Matthew Cornelis Ka Cheng Lee

Anything’s better than retail... right?

The brief for this project was to create a short film around 90 seconds long. For my project, I aimed to create a 2D, hand-drawn, animated film to explore how 2D animation can evoke empathy in an audience. The project was largely based on my own experiences and emotions at the time, my anxieties surrounding entering the animation industry, and how overwhelming and daunting the change felt. I intentionally projected those anxieties into the main character, Ava. This is seen throughout the design, and story, with Ava being overwhelmed by a sudden change that she must ultimately face to move on. The journey behind this project also embodies that, as my anxieties often got in the way of completing the project, leaving it unfinished. It’s something I must address, so like Ava, I can move on. Beyond my self-reflection, this project also taught me some technical skills, I was able to explore and develop my 2D animation style, as well as come to understand 2D animation in Toon Boom Harmony, since last year I only used it to create and animate rigged characters.