About the Art:

Something I'm always telling my animation students is that being an animator doesn't mean you have to work in just animation. The skills we use as animators, a sense of timing, of movement, can be applied to formats as varied as hugedrone shows to the bouncing of a tiny logo when launching a mobile app. It's important to stay flexible and be able to adapt to new tools, new projects, emerging trends, and different styles of media.

My co-creator for this project, Heather Ables, and I want to explore where else our skill sets in animation visual effects could be applied. The huge rise in sophisticated product videos on social media quickly became an intriguing challenge.We had to explore for the 1st time how to create and compose a video that works equally for both horizontal and vertical formats. We had to see where we could use digital tools and tricks to make up for not having commercial studio space or high-end equipment. We had to revisit skills like rotoscoping and editing. We had to level up new skills in photography and stop motion, and we had to learn to economize every frame on such a short format project. Ultimately, the project wasa refreshing chance to work on something personal. In the entertainment industry, typically the larger the project, the smaller your individual artistic contribution is. The smaller, low-profile projects allow you to have a stronger impact and are often more rewarding. The pride and enjoyment of this weekend project at home can match that of having your name in film credits.