War Cycle

WAR CYCLE is based on a short, powerful and emotive essay by Ray Reddick and would be brought to life in an animated short film with full orchestral score by Richard Durrent. The collaboration between musician and animator explores the topic, producing material in a format suitable for live concerts, cinema and TV viewing.

Amongst so much factual research, very little is documented about the cyclists of WW1 who worked as couriers and patrols at home and on the battlefront. They were recruited for their love of cycling… and sent into a scene of despair and horror.

Cyclists were thought to make good soldiers because they were considered to have above average intelligence, and many were also “teetotallers.”

The WAR CYCLE visual style references the art of the early 1900’s

Several artists of the time were themselves enlisted to the war effort. Amongst the best known artists depicting WW1 were John Nash, Paul Nash, and John Singer Sargent. Along with many other great peices of painted documentation, it’s is our aim to harvest this great resource of reference, whilst paying homage to the talent of those famous and little known artists.

Travel Poster art of the time is also a key inspiration for the look of WAR CYCLE. The litho production style easily lends itself to some of the more affordale animation techniques. Art by Edward McKnight Kuaffer - Walter E Spradbery beautifully depict the landscape of the early 1900’s is such a breathtaking ease, only a few colours and the minimum of detail.

Further to that - posters aimed to recruit soldiers also lend a style using the simplicity of strong shadow shapes, strong colours and dynamic contrasting light. This visual language makes an effective backdrop for the rich musical score.