Saorfhlaith Martin
Little Méabh struggles with saying goodbye to her mother, Mia. Otolith is a film about long-distance relationships, children processing big changes in their environment, and the strength and profoundness of a mother's love for her young daughter - all shown and understood through the child's eyes and perspective.
The main goal of my project was to create and finish something that I could be proud of. I really wanted to take project through to the very end and have something that I could stand back, observe and acknowledge as an important and defining piece of work from my life. The project is very personal to me, and though the emotions are very simplified and the film is short, I hope that people can understand how dear it is to my heart. The main objective of my film is to comment on how some goodbyes mean different things, and are not always something to be afraid of. Josef Waller is the narrator of the film and my partner. He lives in Chicago, IL, and we have been in a long distance relationship for what is coming up to six years. I have always struggled with saying goodbye when our visits with each other come to an end. We have grown up with each other and learned to be happy with our own company, and to look forward to our next good memories together. Something else I tried to put across in the film is that tumultuous and happy changes in your life can be a struggle for your family and friends to accept. Sometimes, in order to go through an amazing transformation and metamorphose into a better and healthier version of yourself, it's okay to allow for goodbyes. "I will see you again soon, and it will be awesome."
I created something that I am proud to show, talk about and answer any questions that it may generate. I love to talk about my work and to share it with other people. I believe that this is what I was supposed to do with my life! I exited my comfort zone entirely for some of the shots in the film, which include walk cycles, shaking, and expressions I learned how to reach out and ask for help. I learned how to colour animation on TVPaint which is something I’ve never done before. I learned to SAVE everything that is possible to save, and not to save files at the end of the day but rather as I work throughout the day. I learned how to better communicate with others and share things! I also believe that my animation skills have benefited and improved greatly! I can't wait for my next project, and I'm very eager to put the skills I learned to use as much as possible and to work on other amazing projects too.
Transitional Tides is the exploration of the mermaid creature and the many forms it takes in history, folklore, film, animation...
I chose this concept for my thesis because I wanted more than anything to have a much deeper grasp on the mermaid and her different meanings in many different manifestations over time. I've always wondered why she, of all folkloric creatures, is today most commonly and famously associated with children's media when you put into consideration her origins and her symbolism. When I was in secondary school, we studied the very evocative old lament An Mhaighdean Mhara - a conversation between a maiden of the sea, and the human family who she left behind for the ocean. An Mhaighdean Mhara was paramount to my inspiration for this thesis and my film.
My name is Saorla and I am an animator raised and based in Dublin. My work is a tribute to all of the beloved children's illustrators and storybooks of my childhood. I love nature and the ocean is my biggest inspiration for all of my creative output: almost everything that I draw, paint and write is with it in mind. I am interested in character design, painting, illustration and 2D animation!
