Collaborative Idea Generation:
At the start, Ellen, Andrea, Aaron, and I teamed up for our final project. We agreed to prioritize story development over art style and explored various concepts to capture each of our creative visions.
Our brainstorming generated diverse genres—from mythology and fantasy to documentaries, paranormal themes, and humorous local stories. To evaluate their potential, we developed each idea into short stories and shared them, helping us identify the strongest concept to pursue.
This was my concept:
We aimed to create a story with strong emotional impact. In discussions with Rachael, we debated two contrasting ideas: a poignant tale of a grieving lumberjack preserving his wife’s memory through wood, and Andrea’s favorite, Morning Tea and Monkeys—a structured comedy driven by absurdity and charm. One sought to move audiences to tears; the other to make them laugh until they cried.
Two very different emotional journeys—both powerful in their own way. The question was: did we want to break hearts or lift them?
Our primarily source of communication was discord, so we shared our story concepts and took a vote. The most popular idea was “Tea At Mr.O’Malley’s”, based on the true story of the ‘Angel Elephant’ Sheila escaping the Belfast Zoo during the 1940’s Blitz.
The story overview is of follows:
Tea at Mr. O’Malley’s follows a meticulous man whose quiet, orderly life is upended by a series of increasingly absurd animal intrusions—starting with a mischievous monkey and culminating in an elephant crashing through his wall. As chaos takes over, Mr. O’Malley moves from resistance to acceptance, ending the story by peacefully sharing tea with his eccentric new companions.
Establishing The Setting and History of Events:
As a group we didn’t set any roles, thus we began to branch off off to create visual concepts of the animals and settings within the story. I wanted to research into what it was like during the Belfast Blitz and how that was going to impact our environment.
The Blitz left a devastating impact on Belfast. The streets were rampant with broken down houses and rubble. There were a few things we needed to keep in mind for this era of Belfast:
- rubble, the streets were in disarray in some areas.
- bomb explosions, smoke, ash.
- the time period, photo’s were in black and white.
- rations and supplies ran low.
- due to the setting be careful with costuming, sign of the times.
Although the script included many animal characters I mainly wanted to research into Sheila, as she was the most prominent figure during the time of the bombing.
Known as the ‘Angel Elephant,’ Sheila was spared during a time when many animals were hunted. Taken in by a zookeeper and her mother, she became a symbol of hope for the city. Despite the dark setting, Sheila’s playful sightings around town added humor, reflecting how even in tough times, laughter can endure—an idea central to our story.
Visual Research + Technical Tests:
Although we didn’t begin with a fully defined art style, our group leaned toward a 3D approach, as most members felt confident creating 3D assets. At the time, I was less certain about my own 3D skills and hesitant to commit fully to this direction. However, I saw it as an opportunity to contribute through research, exploring alternative visual approaches that could inform our physical design phase. I focused on styles that complemented the narrative tone and enhanced storytelling—particularly how visual aesthetics can reflect character dynamics and support key story moments.
One visual approach I explored was a black-and-white aesthetic, implemented using shaders and geometry nodes, with support from various tutorials. This style drew inspiration from the historical context of 1940s Belfast, where newspapers and photography were predominantly monochrome. The goal was to evoke the tone and atmosphere of the era by aligning the film’s visual language with that of the time. A key reference was Disney’s Paperman, which illustrated how a monochrome palette, paired with soft lighting and subtle shading, can convey emotional depth and narrative richness. I also considered a cel-shaded alternative to achieve a more stylized, two-dimensional look.
The primary visual style we considered was a Claymation-inspired aesthetic, which complements the comedic tone of our narrative and evokes a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic children’s television. I explored how to replicate the distinct qualities of stop-motion animation within a 3D pipeline, focusing on blocky, handcrafted forms and subtle imperfections—such as thumbprints and uneven surfaces—that contribute to the style’s charm and authenticity. Key references included the works of Aardman and Laika Studios, as well as the game It Takes Two, which skillfully combines a handmade visual feel with modern animation techniques. This research deepened my understanding of how intentional imperfections and tactile detail can infuse digital environments with warmth, personality, and emotional resonance.
I further delved into two classic Claymation studios, looking at documentaries and taking notes on their techniques and design choices.
Studio Laika:
Studio Aardman:
Early Environment and Character Design Concepts:
I believe I had enough research under my belt to delve into concept work. We didn’t have any concrete roles at the time so we branched off and focused on different characters based off of Andrea’s script:
Based on my research, I designed the elephant character with soft, rounded features to contrast with Mr. O’Malley’s grumpy, rigid persona. Her exaggerated design includes large, expressive eyes and a bulky, oversized form, contributing to the film’s comedic tone. A recurring visual gag involves her attempting to ‘hide’ behind objects too small to conceal her, playing into size-based humor. Additionally, we explored whether her anthropomorphic or animal-like behavior would enhance the comedy.
