Hi there! We are reaching out to you today to raise donations for the completion of an animation short film called 'Earnest'. This heartfelt project written and directed by Salome Lines-Morison, holds immense potential to captivate audiences and deliver a meaningful message. However, due to limited resources and funding constraints, we are currently facing challenges in finalising the post-production stage. We are hoping to raise funds for Earnest to cover the entry fees for film festivals that are crucial for its success and exposure.

Film festivals provide a unique platform for filmmakers to showcase their work to industry professionals, film enthusiasts, and potential collaborators. By securing funds for these fees, we can ensure that Earnest has the opportunity to be considered for selection in renowned festivals, expanding its reach and impact. Your support in covering these entry fees will not only increase the film's visibility but also enhance its chances of securing recognition, awards, and valuable networking opportunities. Let's come together and make sure Earnest has every chance to shine on the festival circuit, allowing its touching story to resonate with audiences far and wide!

We are immensely grateful for any donations and would like to invite all patrons to a screening of Earnest when the animation is finished.

Thank you all for your support, we can't wait to share our project with you.

Director's statement:

Like many of us, since bearing witness to the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 I have been looking towards signs of regrowth and hope. I feel that this collectively horrifying experience can be likened to the less visible processes of emotional trauma and grief that are integral to life. It is this cycle of trauma, grief and

healing that I want to explore using the short, hybrid animation of Earnest.

Thematically, the film follows Earnest as he learns the difference between attachment (the desire to be attached to something, anything out of fear of being alone), and connection to others and the world around him.

The characters are beautifully animated frame-by-frame by Emily Hicks in a distinctive hand-drawn 2d style. The animation takes place over photographs taken by cinematographer Ben Bellette of a beautiful, textured miniature forest setting both before and after a bushfire, created by Luka Yates. The incredible and emotive original score was composed by Elena Matienko.

I am animating the life-force energy of the forest using oil pastels, drawn frame-by-frame and scanned into the computer where I animate and composite them over the background images. I chose to animate using this very slow, practical pipeline because of its inimitable hand-made effect. The animation is colourful, expressionistic and tangible like crayon drawings over photographs. I chose to visualise my spiritual concept of life-force energy in this way as I feel we are more connected to the energy that animates life when we are present, uninhibited and creative, as children are.

The design of the Earnest world, including the environment, Earnest’s fur, the child’s jumper, and the oil pastel animation emphasise tangible, real-life textures. I made these choices to draw on the nostalgic affect such textures have left with me from childhood: the expressive grain of crayon, the comforting weave of a handmade jumper, the familiar fur of a loved childhood toy, the fascinating detail of the bush.

Throughout the film, I want the audience to connect with Earnest’s vulnerable, soft cookie-cutter shaped character as he is torn away from all he knows, and to understand the emptiness he feels as he tries to attach to anything that will stick to him, to the detriment of others. When Earnest meets a baby koala hurt by the bushfire, he learns that life persists, and it is always possible to connect with its flow - no clinging is required.

Earnest explores the idea that while gripping to what you love can stifle growth, authentic connection to life, to others and to the world around us enables it. It’s an animated short with big themes that I hope can be enjoyed by both adults and children. It has been made with a lot of love. I hope you enjoy it too.