Ivor Wood (4 May 1932 – 13 October 2004) was a prolific Anglo-French stop motion director, producer, animator and writer known for his work on children's television series.
Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his family moved to the mountains near Lyon, France after the Second World War, where he was educated. He studied fine art in Paris, and later worked in an advertising agency in Paris, where he met Serge Danot. Together they made the acclaimed French series Le Manège Enchanté (known in English as The Magic Roundabout), with Wood as the animator .
Following the success of The Magic Roundabout in the UK, Wood partnered with the British London-based animation company FilmFair. Wood became both animator and director for a number of FilmFair's animated children's programmes, starting with The Herbs in 1968. During the 1970s he animated and directed Hattytown Tales, The Adventures of Parsley, The Wombles (TV series), Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings and Paddington. After the production of Paddington, Wood left FilmFair to set up Woodland Animations.
Wood died of cancer in London on 13 October 2004 at the age of 72. His ashes were scattered in France. Wood was survived by his wife Josiane and one son. His friends took out a full page in Broadcast magazine which read: “You will be missed. Your legacy will remain in children's hearts for all time”.
Read more about Ivor Wood: Woodland Animations
Famous quotes containing the word wood:
“it was older sure than this year’s cutting,
Or even last year’s or the year’s before.
The wood was gray and the bark warping off it
And the pile somewhat sunken. Clematis
Had wound strings round and round it like a bundle.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)