Animated Film
A brief set by the BBC Concert Orchestra
The challenge: to create a short film inspired by the theme of journeys.
The project involved a collaboration with students from the University of Nottingham, who composed an original score to be performed live by the BBC Concert Orchestra.
For my concept, I chose to explore the journey of animation through time, using the metaphor of a train journey to visually represent this evolution. As the train moves forward, each carriage reveals a different era or style of animation—taking the viewer on a timeline of the medium’s development, from early frame-by-frame techniques to contemporary digital motion graphics.
The opening scene begins with an animated train charging straight toward the screen—an energetic and bold introduction that immediately grabs the viewer’s attention and throws us into the story. The tone is set with a lively, playful score as the chase commences, launching us into an animated journey full of excitement and charm.
The perspective remains consistent throughout: the view from a train window. Through this fixed viewpoint, the passage of time is revealed as the animation styles evolve. The narrative moves from simple black-and-white linework to the introduction of colour, followed by increasingly artistic, contemporary, and experimental approaches.
Each scene builds on the last, offering a fresh sense of discovery and anticipation. Rather than racing toward a final destination, the film celebrates the journey itself—honouring the evolution of animation and the joy found in every stylistic shift along the way.
The accompanying music was composed by students and performed live at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.