Who's who
Derek Hayes
Lecturer
Born in Lancashire, Derek went to Art School in Manchester and Sheffield.
In Sheffield a chance meeting with another student, Phil Austin, introduced him to the art of animation and a life in film. The two collaborated on several projects, including a 20 minute film called ‘Custard', and left the college with a Dip.Ad (that would be a BA in today's money) in sculpture since there was no official film course there at the time; what they had apparently been doing was 'liberal studies'.
They were offered places as the first animation students at the National Film School where they made another 20 minute film, ‘Max Beeza and the City in the Sky', as well as working on live-action films. At the time the NFS didn't issue qualifications, if you got work you were deemed to have graduated.
After film school Derek made a short film for the BBC and them re-teamed with Austin to do the cartoons, titles, graphics and censorship changes for the Sex Pistols film ‘The Great Rock ‘n' Roll Swindle' and launch an animation company, Animation City.
Animation City ran for 14 years. Derek made commercials for companies like Lego and Carlsberg; TV graphics, including the BAFTA award winning titles for ‘Jeeves and Wooster', and pop videos for the likes of Madonna, Rod Stewart and Elton John. He also directed or co-directed more than ten short films including award winners like ‘The Victor' and TV special ‘Prince Cinders'.
In 1993 Derek closed Animation City to become a freelance director since when he has directed two short films and two cinema features:
‘The Miracle Maker', was an award winning animated life of Christ and featured the voices of Ralph Fiennes, William Hurt, Julie Christie and Miranda Richardson.
‘Otherworld', with Ioan Gruffydd, Daniel Evans, Matthew Rhys and Philip Madoc mixed animation and live-action to retell a series of ancient Celtic legends of love, magic and war.
More recently he has worked with Aardman Animation developing a feature film project, as Head of Story on a series of children's films and as a consultant and designer on various on-going projects.
He has been External Examiner for various animation courses, including the RCA, UWE and the London Institute.
Derek is currently co-writing a book, ‘Acting and Performance for Animation', as well as developing a new live-action and CG feature film project, two TV series for children and, in a new departure, a live action, natural-history drama-documentary.
E:
Copyright © 2011 University College Falmouth. All Rights Reserved.
