Learning Talk
Otherworldly: Creating Tim Burton’s Universe
Join Tim Burton's collaborators, puppeteers Ian Mackinnon and Pete Saunders, and sound artist Tomi Rose to reflect on their craft and the creation of Burton’s vivid characters and imaginative worlds.
Tim Burton is the creative force behind some of the most celebrated films of the last four decades. He is internationally recognised as a master of the comically grotesque and the endearing misfit. The materialisation of his vision is a process shared with many creative minds, among which puppeteers Ian Mackinnon and Pete Saunders and set decorator Peter Young stand out.
Ian Mackinnon and Pete Saunders have collaborated with Tim Burton for over 25 years, crafting unforgettable puppets for films such as Mars Attacks (1995), Corpse Bride (2006) and Frankenweenie (2012).
Tomi Rose is an award-winning composer and musician who plays with sounds, images, texts, installation, and performance, making pieces for international festivals, galleries, club and concert spaces. In collaboration with the Design Museum, he is the creator of the soundtrack for The World of Tim Burton exhibition.
They will join Curator Maria McLintock to discuss their creative practices and the processes behind bringing Burton’s imagination to life.
This is an unmissable event for all Tim Burton fans, film creatives, and those interested in set design, puppets, stop-motion, animation and cinema.
Speakers
Mackinnon is co-founder and Creative Director of Mackinnon & Saunders, the world-renowned leaders in character development for animation and producers of high-quality stop motion and 2D digital animation. He has worked closely with Tim Burton on the look and interpretation of the stop motion puppet designs for Mars Attacks!, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and the recently released Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Other films include Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning Pinocchio and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox.
Saunders is co-founder of Mackinnon & Saunders and is responsible for overseeing many of the technical challenges faced in the construction of stop motion puppets. He and Ian have worked together for over 40 years. Alongside the puppet making, Mackinnon & Saunders studios have produced the animation for countless TV series, short films and commercials, including Postman Pat, Twirlywoos, Moon & Me, Raa Raa and most recently, Netflix’s other-worldly stop motion anthology, The House.
Rose is a musician/composer making puckish and tender live performances, installations, and audio-visual work, including commissions for the ICA, Southbank Centre, and Cafe OTO. He has contributed specials to the BBC, NTS, Resonance FM, Montez Press, and Berlin Community Radio, features in The Wire, Rolling Stone, and Guardian. Recent work includes pieces for strings/drills alongside Mica Levi, a feral broadcast with Mark Leckey, and he co-runs the Slip label, an artist-led imprint producing rogue hybrid music.
McLintock is an architecture and design curator, lecturer and writer. She is the curator of 'The World of Tim Burton' at the Design Museum and editor of its accompanying publication 'Tim Burton: Designing Worlds'. She has formerly worked at The MoMA, NYC, and Ikon Gallery. McLintock teaches architectural history at the School of Architecture (University of Limerick) and Central Saint Martins (UAL). She writes on architecture and politics for publications including Architectural Review and e-flux architecture.
Book online
Adult: £12
Concession: £11
Members*: £10
Child under 16: £10
*Please note that this benefit only applies to the cardholding Member’s ticket and not those of additional guests.
• Pre-booking is required
• Hearing Loop and BSL interpretation available
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Suitable Age: 12 +. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible, ticket-holding adult
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Visit our terms & conditions page for further information.
The exhibition
Background image: Courtesy of Mackinnon & Saunders studio.
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