My Scared Friend

In 2018 I graduated from Design School Kolding with writing and animating a short film that tells how it is to be a child with anxiety. The purpose was to show what anxiety feels like from a childs perspective and how we can look at anxiety in a new positive way. The movie is based on research and interviews with psychologists and people that has or are suffering from anxiety. The animation was published as part of an article at DR Ramasjang.

My part: Research, concept, illustration and animation

Sound design: Kåre William Wulff and Kevin Buster Mortensen

Voice-over: Emilie Hansen Mouritzen and Gustav Hansen Mouritzen

PROCESS AND FRAMES

The storytelling

Through animation it was possible to illustrate anxiety as a character - something relatable that isn’t a part of you. In this way it’s easier for kids to understand what anxiety is because children communicate and learn through imagination and they “prefer to change the world than change themselves” (Robin Alter).

Stories changes our behavior and a good story makes us feel empathy. The empathy is what causes us to want to take action. Showing everyday situations where anxiety appears, focusing on how anxiety feels like, children can compare the story to their own lives and own feelings.

With three climaxes - one placed in the Set-up - the idea is to catch the viewers attention and make the viewer feel empathy.