GRAPHITE

Logline

Graphite is a mechanical model who comes to life just after he is assembled and is free to move as he pleases but is unable to do anything when his man is present and finds different forms of communication to grab his man’s attention.

Synopsis

In a workshop a mechanical figure lies on a workbench having just been built.   When the man leaves, he realises he can move around the room, however every time the man returns, he freezes unable to move desperate to communicate.

To get the man’s attention the figure moves objects around the room causing the man annoyance, the figure then starts switching on the light and turning on the radio causing the man leaves the room causing further annoyance.

The figure finds a pencil and scribbles on the workbench which finally gets the man’s attention.  The man becoming curious at this unusual scribble leaves a different coloured pencil, he comes back next day to find more scribbles in the new colour.

At first the figure is excited that he has found a way to communicate but soon becomes frustrated when the man still doesn’t realise it is him and accuses members of his family. The figure keeps trying and the scribbles slowly turn into drawings, becoming more detailed and expressive and decides to give himself a name and sign the pictures with the name Graphite.

In one last attempt to get the man’s attention Graphite does a self-portrait and the man f

understands that the mechanical figure has made them.

Director’s Notes.

No dialogue is planned for Graphite. The entire story will be told through physicality, movement and gesture and visually stimulating colour.  These elements will be supported by one of the most important components of the whole film,  a comprehensive soundscape and specifically written music to give a symbiotic  tonal array of audible communication for the audience to engage with. In terms of animation style Graphite will be classic stop action, however other methods are currently in experimentation.

Written by Rob Perrett Graphite is inspired by a wealth of inspirational elements experienced by Rob Perrett partly from personal trauma that he experienced 35 years ago and partly from his work specialising in communication for Learning Disabled Community where Rob Worked as a Sensory Art Teacher in various settings including colleges, schools and secure units where often a scribble on paper meant more than its apparent superficial appearance.

The photographs on this page document the materials, mechanical components and current development of the model. The body has been assembled and is continuing to evolve as its movement and animation requirements are tested; the character’s head remains in development. This handmade process will form an essential part of the film’s identity, with each physical adjustment becoming part of the performance created frame by frame.

(The Graphite temporary poster is AI-generated and is presented as an artistic impression of the project’s intended mood and visual direction. The remaining images on this page are original photographs documenting the materials, model construction and practical development of the stop-motion character.)