Chhhhk—Ding! Here's a Clever Animation Made Entirely on a Typewriter

Before British aviator Amy Johnson flew from Croydon (South London) to Darwin, Australia, she worked as a secretary and typist for a firm of solicitors. It was during this time that she took up flying as a hobby. Eventually, Johnson bought the de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth that took her from England to Australia, which she politely named, "Jason."

Inspired by Johnson’s flight and her early brief career as a typist, animator Lizzy Hobbs created an animated video on a typewriter. Using an Underwood 315 typewriter, Hobbs first briefly types up Johnson’s story, then goes about creating a crowd, a ground engineer, the aviator’s Gipsy Moth (a G-AAAH aircraft), clouds and other elements using colored paper and inks. Watch it come to life below:

Hobbs’ film, named for the plane, won Best UK film and Best Film at The Amy Johnson festival 2016. It also recently screened at Ottawa International Animation Festival 2016 and the 2016 This is England: British Short Film Festival in Rouen, France.

Click here to see more of Lizzy Hobbs’ work.

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