I interviewed Kamilla Wright, who is studying BA (Hons) Animation Production at Level 4, on a fascinating project she undertook on her course during the spring term. It was my pleasure to hear about the passion she had for her ideas and the drive she had throughout the project, the Panto Sack.
Tell me a bit more about the "Panto Sack" and the creative process...
The Panto Sack was a fundamental exercise in learning how to start animating. While there were certain requirements for this sequence, I was still able to add a few personal twists to it. Some of the animation principles I had to apply included squash and stretch for the bouncing motion, as well as anticipation before the jump. I also needed to give the sack a sense of consciousness – my way of doing this was by having it turn a few times, as if surveying its surroundings, before it began bouncing back and forth. This helped build up to the big jump, where it swung onto the hook and then landed on the ground. One of my personal touches was making the sack do a flip while falling. Then, as it hit the ground, I added a squash effect to emphasise the impact and momentum.
What did this project teach you about yourself, either creatively or personally?
Not just this project, but all of the projects I worked on during my two terms taught me the importance of preparation before animating. Working on paper forced me to follow core animation principles and gave me a deeper appreciation for the craft. I've also realised that animating on paper doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it might seem at first.
What do you hope someone feels or takes away when they experience your work?
I hope that anyone who sees my work feels inspired to follow their own passion. It’s never too late to pick up a new hobby or skill. I want people to believe that if they put their heart and time into something, they can achieve it too.
What emotion or atmosphere were you trying to capture through this project, and how did you express that?
One emotion I aimed to evoke through my piece was curiosity – encouraging the viewer to wonder what might happen next and try to predict the movement. There’s still a sense of anticipation before each motion, leaving space for the viewer to imagine what the next step could be.
What kind of research or exploration did you do before diving into the creative side?
From the start of this task, we worked on more than one animation sequence. Before animating the Panto Sack, we focused on the Sack Drop. This involved observing a real flour sack—dropping it, throwing it, spinning it—to study how it moved and responded to physics. I then experimented with different ways of drawing the sack, trying out various styles until I found one that best suited me.
