cite web|url=http://www.creativematch.co.uk/viewnews/?94554|title=Winners announced for the Rushes Soho Short Film Festival|website=Creativematch.co.uk|accessdate=20 October 2016}}
- 2005 - 33rd Annie Awards - Nomination for Best character animation 'Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' (with Jay Grace){{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{iMDb name|1088172}}
{{Wallaceandgromit}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Alumni of the University of the West of England, Bristol
Category:Stop motion animators
Category:English film directors
Category:British animated film directors
Category:English screenwriters
Category:English male screenwriters