ABOUT

The boy I used to know.

This animation describes the emotional impact schizophrenia has on all those affected by it.

In order to make this a memorable experience for viewers, the true story of Terry, the father of a young man suffering from schizophrenia, was re-interpreted as an animation. The starkness and simplicity of the film highlights the struggles faced by everyone around Terry, from his son’s initial diagnosis right through to the daily struggle of living with the disorder.

"Our brief was to find a compelling story for a mental health congress aimed at healthcare professionals in Barcelona. Terry’s story was really interesting as he talked about what it was like when his son was first diagnosed with schizophrenia. Essentially it was about moments of light and darkness. So we looked into a few ways of art directing that and proposed the idea to our client. The rest, as they say, is history."

The juxtaposition between this real unscripted story with an unreal world was quite beautiful. The animation helped illustrate how fragile life is. The level of emotion from the character was incredible, especially if you consider he only had 3 circles for a face."

Shaheed Peera, Exec CD