Helen Nabarro - Head of Department

Head of the Animation Direction MA at the National Film and Television School since January 2008.

Helen graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of London and started working as a PA with two independent commercials producers. While the producers were busy on glamorous live action shoots, Helen was allowed to make radio commercials and approve the occasional animation leica reel and line test.

Attracted by the animation studio process and the lovely people, Helen moved to Richard Purdum Productions for the next six years, initially as Production Assistant then Producer. The studio produced commercials and title sequences in high quality drawn animation for British and American clients. Directors included Richard Purdum, Michael Dudok de Wit, Sylvain Chomet and Paul Demeyer.

Having moved west, Helen worked with Aardman for three years, producing commercials, idents and short films. These included commercials for Britannia with Pete Lord and Tom Gasek, and Rice Krispies with Loyd Price and Sam Fell; Luis Cook's Channel Four idents and Nick Park and Steve Box's Wallace & Gromit Xmas idents , as well as Steve's film, Stage Fright .

In 1997 Helen joined the BBC Animation Unit in Bristol, working initially in Wales producing Aaargh's half hour caveman special, Gogwana, and subsequently across the unit's output. Helen Exec. Produced in-house productions including the Robbie the Reindeer films (Hooves of Fire directed by Richard Goleszowski and Legend of the Lost Tribe directed by Peter Peake). However, most of the unit's output was co-produced with independent studios. Helen worked on series including Big Knights (Mark Baker and Neville Astley), I am not an Animal with Tim Searle and Peter Baynham, and with Sylvain Chomet on Belleville Rendezvous . Helen was also responsible for the BBC Animation Talent initiative, producing short films with the winners: Nick Mackie, Jaime Pardo and Lucy Izzard.

Following the closure of the Animation Unit in late 2006, Helen has worked as a freelance producer based in Bath.

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