Unit 6: Animation

Creative Assignment Part 1: "Unknown Caller" 

We’ve all been there where your phone starts vibrating with an unknown number. For me I would say suddenly faking your own death rather than answering the phone is better. This animated short taps into that exact brand of social horror, following a woman who picks up the phone only to be led straight to her demise by a mysterious caller. The vibe is basically Looney Tunes on a bad trip. I wanted to take those classic, high-energy "wacky shenanigans" with the chaotic pacing, with an adult twist. It’s got all the DNA of a Saturday morning cartoon, but instead of a coyote falling off a cliff, it's an unknown woman being thrown into the snow. At its heart, this project is a "short and sweet" vent session about my own phone-call problems. Sometimes, the sound of a ringtone is more terrifying than a jump scare. I would honestly rather bury myself in the backyard than answer a "No Caller ID" notification, as it's usually spam. 

Creative Assignment Part 2: Reflection on "Unknown Caller" 

My creative process took an unexpected turn during this project. Initially, I planned to animate a lip-synced sequence inspired by the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show intro. I created my own lips and had a whole lip sync guide. However, I quickly felt uninspired, realizing I was simply recreating existing media rather than innovating. Seeking a fresh direction, I decided to scrap the whole idea and went to get some of my childhood toys. I decided to lean into the 'clueless victim' horror trope but gave it a high-energy twist by incorporating Looney Tunes-style slapstick. It was quite a journey, but finding my own voice made the process much more rewarding.