‘Reality’ is a new animated short film from artist Akvile Magicdust. Expanding on Akvile’s comic of the same name, the film sees protagonist Lucy pick herself back up after a trip to the skate park doesn’t turn out the way she thought it would.
Originally a weekly Vice comic, ‘Lucy, the Confused Girl’, follows the trials and tribulations of a girl called Lucy, and her friends Alien and Tiger. Conceptualised while sitting at home with a broken leg following a skateboarding accident, Akvile was inspired by the Moxi Girls Skate Team to create Lucy; a fearless, feminine protagonist. The stories explore uncomfortable situations and feelings, including social dilemmas and general anxiety.
Commenting on the narrative, Akvile says: “It’s not an autobiographical story, but it’s something everyone who does these kinds of sports will be familiar with. Falling over and pain are inevitable while learning and growing; the important part is how you deal with it. First experiences in the skatepark can be really humiliating but thankfully over time and with practice, this feeling can be overcome.”
The script was adapted from Akvile’s comic by writer Christiana Brockbank with the characters wonderfully embodied by Anna Chloe Moorey and Johnny Foxwell’s voice acting.
Akvile used watercolour to create her backgrounds, while the animation is digitally hand drawn using the traditional frame by frame technique by Chris Cray, Barry Evans, Kathryn Leviton and Jodie Sech. The atmosphere was brought to life by composer Scott O’Toole and sound designer Mark Smith.
The film is produced by animation production company Somesense.