Richard Starzak

Richard Starzak, previously known as Richard "Golly" Goleszowski, is an English animator. Starzak was born in Suffolk in 1959 and grew up in Ipswich, attending Northgate Grammar School. After completing a degree in Fine Art at Exeter College of Art and Design specialising in animation, he experimented further with animation and DJ-ing before joining Aardman Animations in 1983 as its first employee. During his first nine-year stretch at Aardman he worked on several short films and promos including "Morph", "Sledgehammer" for Peter Gabriel, Pee-Wee's Playhouse in New York, his own film Ident (1989), which introduced the character Rex, and two Rex the Runt pilot films. His commercial work includes Domestos Big Dom, Grolsch, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs, Weetos and Maltesers and several European commercials. In 1992, Starzak left Aardman to pursue a freelance career during which time he worked in New Zealand as Production Adviser for Oscar and Friends, and wrote and directed 13 episodes of Rex the Runt for BBC2, winning the Carlton Award for International Animation at The Indies in 2000. He then directed Robbie the Reindeer in 1999 for BBC Animation Unit. Robbie went on to win 19 international awards including a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (BAFTA). Following the success of Robbie, Starzak worked for two years on a project for Aardman’s feature film department as well as directing and writing the second series of Rex the Runt. In 2002, Starzak was honoured with the Award for Best TV Special for Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire at the 3rd International Festival of Animated Feature Films and TV Specials. From 2003, he directed two series of Creature Comforts – 2x13 episodes for ITV based on the Academy Award winning Nick Park short film. The first series went on to win 17 awards, and both series were nominated for a BAFTA. The second series includes a half-hour Christmas special. In between these two series, he devised Shaun the Sheep, writing and directing the pilot. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Works

Timmy's Cinema Adventure

Aardman partnered with Vue Cinemas in 2020 to create a 60 minute pre-school adventure for their week day and weekend ‘mini morning’ slots featuring classic Timmy Time episodes, a summer seaside special, songs to sing along with and a bespoke live action interactive element to encourage the audience to get involved and dance with Timmy!

Release Date: 2020-08-14

Department: Writing

Job: Characters

Vote Count: 2

Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom

Clever sheep Shaun, loyal dog Bitzer and the rest of the Mossy Bottom gang cook up oodles of fun and mischief on the farm.

Release Date: 2020-03-16

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 31

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her.

Release Date: 2019-09-26

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 527

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman

Julie Walters tells the story of how Morph, Shaun the Sheep and that cheese-loving man Wallace and his dog Gromit first came to life.

Release Date: 2015-12-26

Character: Self - Creative Director of 'Shaun the Sheep'

Vote Count: 30

Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas

Shaun bluffs his dimwitted farmer master into bidding for three llamas at a county fair. Once they arrive, however, they cause such chaotic destructive mayhem that Shaun has to carefully remove them – high-speed chases, careful rooftop scrambles and dangerous falls ensue.

Release Date: 2015-11-13

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 68

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.

Release Date: 2015-02-05

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 1399

Shaun the Sheep Championsheeps

Shaun and friends are abuzz with sporting excitement and decide to stage their own competition on the farm. As tenacious and imaginative as ever, Shaun and friends perform a series of spectacular sporting events in their very own, self-built stadium. With all the thrills and spills of sport, Shaun and friends strive for victory – all the while making sure the Farmer doesn’t find out what they’re up to!

Release Date: 2012-07-02

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 9

Shaun the Sheep: Shear Madness

It’s madness in the meadow with Shaun the Sheep™ and his flock of mischievous merrymakers! Shaun expertly stops the pigs from running amuck and turning the farm into a porky paradise. He amuses his friends when he falls head over hoof for a beautiful stranger, and demonstrates what happens when curiosity gets the sheep after a hot air balloon lands and causes mayhem in the meadow. From the farm, to outer space and everywhere in between, Shaun and his barnyard buddies know how to have a woolly good time!

Release Date: 2012-04-17

Department: Art

Job: Creative Director

Shaun the Sheep: Mossy Bottom Shorts

Join Shaun and the flock on an exciting new mini adventure series down on Mossy Bottom Farm. From sprout shooting with the naughty pigs, kite-flying catastrophes, to a game of table tennis which leads to an unexpected journey - whatever the comedic situation Shaun is certain to be leading the laughs.

Release Date: 2012-03-07

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 6

Shaun the Sheep: Party Animals

There's no disguising the fun with Shaun the Sheep™ and his barnyard buddies in this party-fest of wild wackiness from the Oscar®-winning creators of Wallace & Gromit™. The farm is once again party central as Shaun, Bitzer, Timmy, and those Naughty Pigs cause all sorts of mayhem, from flying cue balls and pillow fights to nights of disguise and intrigue. Grab your invitation to laughter for some sheepherding fun that's sure to rock the flock!

