Terry Gilliam, aside from being a film maker, is the creator of distinctive and quirky animations which stand out thanks to his use of cut out engravings, photographs and his own drawings. These images are then melded together in surreal scenarios, which are all the more unusual considering the juxtaposition between the stern, Victorian photos and the silliness of the comedy.
Initially, Gilliam's animations were used as a link between the sketches of Monty Python's Flying Circus, but soon became an integral part of the show and have come to define the visual language of the group through use for their other media including book and LP covers. It is in Monty Python's films that Gilliam was allowed to stretch his animating legs, not only through the title sequences, but with action sequences involving fantastical monsters (The Holy Grail). The choice to use Gilliam's signature animated style to create the 'Legendary Black Beast of Aarrrggghh' over any other technique not only heightens the comedy, but further enhances the inseparability of Terry Gilliam's animation and Monty Python.
"The whole point of animation to me is to tell a story, make a joke, express an idea. The technique itself doesn't really matter. Whatever works is the thing to use."- A quote from Gilliam when he appeared on the Do-it-yourself Animation Show in the early 1970s. It is a terrible shame that there aren't programmes like this any more, where people can watch and learn from their animating icons.
Initially, Gilliam's animations were used as a link between the sketches of Monty Python's Flying Circus, but soon became an integral part of the show and have come to define the visual language of the group through use for their other media including book and LP covers. It is in Monty Python's films that Gilliam was allowed to stretch his animating legs, not only through the title sequences, but with action sequences involving fantastical monsters (The Holy Grail). The choice to use Gilliam's signature animated style to create the 'Legendary Black Beast of Aarrrggghh' over any other technique not only heightens the comedy, but further enhances the inseparability of Terry Gilliam's animation and Monty Python.
"The whole point of animation to me is to tell a story, make a joke, express an idea. The technique itself doesn't really matter. Whatever works is the thing to use."- A quote from Gilliam when he appeared on the Do-it-yourself Animation Show in the early 1970s. It is a terrible shame that there aren't programmes like this any more, where people can watch and learn from their animating icons.
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