Summary
With the young people in InVoice at Intandem Scotland, we created Pizza, Pets & Penguins, an animation exploring what it’s really like to have a mentor, and to be one.
The project was shaped by the young people at every stage, from the first conversations and creative ideas through to visual direction, storytelling, voice recording, and even the brilliant title itself.
The Animation
Pizza, Pets & Penguins explores the experiences of both being mentored and being a mentor through the perspectives of young people involved with Intandem.
Using humour, personality, and honest storytelling, the animation helps explain something that can often feel difficult to define: what mentoring actually feels like in real life.
Our Approach
Working with InVoice, the youth forum for young people with experience of Intandem mentoring, we created space for participants to shape every aspect of the films in ways that worked for them. The group led conversations around mentoring, identity, connection, and what support actually feels like in practice.
Across a mix of in-person and digital sessions, the young people explored storytelling and stop-motion animation techniques, developed ideas and scripts, designed characters and visuals, recorded audio, reviewed animatics, and signed off the final films together.
- Initial in-person session exploring themes and stop-motion animation
- Digital script development and amendments
- In-person design and audio recording sessions
- Digital visual review and amendments
- In-person animatic review and final visual sign-off
- Final film approval
- Premiere event and behind-the-scenes film creation
Premiere
The film was celebrated at a special premiere event hosted by Intandem at the beautiful Scotsman Cinema in Edinburgh. Participants from across Scotland came together alongside funders, project partners, team members and representatives from the Scottish Government to mark the occasion.
For the young people involved, seeing their stories and experiences brought to life on the big screen was a proud and memorable moment.
Impact
14 talented young people helped bring this film to life, amplifying their voices through creativity and placing their experiences at the heart of the story. They built confidence and developed valuable skills in storytelling and animation.
Intandem and partners across Scotland are now using the film to raise awareness of mentoring, inspire new volunteer mentors, and help young people understand what mentoring could look like for them.
A project in collaboration with...
A Braw Talent CIC production in collaboration with Intandem and Inspiring Scotland.
Script development and voiceover recordings by InVoice
Project lead Lydia Everitt Project lead Darren Osborne Illustrator and Animator Donna McAvoy Screenwriter Lisa Keddie Dubbing Mixer Emily Wright Captioner Emily Benita
The organisation rated the experience 10/10 and described the project as “a brilliant experience” from start to finish.