Directed by Valeria Gallegos Toriz
This stop-motion short was created for the Stop-motion 2 class offered at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The project was completed in 3 months.

Puppet fabrication: Mingo

Set Fabrication

Water Animation

The puppet was cast in 3 different materials: plastic, silicone, and foam. Needle felting was used to give him a soft and friendly look.

Lighting:

Key Light

Fill Light

Rim Light

Background Light

The big set built for the short film was the hero beach set. The most prominent part of the set was a big wooden flamingo sign. The typography, color palette, and composition were carefully considered to deliver narrative exposition and fit the friendly look of the short. The wooden sign was built using PVC pipes and MDF wood to achieve a lightweight but sturdy structure. These elements were then wrapped in EVA foam, which was scored with an exacto knife and dremeled to achieve a cartoony wooden texture.

All elements of the sign, including the interior illustration where carefully hand-painted using a variety of techniques, airbrushing, and dry brushing. Finally, the posts were designed with space for tie-down screws to go through so the asset could be firmly attached to the stage.

Concept art by Nina Fontes

Responsible for all fabrication, puppet, water and some greenery

Lighting plays a significant role in the film's narrative. Going from high-key naturalistic lighting on the beach to a three-point studio lighting setup in the void world. Colored gels were used to enhance the puppet's color.

Animatable cookies were used to achieve the effect of moving shadows. Using a slider rig and indian brass rods, each cutout could move independently while still traveling as a group. Two exposures were taken, one with the shadows and one without. This allowed for the desired shadows to be comped out.