How To Count Sheep
When a Nighttime Story Meets Imagination
Tasked with capturing the fragile realm of sleepless nights, we used hand-crafted stop-motion animation to transform a child’s bedroom into a surreal, woolly dreamscape. From sculpting felt puppets to designing miniature sets, each frame was meticulously composed to reflect the whimsical yet unsettling world of insomnia—where counting sheep blurs the line between comfort and chaos.
The Result? A playful yet introspective short film that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to drift off, blending tactile artistry, dreamlike visuals, and a dash of childhood wonder to explore the hidden anxieties that keep us awake.
How To Count Sheep
When a Nighttime Story Meets Imagination
Tasked with capturing the fragile realm of sleepless nights, we used hand-crafted stop-motion animation to transform a child’s bedroom into a surreal, woolly dreamscape. From sculpting felt puppets to designing miniature sets, each frame was meticulously composed to reflect the whimsical yet unsettling world of insomnia—where counting sheep blurs the line between comfort and chaos.
The Result? A playful yet introspective short film that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to drift off, blending tactile artistry, dreamlike visuals, and a dash of childhood wonder to explore the hidden anxieties that keep us awake.
How To Count Sheep
When a Nighttime Story Meets Imagination
Tasked with capturing the fragile realm of sleepless nights, we used hand-crafted stop-motion animation to transform a child’s bedroom into a surreal, woolly dreamscape. From sculpting felt puppets to designing miniature sets, each frame was meticulously composed to reflect the whimsical yet unsettling world of insomnia—where counting sheep blurs the line between comfort and chaos.
The Result? A playful yet introspective short film that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to drift off, blending tactile artistry, dreamlike visuals, and a dash of childhood wonder to explore the hidden anxieties that keep us awake.
Short Film
Roles:
Producer
Technical Director
Animator
Model Maker
Technical:
Live Action Filming
DragonFrame
Adobe Flash
After Effects
Illustrator
Photoshop
After Effects
London, United Kingdom
2014
Project How To Count Sheep
TL;DR Case Study
We partnered with BLMSwap to redefine their brand identity, digital presence, and product ecosystem, positioning them as a standout in the competitive DeFi space. Alongside a bold visual language emphasizing trust and fluidity, we developed their first-ever mobile app, featuring streamlined KYC onboarding, real-time dashboards, wallet and asset management, and seamless cross-chain swaps. These enhancements created an intuitive and cohesive user experience while ensuring scalability for future innovations like NFT integration and staking. By bridging technical sophistication with user trust, BLMSwap is now well-equipped to lead the decentralized exchange market with a stronger, more accessible, and future-ready platform.
A young girl plagued by insomnia turns to the age-old trick of counting sheep, only to have her quiet bedroom transform into a surreal realm where each sheep carries a quirky yet eerie manifestation of her hidden fears, blurring the line between a harmless bedtime ritual and a nightmarish journey of self-discovery.
The production involved crafting detailed miniatures and meticulously sculpted characters to create an immersive, handmade world. From the early concept sketches—showing a bundled figure with a whimsical tail—to the hand-felted puppet that precisely captures those initial designs, every element was carefully fashioned by hand. The team built miniature sets and props, layering them with textures such as felt “forests” and tiny furnishings to bring each scene to life. Each frame was then painstakingly shot in a traditional stop motion style: the puppets and sets were adjusted incrementally between shots, giving the illusion of fluid motion once the images were played in sequence. This hands-on approach, combined with attention to lighting and camera angles, lent the final film a warm, tactile quality that can only be achieved through stop motion animation.
Winner for Best Animation at Screentest The Nation Student Film Festival 2014
Winner for Best Production Design at Screentest The Nation Student Film Festival 2014
Winner for Best Production Design at Watersprite: The Cambridge International Student Film Festival 2014
Nominated for Best Film at Screentest The Nation Student Film Festival 2014
Nominated for Best Score at Screentest The Nation Student Film Festival 2014
Nominated for Committee's Choice at Screentest The Nation Student Film Festival 2014
Nominated for Best Animation at Kingston ARTS London Student Festival "2014"
The London Short Film Festival 2014,
Vaughan Film Festival 2014
Animated Exeter 2014,
The Congleton FIlm Festival 2013,
Animated Eden 2013,
Official Selection of the Woman Media Arts and Film Festvial 2013,
Cinewest Festival in Australia: 17TH AUBURN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2013.
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS: TADGELL’S BLUEBELL AWARD
How To Count Sheep
When a Nighttime Story Meets Imagination
We set out to capture the fragile realm of sleepless nights by using hand-crafted stop-motion animation to transform a child’s bedroom into a surreal, woolly dreamscape. From sculpting felt puppets to designing miniature sets, each frame was meticulously composed to reflect the whimsical yet unsettling world of insomnia—where counting sheep blurs the line between comfort and chaos.
The Result? A playful yet introspective short film that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to drift off, blending tactile artistry, dreamlike visuals, and a dash of childhood wonder to explore the hidden anxieties that keep us awake.
Short Film
Stop Motion Animation
Producer
Technical Director
Animator
Model Maker
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