Greasby animation boy in fame frame

Mar 5 2008 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

HE’S only nine but Laurie Read has already produced a first animation he hopes to see on the big screen during Wirral International Film Festival.

Using his own drawings and the Flash software on his computer, Laurie has created a five-minute short called Zombielocks and the Three Killer Bears, a “skit” of the well-known fairy tale.

In his first exclusive interview as a film-maker, the Greasby Junior School pupil told the News: “I got the idea while I was eating my dinner and then I just thought of it really.

“It’s about a girl called Zombielocks and three killer bears.

“Baby Bear has anger management problems and Zombielocks gets taken over by a different person, a bit like Jekyll and Hyde.”

And, keeping it in the family, Laurie has enlisted the help of his six-year-old little sister, Isla, to voice the part of the main character, while he plays Granddad and his mum, Tina, reveals the breadth of her acting range as the Wicked Witch.

Ever the perfectionist when in pursuit of his art, Laurie insists there is still work to be done before he is happy with the final product.

He said: “I suppose lots of it needs improving but I like the bit where the Wicked Witch falls out of the window. It looks funny.”

Laurie, who likes collecting and painting Warhammer models when he’s not busy animating, first worked on the project for a special competition aimed at teenagers run by Liverpool’s FACT cinema.

For a nine-year-old he has developed a distinct drawing style, full of movement and expression, with characters unmistakably his own.

Laurie said: “I do have quite a weird style.

He cites Tim Burton as one of his sources of inspiration, and also admires Liverpool animator, James Munro.

For more information on the Wirral International Film Festival, visit www.vesbim.co.uk

SEE Laurie's animation at: www.illumination-ed.co.uk/Zombielocks/