Introduction:
My animated short film DIVE follows a young competitive diver who faces her biggest competition yet, battling fear, self-doubt, and the pressure to succeed. This film was created as part of my final year at the University of Worcester.
Inspiration:
The idea for DIVE came from a TV show I watched as a kid in Norway called Best i Mest (“Best at the Most”), particularly an episode about competitive diving. The diver in the episode was a tiny girl who performed the most magnificent dive with ease, but she also spoke about the fear she could never shake before each jump. I wanted to explore these feelings—pressure, fear, and self-doubt—because I could relate to them in other ways, and I’m sure others can too.
The Process:
The animated short was animated entirely by me in Toon Boom Harmony over the course of my final year at university. Ironically, the thing that scared me most while making the film was exactly what the film is about: the pressure, fear, and self-doubt of whether it would be good enough and finished on time. I struggled with some camera angles and worried that the tension I was building wouldn’t land as intended. Thankfully, I had amazing teachers and classmates to lean on for advice and support. One of the most enjoyable parts of the process was filming reference videos together. We would always end up laughing at how terrible we were at acting, despite how convincing the performances had seemed in our heads.
What It Means to Be a Finalist:
Words can’t describe how it feels. I am honoured to be selected as a finalist at the Worcester Film Festival—thank you. It’s incredible to know that audiences and industry professionals have watched my film and connected with it. I’m so excited to share it with even more people. That little girl who spent day and night animating through self-doubt and fear is finally breathing a sigh of relief and gratitude.
Where to Watch / Follow:
My film is available in full on my YouTube channel, SaltyTea. If you’re interested in behind-the-scenes content from the making of DIVE, or you’d like to keep up with future projects, you can follow me on Instagram at @mizuwiwi. You’ll also find links to my other platforms there.
About The Author
