Alex Williams 2D Animation Reel

Recently I've been digging around online to find HD copies of some of the best shots I have done on various 2D animated feature films over the years (my existing 2D animation demo reels were of doubtful quality, with low resolution images). Above is a selection of my best work on films from "Roger Rabbit" in the 80s and 90s all the way through "Thief and The Cobbler", "Iron Giant" and "Sinbad" (my last 2d feature) in the early 2000s.  Edit by Miguel Teixeira, music by Pixabay.  All in full HD. 

"A Moment in Time" at the BFI on 22 Sept 2024

A Moment in Time at the BFI Sunday 22 September 2024

Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler - A Moment in Time - will be screened at the BFI on Sunday 22 September 2024, with a Q&A with producer Imogen Sutton.

To buy tickets to see this rarely-screened (only the 3rd UK screening) unfinished film, follow the link to the BFI website here.

Working on "The Thief & The Cobbler"

One of my subscribers at my YouTube channel recently asked me what it was like working on "The Thief & The Cobbler" - the almost-completed animation classic sometimes described as "the greatest animated film never made".  I could write a book on the subject - and there is a very useful Wikipedia page on The Thief which explains in detail what happened to the film. Above is a short video giving my personal take on working on the film - which was one of the best experiences of my career in animation.

Character Walks - Animating The Zig Zag Walk

Above is a series of shots I animated during my two years working as an animator on "The Thief and The Cobbler", the never-quite-finished feature film that is sometimes described as "the greatest animated film never made". The ZigZag walk was my one of first assignments as a junior animator, and it was a tough one to figure out. The walk contained a lot of different elements all moving together in sequence but on different timings, hard to pull off and hard to get right.

Richard Williams at BFI on 25th November 2018

A Moment in Time

Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler - A Moment in Time - is to be screened at the BFI on Sunday 25th November, with a Q&A afterwards.

To buy tickets to see this rarely-screened film, follow the link to the BFI website here.

ASIFA Hollywood Helps Rescue Thief Artwork

Some good news at last for Richard Williams' lost masterpiece - The Thief and The Cobbler.  LA animation chapter ASIFA-Hollywood has donated the not-insignificant sum of $20,000 to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to assist with the curation and documentation of a big chunk of the movie's original production artwork.

Thief & The Cobbler - A Moment in Time - NYC

Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler - A Moment in Time - is to be screened in NYC in tonight and on saturday at MOMA - New York's temple of modern art.

The screening was featured in the New York Times - you can read about it here.

To buy tickets to see this rarely-screened film, follow the link to the Moma website here.

Anyone serious about studying animation should see Williams' film at least once. This event is a rare chance to catch a film made utterly without artistic compromise. And of course a chance to meet Williams' himself, who will appear in a Q&A after the film.

The Thief and The Cobbler at Annecy

On stage at Annecy - Le Voleur et Le Cordonnier

Here at Animation Apprentice we encourage all our students to visit the international Animation Festival at Annecy at least once.  It's the world's biggest animation festival - everyone who is anyone in animation shows up, and there are more screenings, workshops and events than you could possibly attend in a whole year.  Friday 19 June was the last day of the MIFA marketplace at Annecy, and also a rare chance to see The Thief and The Cobbler (en Francais: “Le voleur et le cordonnier”) original director’s cut – presented by the director himself.  Dad got a standing ovation when he came on stage, and he dedicated the screening to the memory of Ken Harris, one of Chuck Jones’ top animators on the Looney Tunes series and the man responsible for much of the animation of The Thief himself.

UK premiere - BFI screening of "A Moment in Time" - the director's cut of The Thief and The Cobbler

On June 1st, BFI (the British Film Institute), in association with the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences, is screening the UK and European premiere of Richard Williams' lost masterpiece - "The Thief and the Cobbler: A Moment in Time".

BFI will be screening a new digital version of the reconstructed work-print at the BFI/Southbank in London. Richard Williams will be in discussion with veteran film critic David Robinson following the screening. BFI members can buy tickets now and tickets go on sale to the public on May 13th: