Zebra and Frog
A clay stop-motion animation built entirely by hand, exploring escapism, lucid dreams, and the strange comfort of liminal spaces.Set Design
Character Design
Stop-Motion Animation
Art Direction
Self-initiated projectCreate a short stop-motion animation using tactile and handmade materialsExplore personal storytelling through set design, character design, and soundComplete all elements independently within one monthWork exhibited at the UAL Graduate Show
This project emerged from my experience with mental health and grief, which led me to escape reality through vivid and lucid dreams.
I wanted to make something that captured that feeling: the strange warmth of a world that is not quite real and not quite safe but somehow comforting anyway.
The challenge was translating something as internal as a dream into a physical, tactile piece of work within a tight one-month timeline, building every element from scratch independently.
I built miniature sets from clay, inspired by liminal spaces, and sculpted the characters by hand. I experimented with fabric, origami, and lighting throughout to build the world out further. The sound design pairs elevator music with ASMR sound effects, which felt right for the in-between atmosphere I was going for. From storyboard and set design through to the final outcome, the entire project was completed independently within a month.
The work was exhibited at the UAL Graduate Show. More than anything this project taught me what I am capable of when I work from something true. The tactile process of building sets and characters by hand brought a quality to the work that I could not have achieved digitally.