Last year Simon Cartwright and Jessica Cope were in an Ilkley potting shed for 12 hours a day, six days a week.

The Edinburgh Art College graduates came out into the sunlight this year with a six-minute film called The Astronomer’s Sun.

It was shown at 27 regional cinemas, including Bradford’s National Media Museum. The public nominated it to go forward to the British Animation Awards in London in April, where it was specially commended. In June, Simon and Jessica’s stop animation film was screened twice at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The potting shed is still in the back garden of the house in White Wells Road, Ilkley, where Simon, 24, lives with his parents. Together with Jessica, from Knaresborough, he devised and directed the film – a painstaking procedure which required frame-by-frame filming of models.

Simon said: “We had one set so we only needed one space. There was no heating and little electricity, so we had to kit it out. In winter it was freezing, a bit of a nightmare.

“The only way we were able to come out of it was through the generosity of people. Jessica and I got by getting horrendously in debt.”

They would have been even deeper in the red but for a commission of £15,000 from the 4formations Digital Shorts scheme, a consortium comprising of Channel 4, the UK Film Council and Screen Yorkshire.

To get it, they had to go to London and make a pitch, which included a brief explanation of the story.

A young man, accompanied by a mysterious mechanical bear, visits an abandoned observatory to confront memories of his past and follow his father on a journey into the unknown.

Tony Dixon, emerging talent manager at Screen Yorkshire, said later: “From the idea’s inception to when it was delivered, I was always very excited by this project. The Astronomer’s Sun is a beautifully-crafted film; it has far exceeded my expectations. A very strong, talented, creative team.

Producer David Bunting has come up with a visually stunning film, which has worldwide audience appeal.”

Indeed, the film is now on the short film circuit, being screened in the United States and Canada. In July, it was seen at London’s Rushes Soho Shorts Festival.

David Bunting, of Duchy Parade Films Ltd, the film’s producer, said: “It is gratifying to see The Astronomer’s Sun gaining an audience at some of the world’s major international film festivals. Duchy Films became involved early on, providing the two directors with a professional editing team, including Emmy award-winning sound designer Dave Aston.”

What material difference, if any, has the film made to Simon and Jessica, though?

Simon said: “A lot of positive things have come from it. Jess got a job working on the new Tim Burton film, Frank and Weenie, which is great because Jess loves Tim Burton’s films.

“The Edinburgh Film Festival offers plenty of opportunities for film-makers to make connections in the industry.”

The Leeds band Vessels asked Simon to outline his ideas for a video for their second album, recorded earlier this year in the United States.