The DepicT prize is awarded to films of 90 seconds or under, both live action and animation. This year it attracted over 600 entries from all over the world and was won by animator Mole Hill for his film ‘The Fat Cat’. 

In between working on commercials for everything from Creme Eggs to toilet paper and children’s series such as OOglies or Postman Pat, Mole made ‘The Fat Cat’ in his garage in rural Cheshire.

The film uses an innovative technique of animation that involves etching each frame into a thin layer of back-lit wax to give a glowing hand-drawn effect.  The shooting rate was about 2 seconds a day.  As each image is destroyed to make way for the next, the only physical remainder of the film is the very final image. 

The budget for the film was precisely nothing, with music and voice over being provided by Mole’s long term collaborators Mark Slater and Julian Roberts – who will now share in the £1,500 prize money.

The Fat Cat is a wry response to the recent financial crisis and the absurdity of bail-outs and bonuses.  It can be seen at http://www.depict.org/2012/the-fat-cat/?category_request=2012.

The Fat Cat was conceived whilst sitting in the waiting room at the dentist, and was 90% written by the time Mole emerged from the surgery (minus one tooth).

For more information visit http://www.molehill.moonfruit.com/.

Source: Mole Hill Animation