# animate! › Films › Stressed by Karen Kelly › all › synopses › direction & collaboration › full production credits › film stills › tools & processes › format & distribution › background material

Canonical: https://animate.org.uk/films/stressed/all

Discovery terms: 1990s animation, hand-drawn animation, pencil animation, stress, urban life, compassion, narrative short, filmmaker

The following is the archived page text; discovery terms above are separately sourced metadata.

Archive status: restored in 2026; historical calls, deadlines and services are closed.

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**Stressed** a film by Karen Kelly

[Karen Kelly](https://karenkellyanimator.com)

1994, 6 min 30 sec

[Film / embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/43lFxHeWYi0)

![Stressed, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/stressed02.jpg)

### animate! synopsis

Soft bodies, hard landings. Tenement times and the living ain’t easy. Drawing our own conclusions about the city.

### long synopsis

**Stressed** follows the residents of a tenement block whose interwoven lives are made tougher by the tension and stress of city life. We watch to see how various stressful events of the day make them behaveand in turn have a knock on effect on others.

Some are impatient, agressive and some actually start feeling ill. All this anguish is unecessary and very far removed from the more caring and peaceful lives we could be living. It could be greatly alleviated if there was more time and compassion for others

### key credits

**director**
Karen Kelly

**editor**
Tony Fish

**music**
Chris Draper

**sound designer**
Dave Kendall
Nigel Heath

### Karen Kelly

### a film by Karen Kelly

### direction

**director**
Karen Kelly

### live-action personnel

**lighting camera**
Peter Tupy, 2p Films

### image personnel

**additional animation**
Sean sewter
Anthony Kelly

**editor**
Tony Fish

### sound personnel

**music**
Chris Draper

**sound designer**
Dave Kendall
Nigel Heath

### support

**special thanks**
Trev Mike, Angela, Mel, Soho Images, Brooke Edwards, Phil Burgess and Hackenbacker. Tranquilo.

**primary funding**
Arts Council/Channel Four Animate! award

© Karen Kelly 1994

[![Stressed, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/stressed01.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/stressed01.jpg)

*click on image for full size still*

[![Stressed, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/stressed02.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/stressed02.jpg)

*click on image for full size still*

### technical

#### process summary

Using pencil and rendered animation.

### master copy format

**format**
35mm

**colour or black & white**
colour

### video distribution format

**video format**
BetaSP

**screen aspect ratio**
4:3

**video standard**
PAL

**sound type**
stereo

### distributor

LUX
[info@lux.org.uk](mailto:info@lux.org.uk)
+44 (0)20 7503 3980
[www.lux.org.uk](http://www.lux.org.uk/)

**Stressed** film, stills and other materials © Karen Kelly 1994