During the pandemic, many people found themselves with extra time on their hands. For one budding digital illustrator, this was the perfect opportunity to develop his skills and create something new. It took a long time to finsih but the end result was a 2D animated short film called “Wayward Valley,” which recently won an award!
Having worked at a 3D facial animation company, I was no stranger to rigging. Although I was mearly a humble motion tracker and the Maya rigs used in the studio, were some of the most advanced in the industry… But I would not be deterred! I ended up utilizing a plugin called “Joysticks and Sliders” to create a basic face rig and animate the characters. Although it was a nice solution there were limitations, mainly performance issues with After Effects’ inability to handle the sheer amount of keyframes in motion at ones.
The story of Wayward Valley follows a young girl named Oaklyn who is the only human in a world full of ghouls and monsters. Despite her best efforts to find traditional employment, she is denied, so she sets out on a quest to make life work on her own terms. This light-hearted comedy is based on an abstraction of the typical creative person’s soul. It’s a story that reminds us to never give up on our dreams and to always forge our own path in life, while highlighting the greater evils of neglecting them.
I was so happy to hear that the short film recently won the best sci-fi/comedy award at the Couch Film Festival and was also selected at the Alternative Film Festival for best international comedy. The voice actors deserve all the credit, they did so much to bring the characters to life. So much love towards Charlie Henderson, Dakota Jones, Daniel Wisniewski, Joshua Cookingham, Jonny Knowles, Liam McDermott, and Rachel Rial. They all did an amazing job!
Overall, “Wayward Valley” was a fun and engaging film to make, and I’d like the opportunity to make more like it in the future, although… Once I’ve had the chance to upskill again. If you’re looking for a silly short film, “Wayward Valley” could be an easy 5 minute watch.
