2024 Student Bafta Award winning Animated Short-filmMy Roles in this Project:
VFX Conformist
Compositor
Working on Dragfox, an award-winning stop-motion animated short film directed by Lisa Ott, was a unique and rewarding experience. The story follows Sam, whose search for identity is disrupted by an enigmatic neighborhood fox. Together, they embark on a magical journey to the attic, discovering how to celebrate their differences while uncovering unexpected connections.
The film was shot in a mix of CR2 and CR3 image formats as PNG sequences, and over 80% of the footage required complex rigging to animate the puppets. Removing these rigs was essential to immersing the audience in the world of Dragfox. My first key responsibility was designing and implementing an efficient post-production pipeline to ensure seamless collaboration between the editing, visual effects, and color grading teams.
This pipeline standardized file dimensions, formats, and conversion methods, enabling the team to focus on their crafts without technical disruptions. It also facilitated flawless color management and rig removal, significantly streamlining the production workflow. The pipeline’s success led to its adoption as the standard for all stop-motion animation projects at the National Film and Television School. Below is a diagram depicting the pipeline that I created.
In addition to pipeline development, I designed and implemented the visual effects workflow for the project using Nuke Studio. Given the high volume of shots, I created templated scripts to automate recurring tasks, optimizing efficiency across the team.
As a compositor, I worked on over 20 shots, ensuring seamless rig removal and integrating subtle visual elements to enhance the storytelling. My work contributed to bringing the magical, intricate world of Dragfox to life, balancing technical precision with creative artistry.