This animation was our final project. When we were going over the rules in class and seeing examples, we saw this one animation that started really peaceful but had a twist ending that left everyone shocked. I won’t give details because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but both aspects were so fun and so my mind started working on an idea with a similar vibe.

I really want to learn digital animation, but decided to work with drawing and clay stop motion animation for this project. I was also inspired by a William Kentridge animation video during class. I liked the charcoal usage for the animation. So, I decided to start the animation out with drawing, and have the drawings come out of the page as clay at some points. I was a little afraid that this was too ambitious, so I tried to come up with a different idea. However, I found that I kept coming back to this idea, so I just went for it.

Keeping the camera still and the lighting consistent was quite a challenge. Even the slightest bump throws everything off. I would sit for thirty minutes trying to get the phone back on the tripod exactly where it last was to keep the video smooth.

After I was done, I added a soundtrack by recording different improvisations on piano that I thought went with the scenes. I really loved this project.

And there we have it—the final project. Hope you enjoy!