WIP color comp cut-out character for a freelance animation project. Hand-drawn and edited, textured and colored in Photoshop. The character will be assembled and rigged in After Effects for cut-out style animation.

WIP drawings for a freelance animation project. The drawings will be edited, textured and colored in Photoshop and then assembled and rigged in After Effects for cut-out style animation.

The above image is a still from an animated sequence I created for the film ‘Sunset Stories.’ This still image shows the two main stars of the film, Monique Curnen and Sung Kang.

For ‘Sunset Stories’ I created animated end titles and animated sequences. Not all of the animated sequences made it into the final cut of the film, however, and the kiss scene and fight scene shown in this post were sadly cut from the film.

The fight scene with Monique Curnen and Sung Kang showing the live action still on top

The Kiss scene with Monique Curnen and Sung Kang showing the live action still on top

Sunset Stories premiered at South-By-Southwest (SXSW) on March 10th and is also playing today, Tuesday March 13th and tomorrow, Wednesday March 14th.

‘Sunset Stories’ is directed by Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda.

My animated end title sequence and animated sequences for the film Sunset Stories is screening today, Saturday March 10th, at South-By-Southwest (SXSW).

‘Sunset Stories’ is a film about an OCD nurse who runs into her past while on route to pick up an organ transplant and the 24-hour journey she goes on to find all that she lost.

The film is directed by Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda. ‘Sunset Stories’ stars Monique Curnen and Sung Kang, along with ‘Lost’s’ Harold Perrineau.

A collection of still images rendered from my animated end title sequence for the film ‘Sunset Stories,’ directed by Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda, 2012. Sunset Stories‘ stars Monique Curnen and Sung Kang with a cameo by Kevin Bacon.

I designed, illustrated and animated the end title sequence using Photoshop, After Effects and hand drawn characters and props.

Here is the official synopsis of the film:
“May, a high-strung and overly meticulous nurse, must return to Los Angeles to retrieve bone marrow for a transplant. Soon after her trip begins, her world turns upside down when past and present collide and she runs smack into JP, the man she left behind five years ago. Flustered, May loses the cooler containing the marrow. With only 24 hours remaining, the two embark on an offbeat search through the streets of Los Angeles only to discover that just when you think all is lost you find what you least expected.”

Although my end title design is not a literal translation of the film, I did adhere to the poetic theme of the film. The following is the logline or theme of my end credits:

May journeys through a fairy-tale environment, and encounters the cast of characters as fairytale archetypes. Hidden within the environment and sometimes a part of the environment itself, the cooler is always just out of reach.

‘Sunset Stories’ premieres at SXSW tomorrow :)

I finally updated gilestimms.com with my recent film title design work for the films ‘Sunset Stories’ and ‘Let Go.’

‘Sunset Stories,’ 2012
I designed and animated an end title sequence and animated interstitials for the 2012 film, ‘Sunset Stories,’ directed by Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda. ‘Sunset Stories’ premieres at SXSW and stars Monique Curnen and Sung Kang with a cameo by Kevin Bacon.

‘Let Go,’ 2011
I designed and animated an opening title sequence and animated time-lapse interstitials for the 2011 film, ‘Let Go,’ directed by Brian Jett. ‘Let Go’ premiered at the Austin Film Festival and stars David Denman, Gillian Jacobs, Kevin Hart and Ed Asner.

Now I have to get my reel put together…

World War II soldiers drawn in my sketchbook with my new Namiki Falcon drawing pen (fine nib).

This model sheet shows my cutout character design process and includes my initial character design hand drawn on paper with pencil, pen and ink, the cutout body bits colored and textured in Photoshop and the final character rig assembled in After Effects. I’ve also included screen shots of the cutout character in Photoshop (with the live action character reference) and the rigged character in After Effects.

‘Cooler’ is directed by Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda.
‘Cooler’ on IMDB

Sketchbook drawings (pen and ink) colored, textured and composited in Photoshop.