An Tobar and Mull Theatre are looking for an animator to work on a project to be delivered in Spring 2024.
Expressions of interest: By 1 August 2023
Zoom discussions with shortlisted animators: w/c 21 August
Award of contract: 1 Sep 2023, delivery by 1 February 2024
Dimensions of projected seascape: 3m high by 9m wide
Fee: £1200
About: The Boy Who Thought He Could Swim is a new play commissioned by Unlimited and An Tobar and Mull Theatre and written by David McNeish. It concerns Malcolm Morrison, a fifteen year old who moves to Orkney with his parents. He is badly bullied at school and becomes convinced that the reason is because he is in fact a selkie, half man, half seal. The play follows the ripples out from this revelation for his family, his school and the wider community.
The sea is an important character in the play. More than a backdrop, it is a living presence and is visible from every set. The plan is to back project, using an ultra short throw projector, an animated seascape that is constantly on the move. In order to make the most of a modest budget, we want to use changes in colour, direction and size to portray different times. The play starts with the solitary seascape, an occasional seal head popping up, before it is joined by Malcolm, who skims stones across the water. These ripples are to be animated, with varying lengths of skim from one (duffer!) to fifteen (legend!).
Style: We are open to different styles but please explain your planned approach. The play exists in a dream state between waking and sleep, between land and sea, in the liminal space that is the shoreline. We would like the animation to reflect this – a halfway house between reality and fantasy – mid way between Turner’s seascapes and Captain Pugwash.
Next steps: The successful artist will be asked to supply animation for a script in hand performance at An Tobar and Mull Theatre next Spring. Following this we hope to secure further funding for the additional animation work required for a fully realised touring production of the play. It is possible that front projection onto gauze rather than rear projection may be used – the animator would be fully involved in these discussions.
We are also considering whether to animate the interior sets as part of the projection, having them wipe in and out and reflect this design through to set furniture etc.
Though this is outside the scope of the initial commission, the successful applicant would be given first refusal to undertake this future work, to ensure a coherent set design.
Since the play is set and performed on an island, submissions from artists living and working in coastal communities are actively encouraged.
Priority list of work (it is understood that not all will be possible within the budget, but we look forward to discussing the possibilities with the commissioned artist):
1. Basic animated seascape
2. Ripples from stone skimming of varying lengths
3. A variation in size, colour and direction of basic seascape
4. Seal heads that can pop up in various places
5. Static picture of interior of the Morrison’s kitchen, which wipes in from left to centre, sea behind through window and to right of house.
6. Further variations including stormscape
7. Animated lifeboat heading out to sea Please supply:
• examples of previous work that demonstrate your passion and commitment to quality.
• a brief biography of work and experience to date (or website link)
• a proposal for how you will tackle the brief. This can be word based or picture based but we are not expecting detailed new work in advance of award of the contract.
Contact: Mark Iles, Producer, mark@antobarandmulltheatre.co.uk
An Unlimited UK Partner Award 2023 commission with
An Tobar and Mull Theatre
made possible thanks to funding from Creative Scotland