Stop motion film 'Tulip' reimagines Thumbelina in our own backyard

The animated short film ‘Tulip’ opens as many stories do - with "once upon a time."

The tale might sound familiar. It begins with a woman finding a tiny baby girl, curled up at the center of a blooming flower. Soon, Tulip climbs out her window and sets off on an adventure in her own backyard – meeting the many creatures that call it home as she tries to find her way back to her own.

The film is a take on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale Thumbelina. Each scene is awash in bright colors and textures. 

Every part of Tulip - from the characters to the sets and backgrounds - is made by hand, most of it in felt, and brought to life using the time-intensive technique of stop motion animation.

And the lush, green backgrounds may look familiar - the co-directors behind the film are based here in Western Washington.

Tulip was originally released in 2020. It screened at film festivals like the Annecy International Animation Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival.

Now, for the first time, anyone can watch the short on YouTube.

Guests:

• Andrea Love is a stop motion animator based in Port Townsend. She was co-director for Tulip, and also headed up fabrication & animation. 

• Phoebe Wahl is an illustrator and children’s book author based in Bellingham. She was the co-director, lead set and character designer, and script writer for Tulip.

Related links:

• Watch 'Tulip' on Youtube

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