Release Date: 2010-09-07

Department: Crew

Job: Creator

Shaun the Sheep: One Giant Leap for Lambkind

Unidentified Farm Objects and paranormal sightings are the norm with Shaun the Sheep™ and his barnyard buddies Bitzer, Shirley, and Timmy, as they encounter more madcap mischief along with those Naughty Pigs next door. Big laughs are evident, as the creators of the Academy Award®-winning Wallace & Gromit™ are out to prove that sheepherding fun is universal.

Release Date: 2010-06-08

Department: Crew

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 1

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Wallace and Gromit open a bakery, accidentally getting tied up with a murder mystery in the process. But when Wallace falls in love, Gromit is left to solve the case by himself.

Release Date: 2008-12-25

Department: Crew

Job: Creative Consultant

Vote Count: 535

Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep thinks and acts like a person in a barnyard, which usually gets him into trouble. The farmer's sheepdog, Bitzer, tries to keep Shaun and his friends out of trouble. The farmer is oblivious to the humanlike features of his flock, who are like one big, happy family.

Release Date: 2007-03-05

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 237

Merry Christmas Creature Comforts

Why does a guide dog pursue a caretaker, and what do reindeer think of Santa? Why do hamsters dread chemistry sets, and what do mice think of mince pies? Christmas is for all animals not just for dogs!

Release Date: 2003-12-25

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire

Robbie the Reindeer arrives at the North Pole, ready to take his place as navigator on Santa's Christmas sleigh team. However, Robbie is soon plagued by doubt regarding his ability, and sets out to regain his self-respect and the admiration of his team-mates.

Release Date: 1999-12-25

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 32

Les chefs-d’œuvre du Studio Aardman

A collection of 8 short films from the Aardman animation studios : - "Heat Electric" from Nick Park (1991) - "Pib & Pog" from Peter Peake (1994) - "Wat's Pig" from Peter Lord (1996) - "Creature Comforts" from Nick Park (1989) - "Adam" from Peter Lord (1991) - "Not Without My Handbag" from Boris Kossmehl (1992) - "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" from Jeff Newitt (1992) - "Rex the Hunt" from Richard Goleszowski (1991)

Release Date: 1999-10-06

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 1

Rex the Runt

Rex the Runt is an animated claymation television show produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Entertainment and Egmont Imagination. Its main characters are four plasticine dogs: Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince. The series began with a short, Ident, in 1989 directed by Richard Goleszowski. After a long gestation period this developed into two unaired shorts and then thirteen ten-minute episodes that first aired over two weeks on BBC2 from December 1998. A second thirteen episode series aired from September 2001 on the same channel. As well as the core cast guest voices included Paul Merton, Morwenna Banks, Judith Chalmers, Antoine de Caunes, Bob Holness, Bob Monkhouse, Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Arthur Smith, June Whitfield, Kathy Burke, Pam Ayres and Eddie Izzard.

Release Date: 1998-12-21

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 2

Vote Count: 4

Wallace & Gromit: The Best of Aardman Animation

Anthology of Aardman Animation short films released in theaters in 1996, centered on the new release of the third Wallace & Gromit short, "A Close Shave." Includes: "A Close Shave," "Creature Comforts" and "Heat Electric Commercials" by Nick Park; "Rex the Runt: How Dinosaurs Became Extinct", "Rex the Runt: Dreams" and "Ident" by Richard Goleszowski; "Wat's Pig" and "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Peter Lord; "Early Bird" by Peter Lord and David Sproxton; "Pib and Pog" directed by Peter Peake

Release Date: 1996-06-14

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 5

Rex the Runt: North by North Pole

The gang journey to the North Pole, and drill a hole to find out "What's at the center of the Earth?"

Release Date: 1996-01-01

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 1

Rex the Runt: Dinosaurs

Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his world, introduces us to his friends, and illustrates how Bad Bob caused dinosaurs' extinction (whoops!)

Release Date: 1991-08-24

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 2

Rex the Runt: Dreams

Our plasticine pooch pal Rex welcomes us to his dreamworld.

Release Date: 1991-08-24

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 3

Ident

Explores the nature of man, not only with feet of clay, but with a face of clay as well. Within a colourless city of walls, corridors, and small rooms, a man makes his way from home to work, then to a bar, and then, by a stroke of luck, into an outdoors of space, fresh air, and colour. Along the way, he changes his face to fit his surroundings, interacts with his dog, argues with co-workers, and gossips at a bar. His altering of his visage suggests a two-faced nature, and his stepping into the outdoors provides the ultimate test of his real identity.

Release Date: 1990-11-30

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 8

A Grand Day Out

Wallace and Gromit have run out of cheese, and this provides an excellent excuse for the duo to take their holiday to the moon, where, as everyone knows, there is ample cheese. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

Release Date: 1990-05-18

Department: Crew

Job: Thanks

Vote Count: 908

Barefootin'

Aardman's claymation to the song Barefootin'.

Release Date: 1987-01-01

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 3