Random Acts: Ready or Not

Ready or Not, here I come..

The title on the YouTube video isn’t half right! This is a creepy film, with stop motion delightfully intwined with live action. I served as the animation director on this one, rather than the director; that role was well-served by Eleanor Dolan, who I had met when we exhibited some video art together at the Truman Brewery in London, in mid-2017.

I worked closely with Dolan to develop a language for the pixelation - that is, the animation of a live actor and life-size props - that would make sense for the film, complimenting the live action shots. We experimented in her attic with different fabrics and objects, working towards an idea of a physical sea of matter that could consume our brilliant child actress.

During the 2 shoot days where pixelation was required, various circumstances - namely, an absolutely horrendous blizzard - massively diminished our shooting time. It was a challenge to capture complex pixelation within the strict confines of a working day - which for a child actress, is much more limited - and with a crew that did not have experience. But, through my clear direction, some clever problem solving from Eleanor and I, and everyone’s determination, we got it ‘in the can’, and made the day!

The film was made at the NFTS Beaconsfield Studios in late 2017, and you can watch it in full below. There’s also some BTS stills shot by the talented David Clode.