The Boy Who Wanted to be a Lion

Dreambase Studios were approached by Producer, Polly Stokes (National Film and Television), to provide sound consultancy and guidance to the student sound designers for this short. "It was a real pleasure working with Polly, we sat down, watched the temporary animatic and discussed the directors creative intentions. I then suggested that as the sound should be POV, all the high frequency should be dropped until the hearing aid was inserted, then an influx of noise and distortion should be present. The dynamics of the hearing aid and without should really highlight how the boy is feeling..." said Alex.

The director, Alois Di Leo, created this short animation as part of his graduation project from the National Film and Television School. Using Hand drawings and a mixture of silence and static noise to echo the boy’s deafness, this film has captivated audiences across the film festival circuit. The plot lines effect is a mixture of laughter from its playfulness and stock from the tragic ending.

At Cannes in 2010, The Boy Who… was selected for the Critics Week, where Alois Di Leo said:

“Our film is being screened in a new 35mm print and it looks fantastic; there is a new depth and richness to the images. I can feel the story taking possession of the audience – the cinema feels still and alert! The film is only eight minutes and the ending is realist, perhaps not what an audience expects from animation material.”

Polly said that "Alex really helped us to think outside the box with his recommendations which gave our sound designer the confidence to push the boundaries and create a soundtrack that more than compliments the mix"

SYNOPSIS: Max is a seven-year-old deaf boy growing up in the 1960s. One day he goes on a school trip to the zoo, where he sees a lion for the first time. A feeling begins to grow inside him that will change his life forever.

"The Boy Who Wanted to be a Lion" - Trailer from Alois Di Leo on Vimeo.