A Man Battles His Crippling Social Anxiety in Claymation Short Film FACING IT
I’ve got a wonderful claymation short film for you to watch today titled Facing It. The film comes from Sam Gainsborough, and the story follows a young man named Shaun who is sitting in a pub battling his crippling social anxiety as he is waiting from his parents to join him. Shaun is really having a hard time connecting with others in this setting.
Shaun always feels separate and isolated from the confident, happy world around him. Whilst waiting for his parents in a busy pub, Shaun struggles valiantly to join in with the admirably happy people in the crowd, but the more he tries, the more he goes awry. As everything in the pub goes from bad to worse, Shaun finds himself confronted by the painful memories that made him who he is.
I really liked the way that the film brings Shaun’s social anxiety to life visually. As the film plays out, we learn how his similarly insecure parents played a role in building up this anxiety. It’s a very powerful short that is filled with emotion. It’s only when Shaun lets himself break completely loose from his past that he’s able to see the world through clearer eyes and function normally.