Trade Tattoo

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Trade Tattoo (1937)

Directed by Len Lye

Animation · 5m

Trade Tattoo went even further than Rainbow Dance in its manipulation of the Gasparcolor process. The original black and white footage consisted of outtakes from GPO Film Unit documentaries such as Night Mail. Lye transformed this footage in what has been described as the most intricate job of film printing and color grading ever attempted. Animated words and patterns combine with the live-action footage to create images as complex and multi-layered as a Cubist painting. Music was provided by the Cuban Lecuona Band. With its dynamic rhythms, the film seeks (in Lye’s words) to convey “a romanticism about the work of the everyday in all walks of life."

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Crew

Director
Len Lye
Producer
John Grierson

Details

Release date
1937-09-01
Runtime
5m
Genres
Animation
Original language
EN
Spoken languages
No Language
Countries
United Kingdom
Production
GPO Film Unit