Studio Kiln have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their beautifully animated film, Waterbeing

When not working on vibrant brand identities, the team over at Studio Kiln have been quietly developing and producing a personal venture – their first film. Titled ‘Waterbeing,’ the eight-minute animated film uses music and moving image to tell the story of a woman who learns to love herself, and survive in a world that feels sink-or-swim, through swimming. To bring the story to life, the Penryn-based studio joined forces with animator and illustrator Glenn Young, producer Harvey Hayman and motion designer/animator Miguel Rodrigues. Created at a slower pace than previous projects, the carefully-considered and mindful approach to both the story and production finds some origins in Studio Kiln Founder Charlie Hocking’s personal experience. As he explains on the film’s Kickstarter campaign page, “Waterbeing is a very personal project to me and a story I feel is relatable to many. We’ve all experienced the pressure to perform or to race to the finish line. Only then finding that we’re not entirely happy when we get there.” “Working in the creative industry, I was always slightly dismissive of slowing down,” Hocking continues. “It felt like defeat. After taking a step back from this world in 2020, I was surprised to find equally fulfilling ways to work and remain creative, all the while making time for myself and those that I cared about.”