senior thesis at ringling college
For our final projected before jumping into the industry as individuals, we were challenged to create a final original work that evokes an emotional response from the viewer. This project should show experimentation, self-expression, and pursuit of an individual aesthetic. I spent a considerable amount of time exploring various options to ensure that my project's visual style matched my concept and message.
To bring my scenes to life, I dedicated a significant amount of time to creating the scenes in 3D using Cinema4D. After that, I rotoscoped over them using Procreate and Photoshop before finally compositing everything in After Effects.
motion breakdown & process
digging deeper
When considering the concept for my thesis, I knew that I wanted to reflect upon the incredible experiences I've had at Ringling College of Art and Design over the past four years. Throughout my journey, I've been fortunate to meet amazing people and create countless memories that have filled my heart with joy.
I couldn't help but drift to one of my favorite poets, Morgan Harper Nichols. One of her poems, in particular, struck me with its message of moving forward while holding on to the beauty of the past. This was the perfect way to describe the feeling of graduating, in a way that celebrates my college classmates, friends, and memories.
custom soundtrack & audio
Working closely with Ringling's Department of Motion Design's very talented sound designer Kelly Warner, I was able to have a totally custom music track made specifically for this piece. Kelly helped me early on establish a tone for the sound track and we spent hours working on creating the melody and sound effects heard throughout the piece.
Along with this, I recruited one of my best friends and fellow motion designer Kaisin Qiu to be the voice-over for this piece.
real world inspo
When it came to creating the styleframes for my project, I found myself drawing inspiration from my own memories and personal photographs. After all, this project is a tribute to the people and experiences that have shaped my life, so it only made sense to feature them in the artwork.
By using real-life moments and snapshots as the foundation for my design, I was able to capture the essence of the memories that I hold dear and bring them to life in a way that is both heartfelt and visually impactful.
styleframes & their inspiration
Thank you for looking through this semester long journey of mine, and extra thank you to all those who have helped create beautiful moments to be remembered! <3