At a public lecture at Birmingham City University on Wednesday, December 11th, BAFTA award-winning film director Ian Emes, will reveal how some of the biggest names in rock and pop – including Pink Floyd – became his muse. In his talk, Ian will revisit the heady period of the 1970s, which was when he first heard a friend play a Pink Floyd record that then inspired him to create a short film – a project that would transform his life.

'Shooting the Moon' is the title of Ian's talk. He will be speaking at CityTalks, a FREE series of public forums, and it takes place on Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, at the University's Parkside Building (part of the City Centre Campus). To register for this free talk visit bcucitytalks.eventbrite.co.uk.

Following the lecture there will be an opportunity to view Ian's 'Time' exhibition. Ian was the first student to study animation at the School of Art, now part of Birmingham City University and within a year of graduating became part of the band's entourage and directed their first animated concert film for The Dark Side of the Moon album (1974), which included the legendary Time sequence. "It was the 1970s. A revolutionary period when anything seemed possible if you had a passion for what you did," said Emes, who went on to work with Paul and Linda McCartney, Mike Oldfield and Duran Duran.

"I hope this lecture and my exhibition will inspire another generation of artists to remain loyal to their passions - and to free themselves from the information overload we have in the modern world. Ian added: “My lecture will be a reflection on the making of the animated film for ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’, the experiments and discoveries that sprang from the process and how they are applied to new projects.”

The exhibition runs until Friday, January 17th.