Paraffin is a short, magical, mixed-media film about an extraordinary tale of paternal love, hope, futility, pessimism and… Paraffin.
Set against a backdrop inspired by the old industrial landscape of Birmingham, “Paraffin” is an all too familiar tale of the parental struggling to provide the best for their child. Born and raised in the Black Country, Director Gat Powell, aims to take us on an intensely personal journey, reimagined in an enchantingly gritty world never before seen on screen.
Director: Gat Powell
“This is by far the most personal project I have ever attempted. It has been a soul searching venture based around, not only the reflection on my childhood upbringing, but also looking to the future for my own daughter. This film captures the endurance of the reality of living in an industrial area on a decline, the dream to reach for the sun, infused with the echoes of my childhood imagination. It is a labor of love for a story I believe with all of my heart, needs to be told.”
Director: Gat Powell. Gat is an NFTS Animation graduate who has worked on various projects from Corporate Advertising to Children’s TV to Feature Documentaries. He has Directed several of his own short animated films. Currently he works freelance directing various awareness and informative animations for campaigns and charities.
Producer: Chiara Ventura
Producer: Chiara Ventura. Chiara is a fellow NFTS graduate, she has Produced several award winning short films spanning Animation and Live Action.
Set in an industrial landscape of hopeless toil, a determined, hard-working father (David) tirelessly endures to provide the best for his daughters future (Auburn). In a world where basic survival is based on hard labour and the currency is paraffin fuel, being a slave to the system is the only lifestyle to be had. With his daughter fast approaching the working age, David begins to fear that all of his hard work through the years has only left them in the vicious and futile cycle of society. Unable to bear the possibility that she too will arrive at the same fate, he decides to take a chance and recklessly escape the system. Using up what meagre supplies he has managed to collect over the years, he sets them on a dangerous, fear driven journey in pursuit of a better life.
“Paraffin” Is a mixed media film. Utilizing the performances of real actors. The world in which they occupy is digitally crafted using reference images and textures from the Birmingham/Black Country area. These images are then manipulated, rotoscoped and infused with drawn artwork to create a unique world that haunts us with an off kilter familiarity. The real life performances, shot completely in a greenscreen studio, will then be subjected to various techniques to stylize them before being composited into this world.
This is an incredibly challenging and ambitious task, mixing a world somewhere right down the middle between animation and live action film. As such, the various technical skills required not only need trained professionals and actors, but also facilities and equipment. We have struggled to get the bare minimum of all of these things, but with your help we can really reach for more. Because hard work and determination are things we as a team have in abundance, it would be fantastic to not only reward the hard work and dedication they have placed in the project, but also to allow us to use our skills and talents to their fullest, by having better equipment, better facilities and ultimately the resources to create a better film, you also make this dream even stronger.
You really can help us and with your much needed support.
By helping us, you will not only assist us to make a unique and beautiful film, but more importantly, help tell a powerful story that can hopefully resonate with and inspire others.
If that isn’t enough incentive, there are also some very awesome and unique gifts up for grabs and everyone who donates will be added to our mailing list with behind the scenes information and exclusive content.
Please help.
The following are sneak peak examples of some of the props designed for the film.
Thanks so much for your time, and hopefully, your generosity.