Four years ago, during the school holidays I was feeling bored and decided to make an animation with my dad's video camera. I had never personally experienced bullying first hand, but I decided to make a short film about the tragic consequences of bullying. The script was adapted from an anti-bullying play called 'Just a Laugh', that myself and a few classmates had already devised and performed at a Police drama competition about crime prevention.

I had always been keen on animation as a child, but 'Just a Laugh' was my most ambitious project ever. The scenery and sets were scaled down versions of real places, and the characters were miniature representations of my class mates. I even composed the music.

After the holidays I brought the animation into school to shown to my Drama teacher and class mates. Purely by chance a Policewoman saw the short film and immediately saw its potential as a aid to discussion in the classroom. The cartoon format would directly appeal to younger children, and through animation, a complex issue such as bullying could be raised. The story was sufficiently hard hitting and thought provoking, but the plasticine characters made the problem more comfortable and user friendly, especially with their funny jerky movements.

I was asked to remake the animation using professional equipment at a video studio, and I asked my classmates James, Natalie, Kate and Hayley to add the voices to the characters. I was given five days studio time to make a 9 minute film but it was not edited and finished for a few months. I wanted to show the film from two points of view, and the new version aimed to address both parties involved in bullying - the victim and the bully.

To the members of the audience who empathised with the Bully's character, I wanted to show the consequences of their actions and how unpleasant they are. To the audience members who empathised with the victim, I wanted to show that the problem should be stopped before it gets too serious.

After making the animation, discussions with the Police and Education Authority about the controversial nature of the film dragged on, and after a year of talks I was asked to change the ending to a more pleasant, less hard hitting cartoon. In my opinion, the new ending, which I reluctantly made, ruined the essential message of the film - that bullying is a very serious problem and can have tragic effects on everyone involved.

The project won a Philip Lawrence Award for Outstanding Citizenship, and part of the film was shown on Blue Peter. It was also exhibited in a Film Festival at the museum of moving image in London.

After two of the adults involved retired, and we all left secondary school, the project became increasingly difficult to continue. It was originally intended to be sold in primary schools to assist in classroom discussions about bullying, but no copies of the cartoon have been made. Because of copyright, I cannot sell this version of the film, so it will not benefit anyone. It was a victim of its own success. As I have kept all the sets and models, I would really like to make the animation again with professional equipment, and get this film shown in primary schools.

If you have a good idea for a project that you feel might become big and successful you will probably need the help of a large organisation or company to get it off the ground. My advice is that you should always make a written contract before you begin to put your plan into action. This should be signed and agreed upon by everyone involved. If not, it may cause you stress and unnecessary grief in the long run. Beware of adults exploiting your inexperience and excellent ideas. Don't let them patronise your intelligence and beware of promises that cannot be kept.

Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, be aware that not everyone will be as committed to your project as you are. Good Luck!

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By Richard Fern