This is an experimental animation I made as a student. It has been inspired in many ways, but I created this version using Adobe After Effects. Experimenting with 2D motion graphics was my first step in creating an abstract visual experience. The narrative and the music create mellifluous synchronicity that is enticing to the viewer giving an insight into how drug abuse worsens over time only to be met with eventual withdrawal. For the pre-production, I wrote the script and worked on the storyboard and the animation. Along with this, I designed a character that fit the narrative of my story. During production, the environment, the effects, and the animations were brought together frame by frame, and the final output was rendered. For post-production, a film poster, a CD cover, and documentation was created.  A memorable experience!




Process and Technique 



Visual Design



The idea of this film was to allow me the full creative freedom to experiment with animation. Firstly, I created a storyboard to outline the narrative. The protagonist of the short film was based on a robot-bird-like creature. A character sheet was prepared after sketching and ideating. I first created the character with a 2D vector using Adobe Illustrator and rigged it for animation. I also used Photoshop and Illustrator to establish a visual theme. The cross compatibility between Illustrator and  After Effcects allowed me to have a smoother workflow. Each body part was layered separately to use rotations along an anchor point for animation.  After importing the character into After Effects, I began the animation process. Like 3D animation, poses are keyed to create the illusion of animation. Through extensive key-framing, colors, shapes, and patterns were animated. Shape layers were used for morphing transitions and creating a fluid motion. Masking and matting were used to reveal and conceal layers dynamically.  The use of custom glows and gradients allowed me to add visual appeal. I experimented with the Trapcode suite plugin (particular, Form, and Tao) to create the visual fx of a kaleidoscopic world with shifting patterns and glowing textures. Each scene bursts with life weaving an abstractive narrative of transformation and self-discovery.  After all the animation was created and sequenced, Adobe Media Encoder was used to render in high-quality H.264 format. Multipass rendering was used to assert separate control over effects and animations created in layers. The pipeline ensured a visually captivating and a technically polished film blended with innovation.




Sound Design


The audio of this film was edited using Adobe Audition. I added custom sound effects for dynamic motion. I have layered some of my favorite music to complement the visual experience.  For the first sequence, I have used 'Empire Ants' by Gorillaz followed by 'Marooned' and 'Echoes' by my favorite music group Pink Floyd. I edited and created a blend of these tracks to create a mesmerizing audio-visual experience.