So heres my first animation

I made Falling about five years ago. When I said I made, it was written and directed by me but the actual hard graft of making the characters, modelling them, building the backgrounds, building the environments and (finally, at the end) actually doing the animation, was done by a wonderful fella called Stuart Calvin. 

Stuart and I worked for over a year on this (part time you understand) and it was accepted at all the festivals round Ireland. We might have gone further with it at Foyle Film Festival but at the time you had to have a 35mm print to enter the competition properly (they are a feeder to Bafta and the Oscars). We had about 5p between us by the time it was done.

It's got a number of flaws I'm not happy with. The story, for animation, is too complex. Falling is much more of a 'mood' piece than a narrative film. At least so I think. I suppose that influence came from the fact I'd be working as journalist for a long time before and was still getting to grips with what exactly a short film story is. 

There are other things which are a bit dodgy in it too. Some of the movements of the character and the mouth shapes don't totally co-ordinate with the soundtrack. And in the flying sequences the animation is already looking a bit dated and wonky. Overall though, we got across the bones and feeling I was looking for.  Albeit in a slightly subtler form.

The sound design, I think, is superb. Kevin did a fabulous job. I really like the song at the end too.

There's a funny website we knocked up which has loads of extra stuff in it, you can find it here:

http://www.cruciblepictures.co.uk/falling/

Just click on E's face to get in.

The animation itself I've taken down and its at another location. Once you become professional you have to leave behind your 'early' days in case anyone sees it and thinks your not up to much. So, if you want to see it, just ask me.