Animating Elizabeth Linley
Bringing history to life
The Lost Romance of Elizabeth Linley is a short animated film celebrating an English icon.
SYNOPSIS
The film begins by imagining the older Eliza reflecting on her celebrity past, conjuring up caricatures of society figures like the writers Dr Johnson, Horace Walpole and Fanny Burney, as well as high society fans like the Duchess of Devonshire and King George III. But Eliza is now a figure who transcends time, as much connected to her fans today, as those of the past. The film draws these worlds together, triumphantly reinforcing her legacy and enduring inspiration.
ANIMATION STYLE
Elizabeth Linley and her world are brought to life using two different types of animation. The first is 2D cut-out animation, which reflects the Georgian fashion for printed cartoons and the theatrical style of the Comedy of Manners. Eliza herself was caricatured in such comedies, including Samuel Foote’s The Maid of Bath as well as The Rivals written by her own husband Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Accordingly the cast of gossiping society figures are designed and animated as mannered characters in the style of 18th-century prints.
The second animation style uses 3D computer techniques to portray much more subtle character acting. This brings to life the painted Eliza: a real woman adopting the persona of a Romantic heroine for an adoring public. Watching the 1995 Panorama interview of Princess Diana by Martin Bashir provided the inspiration for this.
The Lost Romance of Elizabeth Linley was developed through an Open Workshop residency and AniDox: Lab with the support of The Animation Workshopand the Danish Film Institute. We are truly grateful to all those who supported our Kickstarter campaign. Your contributions and encouragement have made this project possible. Thank you.
FILM CREDITS
A film by Leo Crane
Music by The Unrecorded
PRODUCERS
Daniel Alexander
Harvey & Allison McGrath
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Ingrid Beazley
DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
ANIDOX:LAB
The Animation Workshop
Danish Film Institute
Uri Kranot
Michelle Kranot
Hans Frederick Jacobsen
THANKS TO
Dulwich Picture Gallery
SolidAngle | Arnold Renderer
PICTURE CREDITS
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
ANIMATION
Leo Crane
Jon Petter Vorren
MUSIC & SOUND
Andrew Hayes
CHARACTERS & BACKGROUNDS
Leo Crane
Carlos Toebels
Arda Kaya
Birk von Brockdorff
Evelina Jeliazkova
Iuliia Markina
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Archit Vazé
Colin Tunnicliffe
Alexandra Carson
Andromeda Godfrey
Niovi Phinopoulou
Emanuela Gatto
VOICES
Ian Dejardin
Caroline Kenny
Samuel R Crane
Abbie Hayes
Gillian Daniell
Leo Crane
Angus Haldane
GALLERY CROWD
Esme Addams
Jonathan Armour
Ingrid Beazley
Angie Macdonald
Emily Sterz
Olivia Syla
Jon Petter Vorren
THE LINLEY CIRCLE
Daniel Alexander
Harvey & Allison McGrath
Ingrid Beazley
Lottie Cole
Alvin Hall
Ali Shannon
THE GAINSBOROUGH CLUB
Johann Benichou
Lily Harriss
Caroline Kenny
Julian Kenny
Anthony Smith
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp
Marina Vaizey
SUPPORTERS
Jolyon Bateman
Dan Connolly
CX Accountants
Mauricio Ferrazza
Andromeda Godfrey
Magdalena Ilkova
Krasimir Jeliazkov
Diana Juhr-De Benedetti
Paul Kleiman & Jo Richler
George & Stavi
Larisa Markina
Martina Mishkova
James & Elisabeth Thom
Dave and Monica Wiltshire
Kathleen Wyatt
Victoria Broackes
Olivia Colling
Lauri Dahl
Melanie de Blank
Jenny Fong
Nick F
Molly Freshwater
Simone Giampaolo
Andy Grieve
The Amy Grimehouse
Abbie Hayes
Susannah Herbert
Stuart Holdsworth
Aydin Kaya
Simone Ling
S Longair
Greggor Mattson
Noemie Et Elly
Paul Motsuk
Josh Myers
Francisco Pereira
Katy Smawfield
Abraham Thomas
Petr Tomicek
Countess Carolinda Tolstoy-Miloslavsky
Adam Twycross
Faynia Williams & Richard Crane
Sabra Williams
Teohna Williams
and the many others who have helped us with contributions and expertise.