Stepping Out! is a mixed media animated short film, combining both 2D animation and stop motion visuals. The short follows my own original story, centering around the struggles of stepping outside of your comfort zone. The film tackles the themes of loneliness, change and moving on. The narrative follows a character living in an underground burrow, symbolising their comfort zone and state of seclusion. The story progresses as they confront their feelings and fears regarding the outside world, coming to terms with their emotions and making the decision to step out.
The project integrates both animation mediums, producing a final product with predominately stop motion backgrounds, with the character animation and other main elements animated in 2D. I designed, directed and animated the film alongside creating the burrow scene which required me to translate my visual style into an entirely handmade set. I animated the 2D elements with a combination of Procreate and Toon Boom Harmony, and captured the stop motion using Dragonframe.
Here is a short video including all of the design work that went into the making of the film:
ABOUT ME
Course
BA 2D Animation and Stop Motion
Biography
I’m Emmie. I have a special interest in illustration, 2D animation and stop motion. My work centres around soft and playful creatures, incorporating the use of bright colour and simple shapes. I enjoy working within my own unique visual style, specialising in creating illustrations and animated gifs using Procreate. I produce a lot of illustration work alongside my studies at Teesside, and post regularly to my Instagram page.
Software & Hardware Proficiencies
- Procreate
- Dragonframe
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- Adobe Photoshop CC (Beginner)
- Toon Boom Harmony (Beginner)
Employment, Work Experience & Volunteering
- Studio Desk Collaborative Animation (2020) I responded to an online call for animation entries from Studio Desk Animation. The collaborative project was named #FlattenTheCurve, aiming to showcase animator’s responses to dealing with self isolation around the world. My entry was shown in part 2/3 of the series, which was featured on Vimeo’s Staff Picks page.
- Commissioned Animation (2020) I was contacted by musician Arfil Pajarillaga to produce an animated visual for his song ‘Slackluster’. This was my first experience producing work for a client on a paid commissioned project.
- Kuro Dragon (2015) I completed work experience with Kuro Dragon Animation over several days. I contributed to storyboarding work for their self branding project, gaining my first insight into the creative industry.
Interests
Outside of my studies at university, I enjoy attending a ceramics class at Sunderland College. As part of the course I have recently completed the NCFE Level 2 Award in Creative Craft. Experimenting with ceramics allows me to continually develop my creative practice and explore other areas within visual arts.
