After a year of collaboration among 55 UT Dallas students, the animated short Sunny will make its highly anticipated debut at an on-campus premiere at the Meteor Theater on Dec. 12.
The advanced courses Animation Lab I (ATCM 4316) and Animation Lab II (ANGM 4317) draw dozens of upperclassmen in UTD’s Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication program (ATEC) to produce a fully realized 3D-animated short film. This two-semester effort culminates in a showcase premiere event at the end of every Fall semester.
“Animation Lab is set of courses run on a fully integrated animation technology pipeline, giving students the chance to work in a simulated animation studio environment with producers, directors and leads, to give them a taste of studio life,” Salter said. “Faculty and Students from all areas of ATEC collaborate in Animation Lab including students in the areas of Media and Marketing, sound design, production management and Editorial.”
Monika Salter and Peter McCord BA’09 MFA’13, two faculty members at the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at UT Dallas, have co-produced the Animation Lab for five years. The courses mimic all major areas of an animation studio environment, providing a fast-paced, team-driven, hands-on experience.
Four ATEC students are leading the charge in this year’s Animation Lab, ensuring progress at every stage of the 3D animation pipeline for the Sunny project. Senior Eliana Nark serves as production lead and animation production manager, while senior Kristen Fazzini oversees modeling and rigging as production manager. Senior Jazalyn Clark manages surfacing and lighting, and junior Augustina Ijoma takes on marketing, sound, and editorial as production manager, also leading the team.
“I am very thankful to have worked with so many creative people,” Ijoma said. “It shows how an idea in your mind, through teamwork, can come to life. A collection of ideas starts as a single pitch and grows into stories people react to. Whether it’s on a funny buzzfeed quiz or on the screen, it’s amazing to see visions take shape.”
Sunny is an uplifting story of an optimistic character who explores themes of individuality, self-expression, and the power of positivity and kindness in the face of adversity. The film follows the journey of an upbeat circle who embarks on a new adventure in a bustling city. Surrounded by sharp edges and uniformity, Sunny begins to feel the weight of societal expectations.
Sean McComber MFA’14, program head and associate professor of the UT Dallas Animation and Games program, served this project as the film’s director. He envisioned a project that would steer away from negativity and cynicism and inspire hope and optimism in the viewers and makers alike.
“I wanted to tell a story that was a little bit happier, upbeat, and contribute something a little bit more positive,” McComber said. “You have an influence. You can certainly be influenced by the world around you – and we are, we always are – but don’t be afraid to let your light shine. Be the positive in your situation, and you never know who or what you will end up influencing.”
About the Bass School
The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, & Technology at the University of Texas at Dallas is a community of artists and scholars committed to courageous creativity and disruptive discovery. The Bass School offers academic programs in animation and games, communication studies, critical media studies, emerging media arts, history and philosophy, humanities, Latin American studies, literature and languages, and visual and performing arts. This commitment is a continuation of the tradition for which The University of Texas at Dallas, a Carnegie R1 Doctoral Institution, is known, and it is what sets the Bass School apart.