As animation projects are completed during this year they will be added to this archive.

Wishing on a Star

"In this project I worked with young people from Bridgend People First who suffered from Aspergers Disease, a form of Autism of which there is much public ignorance and misunderstanding. This was a very challenging project as I have to confess I knew little about Aspergers myself, but the project turned out to be one of the most rewarding that I've been involved in. For this I must thank Sarah and Kathryn of Bridgend People First for their help and support during the project.

With only one week to work in I had originally planned a very short and simple animation, especially as I was unaware of the group's abilities. I needn't have worried though as they turned out to be one of the most talented, committed and enthusiastic groups I have worked with and the end result is an impressive 8 minute animated film full of wonderful drawings and a very interesting and imaginative script.

The film follows the fortunes of a girl called Jessie who is suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. Misunderstood by her classmates and teachers alike Jessie's life seems to go from one disappointing day to another. The night before her 15th birthday, however, she falls asleep wishing for a friend who would understand her. When she wakes up it soon becomes apparent that this day isn't just another ordinary day in her life. The friend she wished for materialises, her teachers become aware of her talents, and her classmates finally realise that there is a lot more to Jessie than meets the eye.

The film was conceived, written and produced by the young people themselves and drew on their own real-life experiences of life with Aspergers. The result is a heartwarming tale that has already caused a few tears to be shed by those that have seen the film."

Tim Smith, Animation Worker

Watch Wishing on a Star now

CWMBRAN-What’s It All About?

This short film was made by Tim Smith and Tracy Pallant with young people in Cwmbran as part of the On Common Ground project. Working with the Cwmbran Centre For Young People the purpose of the project was to engage the group in the history and culture of their local area.

Using live film, animation and visual art we decided to create a film expressing how the young people of Cwmbran felt about living in their town and its’ surroundings. At first the group were rather negative about the merits of living there but over the following months they went on a journey of discovery. We interviewed nuns, drove around Cwmbran’s infamous roundabouts, and even climbed up Twmbarlwm, a huge hill overlooking the town. By the end of the project the group realised there was a lot more to their town than they originally thought and we even left them feeling a great sense of pride in Cwmbran.

The film was shown in the National Museum of Wales as part of the On Common Ground Exhibition in 2007.

Dream Day

The small community of Croeserw lies amidst the stunning mountain landscape at the top of the Llynfi Valley. During the Easter school holiday of 2007 we worked with a group of children and young people at the village's Community Centre to produce a short film expressing the children's dreams for their village.

Using both live video and animation the film tells the story of local children who are bored during the holidays, complaining that there is nothing for them in the village.  Wandering from one part of the village to another they come across wasteland that is used by some as a rubbish tip. Their disgust at the amount of litter and rubbish quickly turns to amazement as they come across the 'Dream Box'. It soon becomes apparent that the box can turn their hopes and dreams into reality and provide the children with a tantalising glimpse of what might be!

The project was a lot of fun and fully explored the imagination and resourcefulness of the children. The 'Dream Box' itself was discovered in a nearby skip and provided the inspiration for the story. Using cardboard boxes, papier mache, clay and paint the children created a delightful imaginary world of youth clubs, country parks and a street of fancy new shops. After all the hard work the children put into the making of the film we can only hope that the grown-ups take note of their vision for the future and grant them their wishes!

Betws Bards

This was a project very close to Tim Smith's heart as it combined animation and mediaeval Welsh history, two of his favourite subjects. Funded by Communities First as part of a local heritage initiative we were asked to make an animation based on the life of a bard who lived in Betws during the Fifteenth century.

Together with local historian Felicity Michaelides we ran workshops with year 6 pupils at Betws Primary School. The children learnt about the flourishing bardic culture of mediaeval Betws which was a very important place at that time. They then designed beautiful characters and backgrounds for the film. The children also wrote poems of their own in the bardic style and then performed them on the ancient bardic mound outside Betws’s twelfth century church, accompanied by a harp player from the Welsh College of Music and Drama and Tim, Melissa and Felicity dressed up in mediaeval costume.

This project was hugely important for the local community as the area has a rich cultural and historical heritage stretching back thousands of years, much of which is largely unknown to people.