The Birth of the Robot | Shell Historical Film Archive

Seen by over three million people in more than 300 cinemas, 'Birth of a Robot' produced in 1935, is a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed advertisement commissioned by Jack Beddington, the creative head of the Shell Film Unit, and directed by Len Lye. This visually stunning piece tells the tale of a jolly motorist, embodying the birth of the robot as a symbol of Shell Motor Oil's lubrication.
Accompanied by Gustav Holst's 'The Planets,' the film takes you from ancient pyramids to modern industrial landscapes, all ignited by a drop of Shell Motor Oil. The ad helped to familiarise the public with the Mechanical Man emblem, which formed the brand symbol of Shell Motor Oil for decades.
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Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.
The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.
Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.
As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.
During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.
While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.

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If you enjoyed this video, please check out the full 'Shell Film Unit - Historic Archive' playlist, where you'll find lots more gems! kzbin.info/aero/PLEPIVJVCFQH2hoYONdHiQlVrvYQ-k4Xay

[@c-028]

1:10 That hairstyle are truly ahead of it’s time.

[@thats_joy_with_mark]

Love the drama of this old stop motion. ❤💯

[@LarchmontVillageOG]

Man has replaced God, but only because his careless arrogance with his trifling technology destroyed him. Now man has merged with his machines and understands the order of the cosmos, but he has sacrificed his humanity and is now controlled by absurd self-imposed notions of order.