'Keys' is our latest of Film of the Month

We are delighted to reveal our latest Film of the Month winner Keys. A beautifully crafted 3D animation about the cathartic power of music, from filmmaker Aaron in Belfast. Plus a special mention to BLUE, by Melany and Hana at New City College, London.

Keys (engaging for 7+) invites us to consider the powerful role that music plays in all our lives.

We caught up with the Aaron, the young filmmaker behind Keys, to find out more about their filmmaking process.

Why did you want to tell this story?

I thought it was best to make this film after the pandemic where families and friends were forced apart for so long. 

The film was made to emphasise the importance of relationships and family in our lives and also brings in the theme of how music can bring people together in times of hardship. I would call it a love letter to human connection.

Why did you decide to make an animation?

I wanted this film to be an animation as it allowed me to include scenes that would not be possible with the resources I had, in live action.

I decided on 3D animation for a sense of realism in order for the audience to empathise with the characters and because I have gradually become more skilled in 3D animation over the last couple of years.

How did you create the animation?

I created this entire film on Blender in about 2 weeks. I animated the scenes chronologically and imported some models as I am not particularly strong in 3D modelling.

The animation process consisted of using pre-existing motion capture and keyframe animation, which I used in particular for the close up of the hands playing the piano. The notes played in the animation are corresponding to the backing track of the film.

I started learning 3D animation about 4 years ago just in my free time and have developed my skills.

What message do you hope audiences take away?

The message I hope people will take away from this film is to spend as much time with your loved ones as possible.

Live in the moment and enjoy your life by surrounding yourself with people you love. Go do what is best for yourself and others because when you look back it will well be worth it knowing you've lived your one and only life to the fullest.

Music plays a big part in the film, how did you decide on the track?

I decided on a piano track called ‘Memories' that had an emotional undertone to fit with the story of the character coming to terms with grief.

I used the piano track as the music the character is playing in the film because the music is what had bound the character and his grandmother's relationship for such a long time.

The skillful playing of the piano is also metaphorical for how the grandmother has shaped him as a person since a very young age.

What advise would you share with aspiring filmmakers?

If you want to and have the passion to make a film you're already halfway there. I made this animation on a 13 year old computer as a 16 year old with self taught animation skills in which I submitted to several competitions but was rejected.

Never did I think I had a chance at winning because I was never making a film to win, I was making a film to have fun. Go for it if you truly love making films because if you do what you enjoy, you'll go far.

Aaron's film will now be showcased to over 300,000 film club members online, and is featured on the Into Film YouTube channel. They have secured a £100 voucher to help further develop their filmmaking.

Think you could win Film of the Month? Find out how you can enter Film of the Month and our other competitions here.

Special Mention

Each month we highlight one runner up that we think deserves special recognition for their filmmaking achievement. This month we are excited to feature BLUE, a haunting and beautiful exploration of grief with stunning visuals, from young filmmakers Melany and Hana from New City College, London.

We caught up with Melany and Hana to find out more about their filmmaking experience.

Tell us about your film...

Melany - I came up with the idea for the film based on the idea that you can hear a whale's heart from 2 miles away. This made me think of a story about a girl that could hear the heart beat but no one else could. 

Hana offered to play the character and came up with an idea of a girl who had lost her mum - this created lots of emotion and we hoped to make people think about others who don't have their loved ones with them anymore.

I want people to feel that the whale represented the heart beat of the mum and that if you love someone they've never really gone.

Hana - Melany approached me with a concept for a movie named BLUE. the role I portrayed was intended to express the emotions of people who have experienced a loss. To portray the mood of my role, we experimented with a range of camera angles, and we used close ups to connect the viewer with the emotions of the main character

A blue wall inside the collage was used to create the whale effect using chroma keys in Premiere Pro. The whale symbolises the mother's love, and the sound of her song leads the character to her. We changed the heartbeat to whale song as it suited the atmosphere much better. This suggests that the mother will always be there to support and guide her child.