Run Wrake

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Run Wrake

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|birth_name = John Wrake

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1965|11|24|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Yemen

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|10|21|1965|11|24|df=yes}}

|death_place = Ashford, Kent

|occupation = Animator, film director

| years_active = 1990–2012

|spouse = Lisa Wrake

|children = 2

}}

John "Run" Wrake (24 November 1965{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk//news/obituary-run-wrake|title=Run Wrake, 1965-2012|last=Thomas|first=Gary|date=31 March 2014|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=8 April 2016}} – 21 October 2012) was an English animator, film director, graphic designer, and music video director. He was best known for his 2005 short film, Rabbit.

Early life and education

Wrake was born in Yemen on 24 November 1965. His father was a chaplain assigned to the British army there. He grew up in Sussex. He studied graphic design at the Chelsea College of Arts, later graduating with an M.A. in animation from the Royal College of Art in London.{{cite web|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/run-wrake-1965-2012-72306.html|title=Run Wrake (1965-2012)|last=Amidi|first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi|date=23 October 2012|publisher=Cartoon Brew|access-date=8 April 2016}} His 1990 animated student film from his days at the Royal College, Anyway, aired on MTV's Liquid Television in 1994.

Career

After graduating, Wrake worked freelance, illustrating and designing album covers and tour visuals for artists such as U2 and Howie B, in addition to directing commercials for companies such as Coca-Cola throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.{{cite web|url=http://www.animateonline.org/films/rabbit/biography.html|title=animate! › Films › Rabbit by Run Wrake › direction & collaboration|website=Animateonline.org|access-date=1 May 2016}} He also directed music videos, many of which were for Howie B. He later began working with Animate Projects, which commissioned him to direct animated short films. In 2005, he released his animated short film entitled Rabbit, his most notable work. Rabbit tells a morality tale about the dangers of greed through a Dick and Jane art style. Wrake's main inspiration for the film was an envelope he found in a thrift shop containing children's educational stickers, illustrated by Geoffrey Higham, from the 1950s.{{cite web|url=http://runwrake.com/portfolio_page/rabbit/|title=Rabbit|date=4 March 2015|website=Runwake.com|access-date=8 April 2016}} The film received numerous awards and nominations, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Short Animation Film at the 2006 BAFTA Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_artist/w/r_wrake|title=Run Wrake|date=30 March 2014 |publisher=Animate Projects|access-date=14 April 2016}}

Death

In November 2011, Wrake was diagnosed with lung cancer. This inspired him to direct the short film, Down with the Dawn, with music by Howie B.{{cite web|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/19441/1/howie-b-down-with-the-dawn|title=Howie B – Down With The Dawn |last=Pryor|first= John-Paul|work=Dazed|date=3 April 2014 |access-date=9 April 2016}} On 21 October 2012, aged 46, Wrake succumbed to the illness.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Film

Year

!Title

!Role

!class="unsortable"|Notes

1990

|Anyway

|Director, writer

|Short film

1994

|Jukebox

|Director

|Short film

1996

|Music for Babies

|Director

|Short film to accompany Howie B's album of the same name

1998

|M2 – Ping Batter Pong

|Director

|Short film

2001

|What Is That

|Director

|Short film

2002

|Lessons in Smoking

|Director

|Short film

2002

|NME Gallery

|Director

|Short film

2005

|Rabbit

|Director, producer, writer

|Short film
Nominated–BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation Film{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/film/short-animation-film|title=2006 Film Short Animation Film|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|access-date=8 April 2016}}

2008

|The Control Master

|Director, writer

|Short film

2009

|Just a Minute

|Director

|Short film

2011

|Here We Go Loopy Lou

|Director

|Short film

2011

|Public Meat

|Director

|Short film to accompany Public Image Ltd's song "Public Image"

2012

|Down with the Dawn

|Director, producer

|Short film to accompany Howie B's album of the same name

2012

|Meat Street

|Director

|Unfinished pilot

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Music videos

Year

! Video

! Artist

! Role

1991

|"Cadillac"

|Gang of Four

|Director

1993

|"TV Tan"

|The Wildhearts

|Director

1996

|"Butt Meat"

|Howie B

|Director

1996

|"We Have Explosive"

|The Future Sound of London

|Director, photography

1997

|"Angels Go Bald:Too"

|Howie B

|Director

1997

|"Switch"

|Howie B

|Director

1998

|"Maniac Melody"

|Howie B

|Director

1998

|"Take Your Partner by the Hand"

|Howie B

|Director

1999

|"I Can Sing but I Don't Want To"

|Howie B

|Director

1999

|"She Called Again"

|Howie B

|Director

2000

|"Papua New Guinea"

|The Future Sound of London

|Director

2001

|"The Beamer"

|Spacer

|Director

2001

|"We Belong in This World Together"

|Stereo MCs

|Director

2002

|"Mr. Bobby"

|Manu Chao

|Director

2004

|"Try Again Today"

|The Charlatans

|Director, producer

2005

|"Flyover"

|Asian Dub Foundation

|Director

References

{{reflist}}