Lauren’s animation
bridges the divide

When Lauren Denyer was considering what to make her final year animation about, she decided to tackle a subject close to her heart: the realities of being a child of divorce.

19 Jun 2024

Animation graduate Lauren has drawn on her own experiences to create a beautiful short film showcasing the lows – and the highs – that come from having divorced parents.

Divide is narrated by Lauren and is drawn in a traditional style with a limited colour palette. In it, she talks about how difficult it can be to balance the expectations of two parents who live apart, before talking about the many benefits that can come with time – like building close relationships with new step-siblings and seeing her parents happy.

“For my final major project, we were told to choose something we enjoy or are passionate about and for me that was my family. Divorce has been a huge part of my family’s life, yet it is something we don’t really talk about,” she said. “My sisters were eager for me to do this animation and helped me with the script so it’s from all of us. I didn’t want this animation to be a blame game or a sob story, so it was hard to try and find a balance where nobody got offended. Once I had the script sorted the visuals came to my head immediately. I had so much fun pushing myself with transitions and metaphors which was tough, because it was such a personal subject. It’s been the project I have been most passionate about from across the entire course, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to talk about this subject.”

Divide took just over three months to make, and while Lauren told her parents about the project, they did not see the animation until it was finished.

She said: “There were mixed emotions but all of them were proud, supportive and told me they loved it which I am very grateful for.”

Lauren’s love of animation comes courtesy of Disney and Pixar. She has always loved drawing, but the two films she counts as being her biggest inspiration are Robin Hood (1973) – “I remember noticing all the pencil work in the animation and the hand painted backgrounds - that in itself is magical to me,” – and the Pixar short The Blue Umbrella (2013). “The rollercoaster of emotions I felt watching that, with what is such a simple concept, was amazing, and I knew I wanted to create work that had that effect,” says Lauren.

Living near Farnham, Lauren says she knew BA (Hons) Animation at UCA was the right course for her. “Within the first year I felt confident across all the programmes, with the support of the tutors and workshops,” she explains.

“I also found a love for hand-drawn 2D animation, and have grown from every project since, with the guidance and push of the tutors,” she says. “I’ve also loved the live project briefs we’ve done, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed working within a team, which is something I am now looking forward to doing in my career.”

As well as forming part of UCA’s Grad Show, Divide has been submitted to two film festivals, Animasyros International Film Festival, and London International Animation Festival.

Following graduation, Lauren hopes to join a studio and work alongside like-minded animators, but her ultimate dream is to be a creative director. “I just love animating, and want to do what I love for a living,” she says.

You can see Lauren’s work at UCA Farnham’s Grad Show from June 13 to June 25, and online.