A new animated short film inspired by Mary Shelley’s time in Dundee has been released

A new animated short film inspired by Mary Shelley’s time in Dundee has been released, offering a fresh interpretation of the city’s influence on the author of Frankenstein.

The film, titled The Spark and The Ash: A Dundee Ghost Story, has been created by filmmaker Dylan Drummond of Son of the Sea Photography and Videography.

It presents Dundee as a dark, industrial setting that helped shape the themes and atmosphere associated with Shelley’s famous novel.

According to Drummond, the short film draws on the long-standing tradition of sharing ghost stories during the winter period.

He said there is something particularly fitting about releasing a ghost story in December, linking the season to storytelling, folklore and reflection.

The film reimagines Dundee as a gateway to the Arctic world that fascinated writers and thinkers of the early 19th century.

Drummond describes the city as a place full of strange and compelling stories, using this idea as the foundation for the film’s tone and visual style.

Generative AI played a key role in the production, allowing the filmmaker to experiment with new ways of visualising historical ideas and atmosphere.

Drummond said the technology helped him capture what he describes as Dundee’s outward-looking energy, framing it as a dark fairytale.

Drummond has worked in film and video production for around 20 years, with his work previously showcased at venues including V&A Dundee as well as international film festivals. He said the project also served as a way to explore how AI might be used alongside traditional filmmaking techniques.

While acknowledging that AI is likely to become more common in film production, Drummond noted that audiences will continue to value strong, authentic storytelling at the heart of any project.