Student Work
Animation & Illustration
The State University of New York at Fredonia 2022 - 2026
Ball & Tail Project - Introduction to 2D Animation
Ella Maines, James Gibbons, & Nova Sawyer
In this project students combine newly gained knowledge of the animation principles of timing and spacing, weight, squash and stretch, anticipation, wave, and overshoot to create an engaging animation starring a ball with a tail. Students can either choose to make the ball an inanimate object or make it a living being. This project also challenges their sense of pacing.
Flour Sack Project - Introduction to 2D Animation
Elliot O’Grady, Lucas Wingfield, & Bo Braithwaite
The flour sack project comes from an old Disney exercise in which students must animate a living sack of flour. It is a great first character animation project and necessitates that students incorporate all of the beginning skills that they learn through simpler exercises in the opening weeks of the semester.
Introduction to 2D Animation - Rotoscope
Nate Dennis, Gonzo D'Agostino, Laura Pollock, & Nathan VanVolkinburg
This project requires students to act or direct in their own reference video to use as the base for a rotoscope animation. They are encouraged to play with possible styles through exploratory drawings before the animation process begins.
Cut-out Animation - Introduction to 2D Animation
“Maris” by Pamela Pantin
Students go through an entire pre-production unit which includes rounds of storyboards, designs, sound design, and the creation of an animatic before they are able to build and animate their paper cut-out. They have full creative freedom with the content of the animation. Some of the only requirements are that the animation is made in Dragonframe with a top-down camera setup and that the final film incorporates sound design of some kind.
Cut-out Animation - Introduction to 2D Animation
“Cattle Ranch” by Isabella Weber
Another example of a sucessful cut-out animation.
Collective Utopia Project - Intermediate 2D Animation
Nate Dennis & Heaven Warner
In this collaborative storyboard and visual development project, students conceptualize a utopian future of Fredonia assuming that we solve the world's most pressing issues.
Animatic by Katelynn Bridge, Sarah Burdette, Devin Delfox, Julian Miner, and Angelo Zappie
Morph Project - Intermediate 2D Animation
Ella Maines, Roen Cloutier, & Evie Osborne
The morph project challenges students to dedicate themselves to a thorough design process and link two symbols through animation. Students explore ways to create meaning through juxtaposition and transition. They also gain a lot of experience in iterative design, solid drawing, and 2D effects animation.
Animated Documentary - Intermediate 2D Animation
“The Beach” by Emily Neiswonger & Cameron Kerr-Smith
The Animated Documentary project asks students to use animation to respond or interpret research or unscripted source material. They are given a lot of freedom to explore a topic and animation technique of their choice. They are also given the option to work individually or collaboratively.
Animated Documentary - Intermediate 2D Animation
“WIYMMEIN” by James Gibbons
Screened as an official selection of the 2025 Squeaky Wheel Film Festival in Buffalo, this documentary asks about experiences in nature and animates both humorous and reverent responses.
Animated Documentary - Intermediate 2D Animation
“Interview with Blaed Wiechmann” by Ariel Wiechmann
Ariel used a mix of media and methods to bring to life a story of her childhood told by her brother, Blaed.
Independent Studio Project
“There's something starving in the sky” by Luke Johnson
Luke's filmmaking sensibilities are unique and confident. In mentoring him through this project, it was equally important to me that my critiques aided the film's readability and that they prioritized his artistic instincts.
Animatic (WIP) - Independent Studio Project
“Departure” by Evie Osborne
The working animatic made as part of an Independent Studio Project. Evie is currently working on finalizing background designs and beginning rough animation. When a student wants to create an entire short film, I work with them on a pre-production phase for the first half of their final year. Animation and post-production are typically done in the second half. I encourage student-directors to solicit production help from younger students so that all involved gain experience in a collaborative pipeline.
Animated Film (WIP) - Capstone Project
“Bang Bang Fish Tank” by Nate Dennis
An animated segment of a film-in-progress. Nate's capstone year involved a rigorous pre-production process, readying him to complete the rest of the film after graduation.
Illustrated Book - Advanced Animation & Illustration
Cameron Kerr-Smith
This is the work-in-progress first spread of a picture book written and illustrated by Cameron Kerr-Smith. She is currently on track to finish her 42 page book about two sisters created from an artist’s trash, navigating both the dangers of their new world and the tensions of their sibling relationship.
Comic - Advanced Animation & Illustration Project
“Dream Bound” by Bella Krawczyk
Sample pages from a comic made as a semester-long project for Advanced Animation & Illustration. Bella successfully reached the goal of completing the first chapter of a graphic novel they are developing.
Doll Line Design - Advanced Animation & Illustration Project
“Mythic U” by Guinevere Devlin
This extensive design project included character turnarounds, schematic fabrication plans, alternate outfits, packaging design, and story beat illustration for a line of six original dolls. Gwen also developed a unique story and description for each character and completed a prototype of one doll by the end of the semester.
Visual Development - Advanced Animation & Illustration Project
“Wastelands” by Devon Kennedy
These samples represent two of many design pages made as part of a visual development project for an original video game. Devon explored all of the components (characters, landscape features, interior and exterior building spaces, props, and material call-outs) needed to visualize a human outposte on an alien planet.
2D Animated Game - Capstone Project
“Butcher’s Lament” by Fern Anderson
Fern wrote, animated, and coded the opening stage of their game which explores a limbo-world after death where characters grapple with mistakes made on Earth. As the game progresses, the main character is torn between groups who embrace community and characters who are fueled by greed.