Deep in a Devon garden studio, something quietly remarkable is taking shape – one frame at a time.

A hand-crafted stop motion animated film from Devon-based Odd Planet Studios, is gradually nearing completion after years of patient, passionate work by director and animator Simon Tytherleigh. It’s a film that has been willed into existence through sheer determination and a love of the craft and storytelling.

A story rooted in the Southwest

The Legend of Jan Tregeagle film brings to life one of Cornwall’s most enduring and haunting folk tales. Jan Tregeagle was a real historical figure – a corrupt and greedy magistrate who terrorised 17th-century Bodmin and whose story passed into legend long after his death. He is chased across the wild Cornish landscape by the Hounds of Hell, and is given impossible tasks to perform until Judgment Day.

As Simon puts it: “It’s a story for adults and older children about moral responsibility, actions having consequences, and ultimately about redemption and forgiveness. And the twist is… Jan Tregeagle really existed!”

A true labour of love

“Driven by a story that wouldn’t let me go.”

What makes this film project so special is just how handmade it really is. Simon has been working, largely alone, in his garden studio – sculpting puppets, building miniature sets, designing and constructing camera motion control rigs, and animating frame by frame. He even built the studio itself. “Driven by a story that wouldn’t let me go” is how he describes it, and that passion shows through some of the film stills shared to date.

Simon brings a remarkable depth of experience to the project – from his early career as a special make-up effects artist on productions including Casualty (which gained a BAFTA for make-up in 1992), through to his work as a filmmaker, actor and theatre director.

Stop motion, he says, is something that has fascinated him since childhood, and this project has given him the chance to combine all of those skills in one place.

A team with local roots

While Simon has done much of the work himself, the project has drawn in some impressive crew collaborators – many with strong Devon and Southwest connections.

The film’s musicial score is being created by Colin Wilson, a Devon-based singer-songwriter whose connection to this story runs particularly deep: he previously co-wrote a folk opera called Jan Tregeagle with Phil Beer from band Show of Hands, a partnership that produced a recorded and released work through RA Records.

Handling sound production is Michael Clarke, a highly experienced musician and producer whose credits include work on the David Brent: Life on the Road soundtrack, which reached number two in the UK album charts.

Visual effects are in the hands of John Sellings, a Devon-based filmmaker and senior VFX compositor whose credits include Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, The Crown, and most recently Hamnet, as part of a BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated crew. John is also a passionate supporter of independent filmmaking across Devon and beyond.

Passing on the craft

“I feel that it is important to help young people at the start of their career…”

One of the most heartening aspects of the project is Simon’s commitment to the next generation of animators. In early 2025, a final-year Animation student from Falmouth University contacted him looking for work experience. Simon was impressed enough to bring him on properly – and that student, Lewis Norden, who has since graduated and completed a professional course at Aardman Academy in Bristol, is now working on the film as a paid animator.

“I feel that it is important to help young people at the start of their career,” says Simon, “and pass on knowledge and craft skills that take years to develop.”

The film is now well over 60% complete, and the goal is to have it finished by the end of 2027, supported by a Kickstarter campaign to help get it over the line.

The campaign exists largely to fund Lewis’s or another young animator’s continued work on the project with Simon right through to completion.

How you can help

At time of writing, the Kickstarter campaign to support funding for the project has a few days remaining. All money raised goes directly toward paying the animator to continue working with Simon on the film.

A small grant from Cornwall Heritage Trust has also supported the project – recognition of its cultural value to the region.

If you’d like to be part of bringing this lovingly made piece of Southwest storytelling to the screen, you can back the campaign – and at the right pledge level, you might even find yourself immortalised as a puppet in the film.

Visit the Kickstarter page here: kickstarter.com/projects/simontytherleigh/the-legend-of-jan-tregeagle

You can follow Simon and Odd Planet Studios on Instagram @odd_planet_stopmo