Taps
Drawn animation, UK, 2003
Director: Matthew Gravelle
Language: Silent
Colour: Colour
Running Time: 3 minutes
Short synopsis
Three taps drip. Two are in time, but one, to the irritation and embarrassment of his friends, is not.
Long synopsis
Three taps sit side by side. Two of them realise they can create a rhythmic sound from the water dripping from their spouts, but the third - either through clumsiness or sabotage - continually interrupts their tune. The two taps that are in time with each other grow increasingly angry at the third tap because it seems intent on ruining their melody. They keep trying but, when the other tap does not stop, they make their annoyance known and it hangs its 'head' in shame. Finally, the two taps begin their melody again. But just as soon as they do, someone comes along and attaches a hosepipe to one of them.
The remaining tap grows frustrated and sad, feeling lonely without its friend. Eventually, the other tap manages to free itself from the hosepipe, and the two strike up their tune once more. When it starts to rain, their fun is ruined yet again and they finally give up, hanging their 'heads' alongside the third tap.
Background
An exercise in simplicity, this minimal animation makes great use of sound to tell a story. By coordinating the movement on screen to the sound of the taps dripping, the animator, Matthew Gravelle, manages to convey the relationship between three taps through interruptions in rhythm and subsequent movements on screen. By using sound in this way, he cleverly highlights the important role it plays in our understanding of all moving images. Gravelle produced, shot, sound designed and edited Taps.The film was very important to him: 'Taps is about my childhood when I was bullied at school. I never felt part of any group and always felt the odd one out'.
Matthew Gravelle studied animation at University of Wales. His graduation film Gaze was shown at 12 festivals worldwide. Taps isGravelle's second film and has been shown at over 25 film festivals worldwide, including Cannes, Hiroshima and Ukraine where it won 'The Best Debut' Award at the KROK International Animated Film Festival. Currently working as a lecturer in animation at University of Wales, and a freelance artist, Matthew Gravelle won the Welsh Bafta for Best Newcomer in 2003.
Teaching materials and additional materials
The teaching materials have been developed by practising teachers to provide a springboard for your own work with your pupils. Feel free to use and adapt them appropriate to your pupils' needs.
There are also some stills and additional materials, provided by the film-makers, that can be used to develop your work with the film and deepen pupils' understanding of the process of film-making.
