Mighty Sally

There’s a big motion graphics conference this weekend and I’m bummed I can’t make it. A classmate, @mightysally, and I decided to make animated gifs to demonstrate our sadness and distress. And practice some frame by frame animation.

During the thumbnail process, I really wanted to use a fox. But the perspective, looking up and through the blender, was gonna make it hard to telegraph sadness (droopy ears, etc.).

Switched to a little girl, but the perspective, again, seemed like it would be challenging with the blender switch and her arm on the right: hair is important! Ended up going with the plaits girls wore when I was growing up, and those plastic bubble ponytail holders.

Thinking through the simple sequence of events (the gag?) took longer than I thought it would: should I start with the rainbow or the unicorn, and how does that affect the story? How to keep it cartoony and not gory?

I’m taking Character Animation Bootcamp now, and today I just learned about the importance of staging: giving the audience time to catch up to the story I already have down in my head. This was just a one-off, a goof—it’s not even character animation—but I want to start building this skill.

Even if nobody else gets it this just makes me laugh, so I’m happy with it.