Illume

Synopsis: There is a light that sits atop a cliff. This light is the life-force of two robots and the downfall of a smoke cat. In order to move freely and leave the shadows the cat must block off the robots' access to the light. Likewise, the robots must have access to the light or they will perish.

General Information: Illume is a 5 1/2 minute animated short incorporating stop motion, traditional, and computer animation techniques. The idea for Illume was a process of evolution from a rough experimental concept in early 2003 to a narrative film a few months later. The actual production started in July 2003 and was completed in January 2005.

Illume is the first animated short film that I have produced by myself from start to finish. The entire process was invaluable; I learned a great deal more about the art of filmmaking and animation than I would have if I'd simply spent my time working on animation tests.

After countless hours, sleepless nights, and pots of coffee I am proud to call Illume a completed film. I think the visuals are great and are perfectly matched by the wonderful score and sound design created by the very talented Erik Desiderio.

Production Log, Stills, Clips: I have kept an online production log for Illume which I started on August 3rd 2003. I have tried to keep it as up-to-date as time allowed. It's an interesting read to see how the production evolved from it's early conception to a finished piece. This may be of particular interest to anyone that is interested in learning about the process of producing an animated short. Feel free to take a look.

In addition I have some still photos and video clips of the production available for viewing. The video clips in particular are of interest as you can view early animatics and animation tests. It's interesting to see how much the film changed from it's first animatic to final piece. Also, by comparing some of the early animation tests to the final film one can see how much my animation skills improved during the production.