What is the film about?

Bucky, the dinky seaside donkey ride, regrets becoming the most popular attraction on Barnacle Bay Beach.

What influenced it?

Inspired by beach photographers such as Martin Parr and the illustration style of the New Yorker. Writer and director Jim Billy Wheeler wanted to bring the slick and graphic sensibilities of those illustrations into the film, whilst retaining a charming and heartfelt piece.

A little background information...

The inspiration for Donkey Wrong came from the idea that something magical could be conjured and revered in a real-world setting. Beaches are magical and otherworldly places in themselves and there’s nowhere else quite like being beside the sea, it’s the perfect place for a supernatural spectacle!. Also, it is a lovely opportunity to come together as a studio, to create something that is uplifting and fun in a remote setup.

How was the film made?

The predominant method of production was going to be in After Effects, given the lovely geometric nature of Jim’s design. But we wanted to elevate it beyond the established aesthetic of AE motion. To do this, we used cell animation as the foundation for the character motion. This offered a looser, squashier, and more dynamic feel to the animation. We then took that into After Effects and built off of this.