2024 Animated Shorts Compilation

This entry is my first published compilation of animation I have ever done, having only started learning animation a year ago. I originally did not feel prepared enough to participate this year, but I instead chose to animate three brief scenes to test and practice acting and body language, and challenge myself with complex movements. The shorts were a product of three months of intense animation, learning new programs, and studying actions that I had never animated before.

I chose scenarios that focused on fluid action and nonverbal communication, even in non-human characters. My passion for dinosaurs naturally found its way into my entry in "Allosaurus", and represents many "firsts" for me. It was my first time animating on Clip Studio Paint's animation software, it was my first time animating animal body language, and my first time animating a turnaround. It took multiple attempts to convey of the weight of the titular five-ton animal!

"Flamingos" was my first fully lip-synced dialogue. The dialogue comes from the video game Cyberpunk 2077, spoken by character Malu, and a diminutive robotic character necessarily named "Clarice" for the sake of the audio. Both characters represent the inspiration and initial draw towards animation by television cartoons such as The Owl House, Amphibia, and Duck Tales. Malu herself is an amalgamation of Shaggy Rogers, Luz Noceda, and Elen Ripley.

I have a grander vision for this character, so I used them and paired the two into a sci-fi backdrop, onboard a landed spaceship with a generator and beacon creating noise. The animated shot deviated slightly from the initial storyboarding to create a better shot composition focused on Malu and Clarice, rather than the flamingos, saving the shot for the punchline of the joke.

"After a Long Day" felt fitting for a project end. Here I returned to full-body animation. Inbetweening is still an ongoing process of improvement, and smears were a trial-by-fire process.

Thank you for stopping by!

I also want to thank the CG Spectrum staff and community for the teaching and support. I could not have done this without them!