Residents make two short animated films

Residents at Weavers’ Court Extra Care housing scheme have been working on an animation project to make the two movies.

One of the features is about themselves and their new home, while the other is about Alnwick itself.

The idea was to use animation, in the style of Wallace and Gromit, to celebrate the residents’ memories and for everyone to have a lot of fun making the films.

Numerous clay models were made for the films, including residents, staff and a mini Duke and Duchess of Northumberland!

All of the residents, along with friends, supporters, and the animation experts who made the films a reality, attended the red-carpet premiere last Friday night.

The event had a black-tie dress code and everyone had their photograph taken on a red carpet as they enjoyed a glass of fizz, followed by a three-course dinner.

A group of residents performed a song they had written, accompanied by assistant manager Liz Pratt on the piano.

Then there was the serious business of the premiere, including a short documentary about making the films, and the presentation of Oscars to all the amateur animators, along with certificates and a DVD featuring the films.

Liz and scheme manager David Curran ensured every single statuette was presented to the right person.

The Alnwick animation, produced in collaboration with multimedia charity Twin Vision, uses the traditional Shrovetide football match to form a narrative and features the clay versions of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.

The residents at Weavers’ Court, working alongside localism officer Lewis Rimington, all learnt new skills in film and animation camera techniques, structuring visual narratives, model making and set design, as well as recording voice overs.

David said: “This has been a fantastic project. It’s been a joy to see everyone’s creativity coming out and we’ve laughed so much.

“We want to thank Paul and Leila from Twin Vision for the way they’ve dedicated themselves to making the project a success.”