Norman Yeend

SUCCESS!! A huge, sincere THANK YOU!! to everyone who so generously supported this project. Your help is enormously appreciated! Now the fun really begins... !! ;) Storyboarding, building puppets, props and sets, lighting, animating, and everything else involved in bringing the characters and story of EFFIGY to life. Please don't hesitate to contact me at: [email protected] should you have any questions or just like to keep up to date with your film. After all, if it wasn't for your generosity and belief in the project it's unlikely it would be happening. 

Thanks again. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Norman

EFFIGY is a short stop-motion animated film written, directed and animated by Norman Yeend. In many ways it is a classic fairy tale. Set in what could be Medieval Europe, EFFIGY tells the tale of a gifted sculptor who inadvertently brings a clay self-portrait, his 'effigy', to life. Rather than shun his creation, the man nurtures it and sets about teaching it the disciplines of his craft and about the world in which it finds itself. Eventually the willing clay apprentice becomes the artist's creative equal, and the two enjoy working alongside one another creating extraordinary sculptural pieces.

The time comes when the statue expresses a desire to experience more than that which it has so far been exposed to within the sculptor's sombre walls, and so the artist leads his creation outside into an idyllic sculpture garden. It is here, in this beautiful hilltop environment bathed in the golden glow from a sunset sky, that the clay man learns about the fragility of life and the primary difference between itself and its creator: one is a living, breathing human, the other, cold animated clay.

Ultimately, in a tragic turn, the man is accidentally killed, and the creature experiences grief and a sense of loss. It is only after this that the Effigy is able to appreciate the fleeting and precious nature of life and, in turn, become truly human itself. As the statue looks on, the man's body becomes nothing more than lifeless clay while its own transforms into flesh and blood. The cycle of creation is renewed, and the film ends as it began…

Norman Yeend: Writer - Director - Model Maker - Animator

Norman Yeend has been creating professional models for display and television since 1983. His love of miniatures and particularly stop-motion animation goes further back. At age 14, inspired by the remarkable work of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen, Norman made his first ambitious films on Super 8. His talents have seen him work on a variety of projects including museum and theme park displays, music videos, documentaries, television series and feature films. In 1993 he co-wrote, directed and animated the ABC/Film Australia documentary, Muttaburrasaurus; Life in Gondwana which received several ABC TV screenings nationwide. The short film version received wide cinema release as support to a Spielberg produced cartoon feature, and was also nominated for an AFI award. The past decade has seen him direct numerous television commercials for some top international and domestic agencies picking up many awards along the way including a Silver Lion at Cannes and a Silver Clio in New York.

Anne Bowman, B.Sc. B.A: Co/Writer - Model Maker

Anne Bowman has had a varied and remarkable career, from assistant preparator at the Australian Museum to illustration, model maker and author. In 1994 she worked on the short animation, The Story of Rosy Dock by popular children’s author, Jeannie Baker and later as finishing artist on the feature film, Babe 2: Pig in the City. Her beautifully detailed illustrations are to be found in numerous children’s and natural history publications including her own book, Count Them While You Can, which was shortlisted for the Wilderness Society Environmental Award for Children’s Literature.

Carolien Foley: Producer

Carolien Foley has been producing film, television and commercial projects since 1995. Since 2000 she has produced for animation director Norman Yeend across a range of animated projects. These include TVC’s, short pieces for the Comedy Channel and ABC’s Creature Features as well as Norman's own animated feature script, The JITTERBUG, which was developed with the assistance of Screen NSW. The project is currently in the marketplace gaining considerable interest. From 2001 to 2003 she was associate producer for Martin Brown Films. In 2007 Carolien was Animation Producer on $9.99 for Sherman Pictures, setting up the pipeline for Australia’s first fully stop-motion animated feature film. Carolien has worked as a VFX and animation producer for Ambience, Hive Studios and Post Op/The Klinik on a freelance basis and has also worked for Mirage Vfx as a business partner for long form production. Recently, Carolien joined Cutting Edge as VFX producer.

EFFIGY is intended to be a showcase. It will be a hauntingly beautiful, thought-provoking film that will stay with the viewer long after the last frame. Once completed, EFFIGY will be submitted for entry into as many local and international film festivals as possible. Hopefully, EFFIGY is just the beginning…

I would like to thank everybody who takes an interest in my project and is generous enough to support it. Your help is very much appreciated. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact me, Norman Yeend, by sending me an email at: [email protected]

Thank you!