Before the world had other plans for 2020, I was preparing to make a stop motion animation film,
​
​
'When Theo Finds Treasure'
Synopsis
​
In this narrated claymation short, Theodore is shocked when he finds a treasure map on the side of his dreary road that leads to wonders he could never have imagined being just beyond his mundane street. Just when everything seems to be going so perfectly, after encountering a young girl eager to show him around, Theo finds himself faced with a solution to his grandma’s unfortunate financial situation that would also lead to the destruction of this beautiful new world he has encountered.
​
Filming was meant to take place in March 2020 and well, you know what happened next. The resources I had access to, such as specialised animation equipment, software and studio were now out of bounds and this project was put on hold. However as so much hardwork, dedication and care went into the preproduction, I am confident that this project will be brought back to life at some point in the near-future. For now I want to share with you an insight into the process of building this film and everything that was done in preparation for it, as well as a little teaser I put together to give you just a taste of what's to come...
Joy Stoten worked as the main costume designer, specifically for main two character's clothing. The tiny clothes she expertly knitted are just the perfect endearing touch that really helped bring the characters to life, giving them each more personality.
Ellie Stoten worked with me as the production designer, a crucial part of a stop motion film. We were in discussions every step of the way, making sure my plans for the story were achievable within the confines of the world we were building, ever bouncing off each other with ideas of what we wanted the world to be able to do. It was extremely important to us that our film, although inspired by the greats of animation such as Laika and Arrdman and such, would be set apart from those so that we had our own unique, memorable style and with Ellie's brilliant imagination and eye for design she was able to take on board the ideas I had for the story and make them her own incorporating her style with the inspirations we had looked at together, and I am confident that our film will look like no other.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
Growing up, I was around a lot of music, I studied the cello and piano from age 5 onwards and have discovered that it has been crucial in my film making process. It has given me a sense of rhythm which definitely comes in handy when editing for example, enabling e to establish an emotive flow. Generally I strongly believe that music is a vital, hugely underestimated part of the process and so I had very specific ideas for this particular film. I decided to compose the music, using logic and a keyboard with hopes to record live musicians playing it to feel more authentic. Looking at my inspirations I knew I had to make themes for the different characters and for the different moods of the film.