Animation & Motion Design
Ella Byrne
Flow
“Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger.”
This emotion is a universal human experience. It is an essential survival mechanism.
Flow is an animated short film which combines watercolour painting, traditional hand-drawn animation and digital media. It is an exploration of the growing mental health epidemic.
The narrative features a young girl who is trapped under water and it follows her on her journey to reach the shore. The ocean is used as a metaphor for her inner emotional state and her struggle of coming to terms with these emotions.
At the start of the film it has overpowered and transformed her. It is fighting against her in the same vein as negative cognitions fight against logic when one experiences anxiety.
However, as she overcomes these feelings, the therapeutic effect of the ocean is revealed as a calming resolution is achieved. This is mirrored by her metamorphosis. The external reflects the internal. It shows personal development in resolving mental health issues.