What Is The Grave Of Saint Oran?
This short stopmotion animation is a twisted philosophical tale of two saints, a murder, and the dark history behind the chapel on the island of Iona. Narrated by master storyteller Neil Gaiman, it is based on his poem 'In Relig Odhrain', and will be brought to life with beautifully illustrated paper cutouts meticulously hand animated frame by frame. We believe in the tactile magic that happens when real light hits actual paper, so the whole film will be shot in camera with minimal digital interference.
We ran a successful kickstarter campaign and with the generous support of our backers, raised over $70,000. With these funds we have been able to set up our studio and the team is currently in full production. Keep an eye on our Production Diary below for updates!
"He will touch you, he will taste you, he will leave his words inside you - god is not what you imagine, nor is hell, and nor is heaven."
- FROM 'IN RELIG ODHRAIN' by NEIL GAIMAN
Stoking the Fires of Post-Production
Hello! Just a quick update to let you know that we are still busy in post-production, hammering away at The Grave of St Oran, slowly but surely forging it into a finished film for you all to enjoy. As suspected, figuring out a solid workflow ended up being trickier than it seemed, requiring a lot […]
…and that’s a WRAP
We made it! Principle photography on The Grave Of St Oran is finally DONE. Wow. The last month of shooting was pretty intense, putting in long hours to make sure we got in all the crazy shots we had dreamed up before the shoot ended.
the end in sight
Well that month flew past in a blur! With the end of the shoot in sight, we’ve been putting in some long hours in the studio, determined to get this thing across the finish line. Not long now…
THE PEOPLE
Behind every film is a crew of talented people, and this one is no exception. To make this animation, we have pulled together a crack team of incredibly talented individuals from around the world:
- Director Jim Batt
- Writer Neil Gaiman
- Artist Ellen Barkin
- Producer Josie Hess
- Composer Jherek Bischoff
- Animator Josh Mahan
- Sound Designer John Kassab
THE PROJECT
The Grave Of Saint Oran is a short stopmotion animation based on the poem ‘In Relig Odhrain’ by Neil Gaiman. The characters & world will be designed by illustrator Ellen Barkin Söderholm, then these designs will be turned into paper cutout puppets & sets, ready to be animated frame by frame.
It is a strange story, full of brooding atmosphere and metaphysical horror, and we intend to build on that mood…
THE POEM
The poem ‘In Relig Odhrain’ was published in a recent collection of Neil Gaiman’s short stories called ‘Trigger Warning’. It tells the tale of two saints who land on the island of Iona, and attempt to build a chapel there.
But things don’t go smoothly and the ritual murder of one saint by the other begins a chain of events that brings into question everything they believe…
“…he is going to make a glorious, magical, and peculiar, animated film.” – Neil Gaiman