STUDENTS at a Weymouth school got the chance to make their own animation based on the town and the Olympic sailing events.

Year Five students at Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School in Weymouth spent two weeks working with film makers to create a three minute animation about the area called The Sadness of King George.

From the outset the children were involved in coming up with the ideas for the story, drawing and making the characters, making the sound effects and bringing the story to life. The story focuses on the 2012 sailing events and when a disaster happens that stops the Games taking place, only one man can save the day, the problem being he is King George and he has been dead for 200 years.

The project was funded by money from the National Lottery the UK Film Council and supported by the Dorchester Arts Project.

Project manager Alastair Nisbet said: “It’s a dramatic race against time and a race through time.

“Will King George be able to ride his white horse back through time to Weymouth to save the Olympics from disaster.”

He added: “Everybody at school has been wonderful. They have embraced the project with huge enthusiasm and had the bravery to abandon their curriculum for a fortnight.

“The result is a terrific piece of work. The story, drama, drawing, voices and music are all the children’s. Our role has been to support them through the process.”

The school held the premiere for the film last week and students were again at the centre of the action. Some students sold refreshments and others got their cameras out and were the paparazzi for the evening.

After the premiere everyone enjoyed fizzy drinks and chip butties.

Assistant headteacher Craig Holloway from the school said that he was very proud of all the students that had taken part in the project. He said: “It was a wonderful experience, really amazing from start to finish. The children really got into it. We set homework about the project and the children did writing about King George and research and they did PowerPoint presentations.

“I am very proud of their hard work and attitude towards the film.”

He added: “We would like to say thank you to First Light Films, Dorchester Arts Project and the National Lottery for letting us take part in the project.

“It was an excellent example of learning beyond the classroom. I’m absolutely delighted with the project.”