Singing teddy film could launch career of film-maker and musician (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Singing teddy film could launch career of Putney film-maker and musician Rich Freeman

4:30pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in Freetime By Alexandra Rucki

A singing teddy and his backing band of Sylvanian Family characters could be set to launch the career of an aspiring film-maker and musician.

A four minute stop-motion animated film of Plato the teddy performing alongside a team of toys against a backdrop of beach scenes from Tenerife and Turkey has been selected to feature in an art exhibition next week.

Rich Freeman, 35, of Oxford Road, Putney, spent months creating the film after his girlfriend took some joke photographs of the teddy bear going into the freezer for some ice-cream.

He then contacted the toy manufacturers Sylvanian Families, who informed him of an upcoming exhibition celebrating the toys' 25th anniversary at The Strand Gallery, Charing Cross.

Mr Freeman, who also produced the music for the film, explained it took him an hour to make every second of the film.

He said: "I wanted to make something with the bear and saw the Sylvanian Families in a toy shop. "One was a piano player and one was the singer.

"I sent it to Sylvanian families initially, a few months later they had this exhibition. It was a really nice feeling, it is quite surreal there is this bear in an art gallery."

A professional pianist, Mr Freeman is now creating a script to accompany the film and says he has been approached by a British film director over turning it into a feature length production.

The exhibition is open from October 30 until November 4.

Visit sylvanianart.blogspot.co.uk for more information