Animation Ireland have teamed up with An Post to release a four stamp set celebrating the Irish animation industry.
In a first for An Post, the stamps feature Augmented Reality technology to virtually bring them to life. When scanned by a Smartphone with the CEE App installed, a specially produced film featuring ‘Roy’, ‘Give Up Yer Aul Sins’, ‘The Secret of Kells’, ‘Nelly & Nora’ and other animated works can be seen.
The four 68c stamps, a first day cover and a collector’s item booklet containing four sets of the special stamps alongside additional illustrations and information were designed by leading Irish design company Vermillion Design and are available from main post offices, from the Stamp Shop in Dublin’s GPO and online at www.irishstamps.ie.
Animation Ireland’s Cathal Gaffney said: ‘Animation Ireland approached An Post with this idea and we were delighted that they embraced it with such enthusiasm. It is fitting that these beautifully designed Irish stamps will be seen around the world just as our animation is.’
The series of stamps represents a diversity of styles and techniques from short films to TV series and feature films, all of which are internationally acclaimed.
Today, animation produced in Ireland is viewed by more than 100 million children every year in more than 140 countries around the world. Animation production is a happy marriage of art and commerce, requiring highly skilled staff using technology to tell stories. It is the largest employer of full time permanent staff in the Film & TV sector in Ireland, playing a key role in Ireland’s creative economy.
‘Roy’, produced by Jam Media, was awarded the coveted 2012 Children's BAFTA Drama Award. ‘Give Up Yer Aul Sins’ by Brown Bag Films received an Oscar nomination in the Short Film (Animated) category in 2002. ‘The Secret of Kells’ by Cartoon Saloon was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 in the Best Animated Feature film category. More recently, ‘Nelly & Nora’ by Geronimo Productions has achieved considerable international success following its world premiere in February 2015.
For more information, visit www.animationireland.com.
