animation to end off
Zenith represents the culmination of our skills at Freestyle, but is also an opportunity to try something new. It’s a project about anything.
When I was 9 years old, I moved back to California from Ohio. I was a shy, quiet child, and the implications of the move were, to me, incredibly daunting. Going to a new school to make new friends was frightening. It was 3rd grade. Wouldn’t everyone already have their friends? Where would I fit in?
Growing up, Spirited Away was my favorite movie. My big brother found it scary — which probably made me like it even more — but I found it exhilarating and, strangely, comforting. The film centers around Chihiro, a young girl whose family is moving. On the drive to her new home, she and her parents make an unexpected detour, ending up in a strange world filled with demons, curses, magic, and adventure. Separated from her parents and on a quest to escape, Chihiro faces her fears, comes out of her shell, and succeeds in reuniting her and her family, landing them back in the real world. Along the way, she forges true friendships, and her new surroundings become almost as familiar and navigable as home.
I watched Spirited Away constantly throughout my childhood. The DVD came to have so many scratches that it would hardly play anymore, freezing every minute or so. It wasn’t until just this past year, upon another rewatch, that I realized why the movie had been so resonant. It was so obvious; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. I told my dad my theory: that my obsession with Spirited Away had stemmed from our two moves and my fears about adjusting to a new home. He nodded: “Yes, duh.”
I love animation in general, but especially the style, storylines, and overall sentiment of the Studio Ghibli films. Hayao Miyazaki has always been in my top 5 dream dinner date list (made possible by my dream superpower being fluency in all languages). I watched those movies starting at age 2 and still pop them on the TV whenever I need a pick me up or want to have a good nostalgic cry.
Animation is such a labor of love. Every frame takes thought, planning, and precision. Good films use color, composition, and camera movement to communicate themes and emotions. I wanted to use the intentionality which is a prerequisite for any animation to put together all I’ve learned about storytelling throughout my two years at Freestyle.
My first ever project at Freestyle and the first film I ever made was experimental and was meant to use solely visuals to get across a message.
The final product is below!