Model behaviour

Guillermo del Toro's take on Pinocchio was frequently bewildering - as a friend commented, that whale swallowed the plot as much as it did the characters - but the best thing about it was undoubtedly the incredible animation. Credit, then, to Altrincham-based studio Mackinnon and Saunders, whose work has been labelled "unparalleled" by del Toro himself.

The BBC's Ian Youngs has been behind the scenes to see the painstaking care and attention put into each and every model - and encountered a familiar story as regards the government's support for the creative arts. In the words of co-founder Peter Saunders, "there is concern that the British animation industry is slowly bleeding to death. That may be an over-exaggeration, but it's certainly under pressure from these countries where there are such generous tax breaks." In other words, this is yet another example of a British success story that needs long-term financial backing rather than merely fine words around awards ceremonies.