Design Challenge and Design Ideas

I designed the cd cover and booklet for Paul Hourican’s Sea Change album. A year later Paul asked me to make a music video animation for the title track ‘Wishing Well’. I wanted it to look and feel like the album artwork I designed, so I thought that stop motion sand could work. I went about testing sand on a lightbox and it evolved from there. The sand had a mind of its own and led to some beautiful animation. It was actually nearly all improvised and came to life by working instinctively based loosely on a storyboard.

How the brief was fulfilled

I feel that the brief was fully met. The animation looks and feels like the album cover and Paul was delighted with the animation which sits proudly on his website. It was sustainably produced and cost 150 euros for the animation stand and very little for the sand and the lightbox. I borrowed my friend’s canon 6D. It was made in my dad’s garage in Rathfarnham. And when it got too cold I relocated to the box room upstairs. I responded to the music and the movement of sand and created a piece that has emotive and a unique beauty.