Budding filmmakers come out of their shell

Kids Greening Taupō coordinator Rachel Thompson, video winner Pip Bramwell and Kids Greening Taupō educator Heidi Prtichard. Photo: Dan Hutchinson

The Taupō Primary School Year 5 student created a stop-go animation video, with a bit of help from her mum Fiona Bramwell who provided the scary voice of a clam and dad Ian who helped with some of the props.

Pip’s winning entry featured hand-drawn illustrations and she also narrated sections of the video.

 She won $100 plus a Kona Kones voucher for ice creams.

"We take away the food and space that native creatures need which will cause them to disappear," the animated clam warns in Pip's recording.

The video covers the economic impact of invasive species and explains their rapid reproduction rates, with each clam capable of producing up to 70,000 “babies” annually.

Fiona says it was a family effort.

"We downloaded the app a while ago and we were playing around with stop frame animation.

"We had the kitchen chair, Ian dismantled a doll's house … Pip cut, and drew everything and we moved photo, moved photo, moved photo (to create the animation)."

The production process took place over several weeks, with Pip creating all the drawings herself.

Pip recorded everything under a blanket because her sound was echoing.

The video highlights the ‘check, clean, dry protocol that helps prevent the spread of invasive species between waterways.

It instructs viewers to check for visible plants and organisms, clean equipment and dry gear thoroughly before moving between different water bodies.

"For gear that absorbs water like wetsuits or togs, use hot tap water, diluted bleach, or freeze solid overnight," Pip says in the video.

Pip has been involved in environmental conservation efforts through Kids Greening Taupō’s student leadership team for several years.

Pip comes to almost every planting day.

Pip's video is available on YouTube.

The competition was a collaboration with Kids Greening Taupō, local environmental advocate ‘Didymo Dave’ Cade and Harcourts Taupō.

Second place in the vide contest went to Angela Schur and Isla Hilton and the following were highly commended: Hana Thompson, Zara Pritchard, Adelyn Pritchard, Juliette Hamilton, Katie Herriot, Penny Lagas, Sienna Lagas, Leela Thompson, Nesandi and Boomitha Borala Liyanage, Nia Simm and Laura Officer.