In this installment of Making It Big, we’re focusing on the little guy. About 4 inches tall to be precise. We’re giving a boost to a new stop-motion film based in the U.K.  from award winning animator, Trevor Hardy (FoolHardy Films). It looks brilliantly stylised and has definitely got its own unique and really intriguing style. Welcome to Three’s A Crowd.

Stop Motion is easily one of my favourite animation styles and boasts some of the best films of recent years such as Coraline, Paranorman and Mary and Max. However, the problem with this genre is that it’s time consuming and there’s very little money in it. Laika, the main US stop motion studio, laid off nearly half their staff in 2008 but luckily they are owned by Nike so hopefully they’ll continue to keep making great movies. Yet what about those animators who aren’t owned by the mega bucks companies?

Three Crowd 1

Courtesy of FoolHardy Films

Well, luckily we’re here to try and give them a bit of a positive publicity and support the underdog. Three’s A Crowd is the brainchild of Trevor Hardy and the story follows Ray who has lovingly crafted the 10 minute short but needs some help in terms of post production – such as voice work and other bits.

So what is Three’s A Crowd? Ray, our lead, is a private man who keeps himself to himself. He’s perfectly happy and seeks to change nothing about his life. In fact, all is fine until his next door neighbour Paula, a single mum, is faced with the unexpected arrival of her ex-boyfriend Wayne. Wayne is no Prince Charming and immediately asserts himself, deciding to move into Paula’s flat rent-free. Ray grows increasingly suspicious and worried about Wayne as night after night, Ray can hear the couple arguing.

Three Crowd 3

Courtesy of FoolHardy Films

Concerned by her well being, Ray is unsure whether to act. As well as this, he must factor in the safety of Paula’s 6 year old daughter, Sophie. So the question arises, should Ray act or should he mind his own business?

This is certainly no children’s affair. It’s good to see stop motion move into more adult territories as it has the power and potential to deliver strong story lines through not-so traditional methods. As seen with Mary and Max, it was able to deliver poignant notes of tragedy and sadness whilst providing uplifting themes on life and love; an achievement which many might have thought of as impossible many moons ago. Three’s A Crowd looks set to continue this positive trend with a funny yet emotional ride. Aided by his unique vision, there will be an added element of distinctive beauty to proceedings.

I must admit the Kickstarter page is not the most in-depth but what it lacks in details, it more than makes up for it in passion. This is clearly a very close project to its creator and he understands Kickstarter’s potential and its power to enable him to finish his film. His video (posted below) highlights how much he wants this and that alone endears me to this project.

Three Crowd 2

Courtesy of FoolHardy Films

As Hardy signs off on: “You can help to finish this fantastic short film and take ‘Three’s a Crowd’ around the world. It could be the start of a new way of writing animation. So, if you have faith in me and like my ideas, then PLEASE, throw a fiver into ‘Three’s a Crowd’. Massive, huge, enormous thanks.” In fairness, the perks are quite sweet and impressive as for £10/$16, you can grab yourself an actual prop from the film as well as a DVD of the finish piece. That’s not bad for a tenner!

Please find the Kickstarter video below and if you decide for to get involved, here’s the link to pledge. As always, I leave it in your hands.

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If you’ve got a project you’d like to promote, get in touch via Twitter (@1RoomWithAView) as we’re always looking to help out the underdogs! Hope to hear from you soon!