In 1978 both Hamish Hamilton
in the United Kingdom and Random House in the United States published children's
picture book without words by English author Raymond Briggs, that book was The
Snowman.
Then in 1982 the book was
adapted into a twenty-six-minute animated television special by Dianne
Jackson for the fledgling British public service Channel 4. It debuted
on Channel 4 on December 26th in the UK and was an immediate
success. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short
Film and won a BAFTA TV Award, out of two nominations and has become
prominent in British popular culture and its showings have since become an
annual festive event. In the states, The Snowman aired on the Nickelodeon Network
as a Special Delivery in the mid 1980’s.
In the UK The Snowman book was
the runner up for the Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognizing
the year's best children's book illustration by a British writer. In the US, it
was named to the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list in 1979. The 1982 was nominated
for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
Like the book the animated special
is told the story is told through pictures, action and music which was scored
by Howard Blake. The only exception to this was Blake’s composition of both
the music and lyrics of the song, "Walking in the Air” performed by
a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty.
The Snowman tells the story of
a boy who builds a snowman one cold winter’s day, which, much to his surprise, comes
to life at the stroke of midnight. As they explore they house they must keep very
quiet so as not to awaken the boy’s parents.
Once outside they go for a motorcycle
ride which disturbs many neighborhood animals. Later they take flight over the
boy's village, then the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Pier, and
then out over the ocean and north along the coast of Norway. They continue
through an arctic landscape and into the aurora. They land in a
snow-covered forest and join a party of snowmen. They meet Father
Christmas with his reindeer, who gives him a scarf with a snowman pattern.
The morning after the return
journey, the sun has come out and the boy wakes up to find the snowman has
melted. The boy reaches into his pocket and finds the snowman scarf given to
him by Father Christmas.
2012 sequel: The Snowman and the Snowdog
For the 30th anniversary
of The Snowman a new twenty-three-minute special titled The Snowman and
The Snowdog aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 2012 at 8pm GMT.
It was produced at the London-based animation company Lupus Films, with many
of the original team returning, the sequel was made in the same traditional
techniques as the original film, and features the Snowman, a new little boy and
a snow dog, flying over landmarks and going to another party.
The idea of a sequel had been
resisted by Raymond Briggs for several years, but finally in 2012 he gave his permission
for the film. The sequel was dedicated to the memory of producer John
Coates, who died in September 2012, during its production.
Stage Version
The Snowman has also
been made into a stage show. It was first produced by Contact Theatre,
Manchester in 1986. The Contact Theatre production was adapted and
produced by Anthony Clark. It had a full script and used Howard Blake's music
and lyrics. In 1993, Birmingham Repertory Company produced a version, with
music and lyrics by Howard Blake, scenario by Blake, with Bill Alexander and
choreography by Robert North.
Since 1997, Sadler's
Wells has presented it every year as the Christmas Show at the Peacock
Theatre. As in the book and the film, there are no words, apart from the lyrics
of the song "Walking in the Air". The story is told through images
and movement.
Special effects include the
Snowman and boy flying high over the stage (with assistance of wires and
harnesses) and ‘snow’ falling in part of the auditorium. The production has had
several revisions – the most extensive happening in 2000, when major changes were
made to the second act, introducing new characters: The Ice Princess and Jack
Frost.
Video Game
Quicksilva published an
official video game in 1984, for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MSX.
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