Animate Helston – 2021 Programme

Museum News

Animate Helston – 2021 Programme

Join us online for our annual animation take-over, developed in partnership with Cornwall Film Festival and Falmouth University.

To Watch:

We are sharing with you a range of films selected by the museum and our partners. The animations explore all aspects of life and its challenges. Please be aware some young children or adults may find the issues upsetting. We will put details in the description in orange to help guide you.

From the Museum of Cornish Life:

Animated stories drawing on Helston’s Heritage:

From Cornwall Film Festival:

A selection of animated films suggested by Cornwall Film Festival from classic animation to modern tales:

  • Lost & Found – This Oscar Shortlisted stop motion short film tugs at the heartstrings.  Make from crafted toys a knitted toy dinosaur must completely unravel itself to save the love of its life (toy unravelling)

  • The Last Knit – When knitting becomes an obsession. Directed by Laura Neuvonen who works as an animator at the animation studio Anima Vitae. The short has been screened at film festivals and won many of awards.
  • Mikey Mouse – When the Cats Away 1929 – Directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks and Ben Sharpsteen. This was the sixth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the third of that year. In this cartoon, Mickey and Minnie are the size of regular mice, and Tom Cat is the size of a person (physical violence between the cat and mouse).
  • The Present – This 3-D computer-animated short film tells the story of a teenage boy who gets a three-legged puppy from his mom. The film has won many awards at film festivals and has garnered critical acclaim from critics. 
  • Popeye the Sailor Man- I never changes my Altitude – Popeye’s 50th theatrical cartoon. It was produced by Fleischer Studios and released on August 20, 1937.
  • A Whales Tale – A whale helps its fellow sea creatures when a net gets caught on its tail, whilst a young girl seeks help in cleaning up the ocean. 

  • Wire Cutters Enjoy this fantastic award winning CGI animated short film about a chance encounter that proves fateful for 2 robots mining on a desolate planet. Created by the talented Jack Anderson.

From ‘Spider Eye’ :

A sample of work from Cornwalls very own award winning and BAFTA nominated Animation Company. Spider Eye produce 2D traditional, digital and CGI animation for TV and film.

  • Boddi animation watch Spider Eyes trailer for Netflix
  • Crabpot Cove – This teaser animates the home of CAP’N CLAWPEG, CRABMEAT, PEWEE and ‘skulduggery of ridiculous ineptitude’! See its development here
  • The Trouble with Mum – This animation of Babette Coopers book featuring a Mum who just isn’t like other mums. Her hats are decorated with snakes and mice, and she flies her son to school on a broomstick. No wonder she doesn’t get along with the other parents.

From Falmouth University:

These films were made by students studying for a BA (Hons) Animation & Visual Effects at Falmouth University. Find out more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJXLIKwDLY

  • Baba – set in Romania this is a tale of an old woman, a cat, and her preparation for her coming passing. It references many Romanian cultural traditions (the old woman dies and is seen in her coffin).
  • Beware of the Dark – Waking up in a nightmare world, prepubescent Dafne prepares to face adulthood, but something in her childhood won’t let go (end scene shows a large amount of blood on nightgown).
  • Covid-19 – Emotional coronavirus lockdown poem by Matt Harvey is bought to life by final year students at Falmouth University
  • Greenham Women Everywhere Film by Animation & Visual Effects students at Falmouth.
  • The Heart of a Tree – On a scorching hot day Hare searches for food
  • Jubilee Pool Stories created in partnership with Awen Productions
  • Kernel – Its 2075 and a smog of ignorance envelopes as city making the air unbreathable
  • Lowen – an adventure with two ‘goblin’ brother characters, one of whom is killed in a quest, leaving the one who survives to return many years later to the cave where the tragic accident occurred (death of one of the goblins).
  • Off the Record – A film about underground jazz in the Soviet era where illegal copies of music were copied on to old x-ray celluloid (mass grave and guns).
  • Pasty Child – Winner of the Guardian Witness Award’s EE Contributor of the Year and Best Short Film 2014. Winner of the South West Region Royal Television Society Award for Best Student Animation 2012. The sad tale of a boy pasty (Pasty boy attacked by seagull).
  • Sandstorm – A girl gets lost in a cave only to meet a huge rock monster trapped alone. Her arrival gives him hope and together the two manage to break free.
  • Shell & Paddy – the animated world of Shell & Paddy.

Towels – Some territories aren’t meant to be crossed

To Make & Do:

Join us each morning at 11.30 on the museum Facebook or catch-up and watch again here:

  • Mon 15 Feb – Model Making: Join Ann Owen, Senior Lecturer at Falmouth University who started her career on ‘Bob the Builder’ and learn to make your own model for animating. Drop your model into the museum through our letter box and it can join our model party on Friday at it will appear in our Stop-Motion film. – watch here
  • Tues 16 Feb – Make a Thaumatrope: Create an easy moving image by joining us on Facebook or use IntoFilms Guide for things to do at homewatch here
  • Weds 17 Feb – Make your Own Zoetrope: Learn how to make a frame by frame drawing to place inside your own Zoetrope that when spinning creates a mini animation. – watch here & Zoetrope Template
  • Thurs 18 Feb – Shadow Puppets: Join us to make your own shadow puppets – watch here
  • Fri 19 Feb –  Stop-Motion: Ann Own, from Falmouth University, show you how to use your models to make a stop-motion film – watch here.

Out & About:

Pop-up Costume Trail:

Have a fun focus, for your daily exercise in Coronation Park, with our pop-up 3D costume trail around the lake in Coronation Park. Look out for our posters with a QR code. Scan the code with your camera on your phone. Follow the link to uncover Helston History through costume.

Use one finger to rotate the item and two to magnify (If somebody else is scanning the QR code please be patient and observe social distancing).

If you are after a challenge have a go at our quiz: 

Museum of Cornish Life