Making Movie History: Gerald Potterton

In this short interview, Grant Munro, the celebrated animator, actor and director recalls being recruited by Norman McLaren to join the NFB's legendary animation studio.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Celebrated animator Kaj Pindal reflects on his arrival at the NFB, his signature cartoon style and and some of his early works including the Oscar nominated What on Earth!.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Jacques Drouin's artistic trajectory is closely tied to the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen. No other filmmaker has employed the device with such dedication since Alexeïeff himself, who created the design in 1931. Consisting of a perforated board with 240,000 adjustable pins, the pinscreen can be manipulated to create evocative moving images. Having made a series of notable pinscreen films with his wife Claire Parker, Alexeïeff gave one of his 10 prototypes to the NFB. Intrigued by its creative potential, Drouin made good use of the precious item--to the great pleasure of its elderly inventor--crafting remarkable animation like Mindscape (1976) and Imprints (2005). Now recognized as the leading master of the technique, Drouin was called upon by the French Film Archives in Paris to oversee the 2007 restoration of their own pinscreens.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Alanis Obomsawin talks about how she got her start at the NFB and the overarching importance of sound/story in her work.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Colin Low reflects on leaving art school in Calgary to join the NFB and his early days in the NFB's animation department.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

A look at the work and legacy of Tom Daly, the legendary Unit B producer, who died in 2011.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Svend-Erik Eriksen reflects on his early days working on animation projects at the NFBs Vancouver based studio.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Director and writer Carol Geddes reflects on telling stories from an aboriginal perspective as a filmmaker in the NFBs North West studio.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Morten Parker recalls the early days of documentary filmmaking at the NFB, including the making of his Oscar nominated film The Stratford Adventure.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Director and editor Anne Wheeler reflects on her early documentaries with the NFB, the birth of the North West and Prairie Studios and working with Donald Sutherland.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.

Director and editor Mort Ransen reflects on documenting social change at the NFB in the heady 1960s.

This interview is part of Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts.