Joy Batchelor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joy Batchelor
Born	12 May 1914 Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Died	14 May 1991(1991-05-14) (aged 77) London, England
Occupation	Animator
Years active	1937–1991
Spouse(s)	John Halas ​ (m. 1940)​

Joy Ethel Batchelor (born May 12, 1914 – died May 14, 1991) was a super talented English artist. She was an animator, director, writer, and producer of cartoons and films.

In 1940, she married John Halas. Together, they started a famous cartoon studio called Halas and Batchelor. Their most well-known work is the animated movie Animal Farm (1954). This film made Joy the first woman to direct an animated movie since Lotte Reiniger.

Joy and John created over 2,000 short films and movies. During World War II, they made about 70 films to help the British government. Joy helped write, animate, produce, and direct many of these projects. She also directed and wrote Ruddigore (1967), which was the first animated film based on an opera. Later, she directed animated TV shows like The Jackson 5ive (1971). Joy Batchelor passed away on May 14, 1991, just two days after her 77th birthday.

Early Life and Education

Joy Batchelor was born on May 12, 1914, in Watford, England. She went to Watford Grammar School for Girls. Later, she won a scholarship to attend Watford School of Art, Science and Commerce.

She was offered a spot at the famous Slade School of Art. However, Joy decided not to continue her studies. She chose to work instead to help her family with money. She worked as a commercial artist and on an assembly line.

Starting Her Career in Animation

Joy Batchelor began her animation journey working for Dennis Connolly. She was an "in-betweener," which means she drew the frames between key animation drawings. As a commercial artist, she also printed posters and helped design fashion magazines.

She met John Halas when he was looking for an assistant animator. In 1937, Joy went with John to Hungary for work. Their first film together was called The Music Man (1937).

Joy and John tried to open their own art studio in Budapest, but it didn't work out. With war approaching, they moved back to London after six months. Joy then worked as a freelance artist for books and magazines. They got married on April 27, 1940. Later that same year, they officially started their company, Halas and Batchelor Cartoons.

Halas and Batchelor Studio

When Halas and Batchelor first started, Joy and John continued doing other commercial work to earn money. In 1940, they were asked to make animated commercials. Their first jobs were for Kellogg's cereal and Lux Soap. They created Train Trouble and Carnival in a Clothes Cupboard.

Later in 1940, the British government's Ministry of Information took over their studio. Halas and Batchelor then made films to help with the war effort. These were called "propaganda" films, which means they were designed to share important messages and influence public opinion. Joy helped write, direct, and animate most of these films. They made about 70 films between 1940 and 1944. Because John Halas was from Hungary, Joy's knowledge of British life was very important for these films.

After World War II, the studio kept making short films for the government. Joy designed a character named Charley for a series called Charley. These films taught people about new government policies. Joy's style used simple drawings and clear voice-overs. She also wrote Modern Guide to Health (1946) for the Ministry of Health.

The studio also helped promote the Marshall Plan, which was a plan to help Europe rebuild after the war. They animated a film called The Shoemaker and the Hatter (1949). This led to their biggest project: Animal Farm.

Creating Animal Farm

Joy Batchelor and John Halas directed Animal Farm (1954) together. Joy played a huge role in getting the rights to make the film. She was also a main writer for the script and designed the characters.

To make the complex story of Animal Farm shorter and simpler, Joy used special charts. A "breakdown chart" helped her connect all the characters and see how they fit into the main story. A "tension chart" showed how the emotional excitement of the story would go up and down. These charts helped them decide which characters or scenes could be shortened or removed while still keeping the main message.

Even with these charts, the film took three years to finish. Animal Farm became Britain's first animated feature film!

After Animal Farm

After 1955, TV became very popular. So, Halas and Batchelor started making mostly short films for television. These included DoDo - The Kid From Outer Space (1964) and Foo Foo (1959 to 1960). Joy wrote most of the scripts for these shows.

The studio's short film, Automania 2000 (1963), won an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1964. It was also nominated for an Oscar! Joy wrote the script for this film.

Halas and Batchelor made only one more animated movie after Animal Farm. It was an adaptation of the comic opera Ruddigore. Joy herself wrote and directed this 1966 film. It was the first animated movie ever made from an opera. Joy had to be very careful not to change any songs or dialogue from the original opera. She used voice-over narration to help explain the story.

The studio also animated the well-known music video for the song "Love Is All" by Roger Glover (1975).

Later Life and Legacy

Joy Batchelor had to stop working in the mid-1970s because of arthritis. Even after retiring, she continued to teach at the London Film School.

She passed away on May 14, 1991, in London, at the age of 77. Joy's daughter, Vivien Halas, now manages the amazing collection of works from Halas & Batchelor. Joy Batchelor's work continues to inspire animators and filmmakers today.