Help us create our animated short Down in the Dumps!
Down in the Dumps is a dark fairy tale written by Britt Snel and directed by paper artist and director Vera van Wolferen. It's the story of an outsider cockroach and a perfectionist ladybug with a dark secret.
The process sofar
We worked on our film Down in the Dumps for almost three years.
Help us create our animated short Down in the Dumps!
Down in the Dumps is a dark fairy tale written by Britt Snel and directed by paper artist and director Vera van Wolferen. It's the story of an outsider cockroach and a perfectionist ladybug with a dark secret.
The process sofar
We worked on our film Down in the Dumps for almost three years. The script was written by Britt Snel and the storyboard was drawn by Julia Veldman. Director and art director Vera van Wolferen made the first sets out of paper to find the perfect animation style. Manna Horsting composed the first film music. We have assembled a team of talent (70% of whom are women!!) and can't wait to start animating. But first we need some more financial support, so we created this crowdfunding campaign!
The Story
Down in the Dumps is a dark tale about a perfectionist ladybug who does everything she can to be loved by everyone. She organizes the perfect birthday party. In order for the party not to be ruined, she doesn't invite her neighbor Peri, an outsider cockroach. Peri is offended because he loves a good party. He seeks revenge and steals the ladybug's shield. As a result, Cinelli sinks into a depression and disappears through a hole in her bed into a dark underground world. There she meets Obius, a deviant centipede, who lures her deeper and deeper into the darkness.
In Cinelli’s house, Peri steps into her shoes. He puts on her shield and takes over her perfect life, but this proves to be harder than it seemed. When Peri discovers how suffocating Cinelli’s life is, he goes looking for her.
Children & depression
In recent years, depression in children and adolescents has increased due to the pandemic. Research from 20201 found that 7% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 suffer from depression. This is almost double the 2020 statistics. Children often lack the vocabulary to communicate their feelings, and depression is often very difficult to diagnose.
With Down in the Dumps, we want to open the conversation about anxious thoughts and dark feelings. By visualising Cinelli's depression, we show what goes on in the minds of depressed people. The message behind our film is that it's better to share your dark feelings instead of repressing them. By opening up, we can find support and in most cases realise that we aren't the only ones who are depressed. Even if the grass seems greener on the other side, we all have our problems.
The crazy labor-intensive technique!
Down in the Dumps is a hybrid animation film that combines stop-motion and digital cut-out. All backdrops and characters are made from hand-colored paper. Everything that moves within the set will be animated in stop-motion. For the characters, we will photograph all the parts and then animate them digitally. This is going to look amazing, but the process is extremely labor-intensive!
Crew
Writer: Britt Snel
Storyboard & character design: Julia Veldman
Direcot: Vera van Wolferen
DOP: Marc de Meijer
Composer: Manna Horsting
Sound: Maria Kramer (Posta)
Lead animator: Jasper Kuijpers
Animators: Jing Yue Zwaan & Ylva Ernst
Advisor & compositor: Peter Mansfelt
Cast
Support & donations
Down in the dumps is supported by Nederlands Film Fonds and Stimuleringsfonds and produced by Family Affair Films (www.familyaffairfilms.nl).
At the moment pre-production is in full swing and in October we plan to start animating our beloved insects. But before we can start animating, we are still looking for the last funds to support our talented team. This is where we need your help! All donations will go to the amazing people we've gathered, a mix of new and established talents. We want to give them the time and support that enables them to create their best work.
Are you as excited as we are to see Down in the Dumps on the big screen next year? Help us make this beautiful film a reality!
Trailer Tourist Trap: https://vimeo.com/482251043
Website Vera van Wolferen: http://www.veravanwolferen.nl
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/veravanwolferen
Nieuwste donaties
Trish
15-05-2023 22:20the film and THE CAMPER!
Marijke
15-05-2023 21:50Je maakt supermooie dingen!
Isabela Costa
15-05-2023 14:27I can't wait to see you in Annecy !!! Best of luck to your project !
