2021 UConn DMD BFA Senior Exhibition

Student Work

image
image
image

I Try to MAGIC A Plant!!!

Nicole Ellis

Vernon, CT
Concentration: 2D Animation & Motion Graphics
Advisor: Anna Lindemann

2D Animation
3 min 1 sec

I Try to MAGIC A Plant!!! is a 2D animated short that takes place as a how-to or I Try video being viewed on a YouTube parody website. Red Velvet, an aspiring witch, entertains viewers in her kitchen as she tries to grow a flower using a magic spell. However, things go wrong right away on Red Velvet's first attempt. Hijinks ensue in a time-skipping montage of failed attempts until eventually, at the end, Red Velvet performs the spell successfully and grows a flower.

For this project, the theme of improvement and working hard to achieve a goal runs very deep in ways that are both presented up-front to the viewer and also expressed via choices I've made throughout the production, such as the visual style and character design. Red Velvet is a personally significant character that was originally conceptualized in 2015, and has slowly become my symbol of improvement throughout my academic career. Every year since her original creation, I have chosen to redraw her, tweaking and adjusting aspects of her to fit with my growing art style and skills. Red Velvet was also the main character and subject of my first fully animated video back in 2016. As a symbol of how hard I've worked to get where I am today, I felt as though Red Velvet appearing once more as the main character in my senior project would fit thematically; the subject of both the first and last major production in my undergraduate career.


Artist Bio

Nicole Ellis is a Digital Media and Design student at the University of Connecticut with a passion for 2D Animation, Motion Graphics and Character Design. A few of her interests include keeping up with Western animated shows and sketching out digital character concepts. She has been interested in making art for a living since she was very young, and quickly decided on dedicating her time to learning and creating different forms of animation. From doodles made in MSPaint at 8 years old to productions in After Effects at 22, Nicole has had the drive to build a mastery in animation.

Nicole worked on multiple projects for Connecticut Public Broadcasting and graduated at the top of her class in the Hartford Journalism and Media Academy. She has created work for Talkwalker and Reverb Digital media and will soon earn her BFA at the University of Connecticut with a concentration in 2D Animation.

https://redvelvetshort.tumblr.com/
https://nicolemellis.com/

Prev || Next