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The dawn sunlight banishes a vampire owl

The dawn chorus is a wonder of wildlife. It might sound like a racket when you're trying to sleep, but tune in your ears and you'll hear a symphony.

As part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Breathing Places' drive to encourage more of us to appreciate the dawn chorus, second year animation students at the Norwich School Of Art And Design (NSAD) have produced a series of animated films based around the idea of dawn.

Ideas on the dawn

From a sunrise to birdsong, the power of a new dawn to banish evil, to the battle between Mother Nature's symphony against the sound of commuter chaos - the students have created a range of 15-second films that reflect upon the early hours.

"I wanted to play with the idea of the dawn chorus as an operatic event and this led me to look at Pavarotti and Nessun Dorma, which means 'none shall sleep' when translated," said student Matt Roe.

Pavarotti Pigeon by Matt Roe (detail)

"It fitted perfectly for the dawn chorus theme. I wanted the bird to bring up the sun through song, so this is why when he hits his highest note the curtains begin to open to reveal the dawn sky," he added.

Inspired by colour

Gideon Clark was inspired by the colour that a spring dawn can bring to the world.

"My animation is an attempt to reflect the beauty and spontaneity of the dawn in a city environment that is perhaps monotonous and grey. I created the bird as the link to the fresh and vibrant countryside," said Gideon.

Ìý"The project was great to work with because of the openness of the brief. It left at lot of scope for us to impose our individual style and ideas. I also enjoyed receiving feedback from a professional client (´óÏó´«Ã½), to be able to pick up tips and advice about an industry we are aiming to work in," he added.

Each of the animated shorts required the students to spend time researching the subject of the dawn chorus and its interpretation.

"The concept for my animation came from exploring western folklore. In legend, evil spirits disappear at dawn," said Joanna Elliott.

"The vampire-owl character is based on the connection that owls are nocturnal, and in myth vampires are only present in darkness to avoid sunlight. The robin is the innocent victim, whose song wakes the sun to destroy evil spirits," she added.

For Aaron Furr, inspiration struck while looking out from his bedroom window.

Telegraph Chorus by Aaron Furr (detail)

"I saw a relation between the telegraph wires that birds sing on and a musical score," said Aaron.

"The birds just happened to look like little music notes and together with the pole and the treble clef, the scene was set for the literal dawn chorus.

"The birds you hear are not just there to wake you up but are a real treat to listen to as well. They are an amazing orchestra on our doorsteps and I feel confident that I have captured this in my final piece," he added.

Creative collaboration

The Dawn Chorus project is the fifth year that students on the NSAD animation course have collaborated on the project, led by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Norfolk.

"The prestige of being part of a creative ´óÏó´«Ã½ experience sharpens the students up a lot at this point in their course. They took it all very seriously, worked hard and took advice in good faith to help improve their work - discovering the benefits of a collaborative process," said course leader Suzie Hanna.

"I think they all improved their craft through the project and developed more confidence as animators. It also gives them something to be proud of when their work is shown to the public through the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website or they watch it on TV as a broadcast item," she added.

NSAD students collaborated with the ´óÏó´«Ã½

Creative talent

"To work with the students each year on a collaboration is always a real pleasure as I know they'll rise to the challenge of producing great content," said ´óÏó´«Ã½ Norfolk's Martin Barber.

"For many of the students it's the first time they've been given the chance to work to on a live brief, with broadcast deadlines and a client's exact specifications - all of which is great experience that will help prepare them for working in the industry after they graduate.

"But it's also about us - the ´óÏó´«Ã½ - investing time to help nurture the creative talent that's to be found within our local community and then giving that talent a platform upon which to showcase work to the widest possible audience.

"When you get a group of creative people together is generates a real energy and I'm confident that this has translated to the finished films. We've some great talent on our doorstep and to be able to encourage and support that is a great privilege," he added.

Tune in to the dawn chorus

The dawn chorus happens all year round, but from 28 April to 4 May, 2008 - ´óÏó´«Ã½ Breathing Places is asking everyone to get up early and listen to the amazing sounds of the dawn chorus.

Untitled by Alan Kearney (detail)

There are lots of dawn chorus events across the UK, but if the thought of getting up and joining a walk at 4am doesn't appeal, there's still loads you can hear without even leaving your bedroom.

Simply set your alarm, get up and open your window a crack and listen to the sounds of the dawn chorus from the comfort of your bed.

A pocket guide to the dawn chorus, featuring The One Show's Adrian Chiles, is available from the Breathing Places website.

It's packed full of hints and tips about making the most of the dawn chorus, including which birds you might hear and what they sound like.