Animator & Director

Advanced Motion Methods was one of those School of Motion classes that really stretched me because every assignment asked for a different kind of animation thinking. In 2019, I animated five projects for the course, each built around artwork by a different illustrator or art team, so the job was not just making things move. It was figuring out what kind of motion each piece wanted.
That range is what made the class stick. On Focus.io, I stepped in after my instructor, Sander, animated the opening ten seconds and had to pick up the style without breaking the flow. Museum Milano was more about guiding the eye through still imagery. Science Addicts, Unite! made the learning curve obvious because the second round showed how much stronger my timing and control had gotten in just a few weeks.
By the time I got to Seed & Stem and Blend 3015, the problems were more technical. I was rigging spiders and bees, faking 3D camera moves inside 2D scenes, and managing dense files packed with layers and assets. More than anything, this set of projects sharpened how I think about animation. Different styles, different collaborators, different constraints, but the same goal every time: make the motion feel intentional and bring the artwork all the way to life.

• Focus.io: Took over after Sander's first 10 seconds and matched the existing animation language without losing momentum.
• Museum Milano and Science Addicts, Unite!: Used image-based motion and iterative passes to improve flow, clarity, and timing.
• Seed & Stem: Rigged spiders and bees and explored ways to fake 3D camera movement inside a 2D workflow.
• Blend 3015: Animated a layer-heavy scene that required careful file management, render planning, and restraint.

Museum Milano

In this image-based motion graphic piece, I animated fluid motion sequences that guide viewers from beginning to end. The art for this project was created by Isabella Conticello, and my animation brought her visuals to life.

Science Addicts, Unite!

For this two-part project, I animated scenes based on Laura Alejo’s artwork. The first part showcased our initial animation skills, while the second part demonstrated the significant improvements we achieved after a few weeks of the class. It was amazing to see the transformation in my animation capabilities.

Focus.io

Collaborating with Illo, who created the artwork, I animated this project, taking over after my instructor, Sander, animated the first 10 seconds. This project helped me refine my animation techniques and brought a creative vision to fruition.

Blend 3015

This project, created by Lucas Brooking and Gareth O’Brien, was incredibly complex due to the sheer number of layers and assets involved. I animated all the scenes, which required efficient management of render times and a strategic approach to handling intricate animations.

Seed & Stem

As the final project of the class, this was also the most challenging. I animated scenes based on Sarah Beth Morgan’s art, which involved rigging spiders and bees and exploring methods of faking 3D camera pans and scenes. This project allowed me to apply advanced animation techniques and produce visually engaging results.

Art - Isabella Conticello, Laura Alejo, Illo, Lucas Brooking, Gareth O’Brien & Sarah Beth Morgan
Animation - Patrick Flaherty