Animator & Director

Advanced Motion Methods | School of Motion

I took Advanced Motion Methods at School of Motion in 2019, and it ended up being one of the most useful classes I have taken for animation. Each project pushed on a different problem, timing, flow, complexity, or style, and every one came with a new artist's work to respond to.

That mix is what made it valuable. It was not just about making things move. It was about figuring out what kind of motion each piece actually wanted.

Museum Milano

This piece was built from Isabella Conticello's artwork and leaned more into image-based motion design. My job was to guide the viewer through the frames with movement that felt fluid and intentional.

It was less about flashy animation and more about controlling the pace from beginning to end.

Science Addicts, Unite!

This was a two-part project using Laura Alejo's artwork. The first round showed where my animation instincts were at the start of the class, and the second made it really obvious how much had changed after a few weeks of focused work.

That contrast was one of the most useful parts of the assignment. It let me see the improvement in a way that felt very concrete.

Focus.io

For this one, I animated artwork from Illo and picked up after my instructor Sander had already finished the first 10 seconds.

That made it a good exercise in continuity. I had to match the tone and movement that were already there, then carry it forward without breaking the flow.

Blend 3015

Lucas Brooking and Gareth O'Brien created the art for this one, and the file was packed with layers and assets. It was one of those pieces where a lot of the work was not just animation, but managing complexity without letting the scene get away from you.

I animated all of it, which meant keeping a close eye on render times, organization, and which details were actually worth pushing.

Seed & Stem

This was the final project and easily the hardest. I animated scenes based on Sarah Beth Morgan's art, which meant rigging spiders and bees and figuring out ways to fake 3D camera moves inside a 2D setup.

It pushed a lot of different skills at once and gave me room to try more advanced techniques without losing the style of the artwork.

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