Animation & Director

In 2016, during my first Mograph Mentor session, I made a short film built around an excerpt from Neil Gaiman's University of the Arts commencement speech. It was one of my first real character animation projects, so the whole thing felt like a learning curve in public.
I worked with my mentor, Shawn Hight, to shape the story and boards, then designed the artwork and animated the piece myself. A lot of the challenge was figuring out how to make the characters carry the emotional weight of the narration without overworking the animation. Looking back, it still feels like an early turning point because it pushed me to trust my instincts and make something personal.

• Story development: Worked closely with Shawn Hight on the narrative, boards, and overall shape of the film.
• Art creation: Designed the characters and visual world to support the tone of the Neil Gaiman excerpt.
• Animation: Took on one of my first character-driven pieces and learned a lot about timing, performance, and restraint.

Squish & Squash

The first project involved animating a character rig, focusing on fundamental movements. Revisiting this animation weeks later, I applied newly acquired skills to refine and polish the piece, resulting in a more fluid and dynamic portrayal. This iterative process underscored the importance of continual improvement in animation.

Ollie Walk and Run

In this segment, I developed multiple walk cycles, including a standard walk, a casual stroll, and a sneaking walk. Additionally, I created a run cycle, delving into the intricacies of weight shift and fluid motion. These exercises enhanced the realism and expressiveness of my character animations.

Squish & Squash Jump

Returning to the character from the initial week, I animated two distinct characters executing jumps. This project emphasized the principles of squash and stretch, allowing for more dynamic and lively animations that captured the essence of character movement.

Dolly Throw

This assignment tasked me with animating a character throwing a ball. To add a personal touch, I transformed the character into a baseball player. This project was both challenging and enjoyable, as it required careful attention to timing and anticipation to create a believable throw.

Olly Scene

The final project was a comprehensive scene animated from start to finish. This piece represented the culmination of all the skills acquired throughout the course, enabling me to craft a cohesive narrative with well-coordinated character movements. It was a rewarding experience that brought the entire journey of learning to a satisfying conclusion.

Animation - Patrick Flaherty