"Casa del Alma" Animation

Casa del Alma is a film created in honor of my Cuban grandmother. I created the story and worked on character design (grandmother), storyboarding, using Advanced Skeleton and weight painting to bring the grandmother character to life, and animation. Modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering completed my Jessica McDonald. Music by Timothy Charles Fehling. The film has been selected to six film festivals with 2 wins (Cuban American International Film Festival - winner, New York Animation Film Awards, One Race Human Race - winner, LA Student Film Fest, Mosaic World Film Festival, and Ithaca Short Film Festival). It's been an honor to have this film shared with such a broad audience!

A big challenge in the creation of this film was COVID-19 interrupting our semester. After being sent home and losing access to labs, it was difficult to bring the production to our desired level of quality. By extending the production schedule, we were able to continue working beyond the semester and complete the film to our satisfaction.

The biggest lesson learned in this project was comprehending the intricacies and dedication that goes into the production pipeline. I learned what parts I enjoyed (animation, weight painting) more than others. I also discovered the importance of having a teammate to bring unique skills and offer critiques of the artistic direction of the film. Most importantly, I learned that if you care deeply about the film's subject matter, it will be a far more enjoyable experience. Continuing on this film into a packed Fall semester was challenging but incredibly worth it.