How did the Avon Gorge come to be? Was it shaped by giants, or is the truth even more extraordinary? And who was the first brave soul to cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge? Let’s dive into Bristol’s history with the help of beautifully illustrated animations that bring these stories to life.
Bristol Museums’ Learning Team commissioned us to create two short animations to accompany recently digitised audio recordings. The goal? To transform these oral histories into engaging, accessible resources for primary school-aged children and their educators.
These animations are part of the "Sounds of the South West" project, designed to celebrate Bristol’s unique heritage and inspire local school engagement.
Our challenge was to craft two distinct visual stories in just one month, ensuring they aligned with the project’s educational aims, resonated with young audiences, and enhanced the sound recordings.
We brought the recordings to life through animations, capturing the energy and charm of each story.
Animation 1: Goram and Vincent: the Giants of Bristol (1:58) This animation tells the legendary tale of two giants - Goram and Vincent - who are said to have created the Avon Gorge. To engage and connect with the children who would be watching, we added humorous touches, like Goram picking his nose, and reimagined the giants’ rivalry as a playful video game battle inside the “Giant’s Cave.”
Animation 2: Mary Griffiths: The First Member of the Public to Cross Clifton Suspension Bridge (0:52) The second video recounts the true story of Mary Griffiths, the first member of the public to cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge. We focused on her bravery and determination, conveying her emotions through expressive facial animations and body language. For authenticity, we researched period-specific fashion and used a historical photograph of 21-year-old Mary as reference.
With a tight deadline, we adopted a “fancy animatic” approach, combining detailed background and character designs with simple, dynamic movements to bring the illustrations to life. This method allowed us to deliver vibrant, engaging animations that balanced quality with efficiency. Our goal was to make these animations visually appealing and enjoyable for children, ensuring they enhance their learning experience.
The animations have been launched as part of Bristol Museums’ free, online learning resources. These engaging films aim to enhance local history education, making Bristol’s heritage more relatable and inspiring for primary school students and their educators.
While we await feedback from schools and educators, the project has already been praised internally for its attention to detail, engaging visuals, and storytelling approach.
Sounds of the South West is a regional audio heritage preservation and access project generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Lottery players.
Audio clip: Bristol Archives: Mrs Ethel Thomas’ collection, 42242/AV/2: Radio programme about the history of Bristol and the River Avon
Sound editing: Katy Ross
Creative concept / Script: Katy Ross
Director / Animator: Katy Ross
Illustration: Billmund and Katy Ross
