Naomi Darch

BA (Hons) Animation

Naomi Darch

As an avid horror enthusiast, which stems from my father’s love of cult horror classics that influenced my upbringing, my work explores the popular genre of slasher horror and stop motion animation. Influenced by what has always unsettled me, and old school 80’s horror that appeared comically fake has consistently hit depths of my soul that the realistic just can’t reach.

Inspired by the uncanny valley nature that stop motion encapsulates and my own interest in the horror genre I chose to film an animated short with the intention of low budget gore and unsettling themes of control and rebirth. Drawing influence from Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and it’s subject of reanimation, in addition to Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ and alienation. The short sets a ‘Hostel’ themed desk filled with rust and blood, and documents the torturous change the main character endures to become a creature for whom the antagonist sees beauty in.

The process that led me to the final stages of my film has helped me find passion in creating a scene with minimal props and importance of lighting and setting the stage to enhance the story. In addition, I have found both a profound love and equal hatred for fake blood and traditional special effects.


Fel rhywun sydd wedi gwirioni ar ffilmiau arswyd, sy’n deillio o hoffter fy nhad o glasuron arswyd cwlt a ddylanwadodd ar fy magwraeth, mae fy ngwaith yn archwilio genre arswyd poblogaidd y llofrudd seicopathig ac animeiddio stop-symud. Mae pethau sy’n ysgwyd a’m cythryblu wedi dylanwadu arna’i erioed, ac mae ffilmiau arswyd hen ffasiwn yr 80au oedd yn ymddangos yn chwerthinllyd o ffug wedi cydio’n gyson yn nyfnderoedd fy enaid nad yw ffilmiau realistig yn gallu’u cyrraedd.

Fe’m hysbrydolwyd gan y natur arallfydol mae stop-symud yn ei grisialu a’m diddordeb i yn y genre arswyd, a dewisais ffilmio animeiddiad byr gyda’r bwriad o greu ffilm arwydd cyllideb isel gyda themâu cythryblus rheolaeth ac ail-eni. Defnyddiais ddylanwad ‘Frankenstein’ gan Mary Shelley a’r syniad o ailfywiogi, yn ogystal â ‘The Metamorphosis’ gan Franz Kafka a dieithrio. Yn y ffilm fer, mae desg â thema ‘Hostel’ wedi’i llenwi â rhwd a gwaed, ac yn croniclo’r newid arteithiol mae’r prif gymeriad yn ei ddioddef i droi’n greadur y mae’r gelyn yn gweld harddwch ynddo.

Mae’r broses a wnaeth fy arwain i at gamau olaf fy ffilm wedi fy helpu i ddod o hyd i angerdd wrth greu golygfa heb fawr ddim propiau a dysgu pwysigrwydd goleuo a chreu’r llwyfan i fireinio’r stori. Yn ogystal, dwi wedi canfod cariad angerddol a chasineb cyffelyb at waed ffug ac effeithiau arbennig traddodiadol.

www.naomiskyfilms.co.uk

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