HUGO & THE MOON (2026)
Hugo & the Moon is the animated short that serves as my Animated Thesis Short during my time as graduate student at CUNY Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.
For my Thesis Project, I have decided to combine the mediums of 2D Hand-Drawn Animation, and 3D Computer Animation, to create a unique short film that showcases my skills and talents with both mediums, while showcasing my skills as a storyteller.
THE IDEA
For my Thesis Project, I wanted to create an animated short that was simple and lovable to enjoy.
I also wished to include serious themes that people growing up would sometimes experience as their lives advance.
I wanted to create an animated short that shows happiness and purpose in life can endure, even when we grow up, from kids to teens, from teens to adults, and from adults to elders.
2D Elements
For the 2D elements of my Thesis Project, I used Clip Studio Paint to create the Character Animation and Backgrounds.
3D Elements
All of my 3D elements (3D Animation, Modeling, and Camera movements) were done in Autodesk Maya.
By then, I became more familiar with using the Software.
First Compositing - After Effects
The first part of compositing was done in After Effects.
My 3D rendered scenes from MAYA, and my 2D scenes from Clip Studio Paint, were all composited in After Effects.
I also did the VFX for all the scenes in After Effects as well.
Second Compositing - Premiere Pro
After completing the first stage of compositing, I composited the rest for my Thesis in Adobe Premiere Pro.
In Premiere Pro, I placed all my scenes together, as well as inserting sound and music.