Based off of research, how an elephant is depicted through 3D space and different style influences that I could pull from. I also briefly looked into the topology stage and how her form could be achieved with good geometry. I also provided a shaded illustration of what the elephants form would look like with colours applied.
Bird characters, using different portraits to develop human like expressions for the scene. Also looked at different shape language to establish clear character alongside feather texture approach:
Reference:
Although I didn’t have a monkey design I accumulated a monkey reference sheet if we were steer in that direction:
I then moved onto exterior and interior design of O’Malley’s house and street. Looked at different set pieces of Wallace and Gromit, Disney and the real photographs from the era of Belfast.
Exterior concept, war time evident in the likes of planes overhead and smoke, surrounded by mountain range to hide void. We were toying with the location of the O’Malley House just to have it read clear to the audience where our main interior location will be set.
Interior opposed to exterior, warm and inviting. A lot of photo frames hung up on the wall, despite O’Malley’s cold exterior he is a sentimental man. Warmth apposed to the cold exterior shows that his home is his comfort and the reason why he’s so precious with his space.
Pre-Production Stage:
Story Development:
Set in 1940s Belfast, the story follows Mr. O’Malley, an elderly man whose orderly life is disrupted by the surreal arrival of an elephant. Initially resistant, he gradually forms a quiet bond with the animal, revealing his underlying loneliness. As the narrative evolves, the tone shifts from absurdity to emotional depth, focusing on themes of connection, acceptance, and the quiet transformation brought by unexpected companionship. Recent revisions enhance this by balancing humor with a more reflective, character-driven approach.
The introduction of a young postman and Mr. O’Malley’s old friend adds depth to the story. The postman informs Mr. O’Malley about the escaped elephant, but he initially shows little interest. As the story develops, Mr. O’Malley’s growing longing for the companionship of his old friend, reflected in the elephant, helps explain his changing attitude. His guilt over rejecting the elephant leads to a heartwarming conclusion, where Mr. O’Malley’s transformation shows the healing power of connection and the warmth that comes from allowing others into your life.
Character Concepts and Exploration:
O’Malley:
At this stage we formed roles according to production, me and Ellen wanted to explore characters and Andrea and Aaron focused on the environment. I expressed interest in developing Mr.O’Malley’s character and his friend. I wanted to base it off of Andrea’s early O’Malley concepts as I liked a lot of the proportion and characteristics.
Andrea’s early concepts:
I looked further into our influences and gathered reference material to make a variation of multiple silhouettes and costumed variations were explored to emphasize Mr O’Malley’s distinct persona. His upright posture, neat clothing, and accessories like military badges and canes enhance his backstory of discipline and order, subtly hinting at obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The character is designed for modular expressiveness within a stop-motion or 3D-animated production environment. Elements such as interchangeable outfits (e.g., dressing gown, formal attire) support narrative versatility, while props like stools or a broom expand his interaction with the environment, crucial for story boarding and scene blocking.
Stylistically, the design draws from the visual language seen in Pixar’s Up (notably Carl Fredricksen), particularly in the stylization of aging, rounded forms juxtaposed with angular rigidity. This fusion of exaggerated proportions and structured simplicity enables Mr O’Malley to fit comfortably into Claymation forms. I aimed to approach the character design with the practicality of claymation production in mind, assessing how feasible it would be to sculpt and animate the forms using traditional stop-motion techniques.
To ensure authenticity and period accuracy, I referenced a range of archival photographs from the 1940s, incorporating historically accurate attire into the design. Additionally, I studied physical characteristics commonly associated with elderly men—such as hunched posture, facial wrinkles, thick-rimmed glasses, and slower body language—to reinforce his age and personality traits through visual storytelling.
Post-man designs:
In developing the postman character, I focused on using varied shapes and silhouettes to find a visual identity that would contrast with Mr. O’Malley while still belonging in the same world. I explored a range of proportions—from tall and lanky builds to more top-heavy, exaggerated forms—to test how physical structure could reflect personality. The more exaggerated designs lend themselves to comic timing and playfulness, aligning with the claymation aesthetic and supporting the idea that Mr. O’Malley doesn’t take him seriously. His youth, mid-to-late 20s, is emphasized through features like freckles, a slightly awkward posture, and casual uniform variations.
The intention was to portray him as slightly scruffy, with an offbeat charm that feels believable yet stylized. I included costume variations inspired by historical reference imagery from 1940s Belfast, such as structured coats, flat caps, and official post uniforms. Some designs feature the Belfast newspaper delivery bag, anchoring him further in the setting and subtly communicating his role through props.
I used a combination of photographs, 3D renders, and concept sketches to explore and diversify my designs. My focus was primarily on refining the character’s overall form and personality before adapting it to suit the intended claymation art style. Throughout the process, I kept in mind the practicalities of sculpting the design in clay, ensuring that the shapes would be both expressive and feasible for a stop-motion production.
Friend concepts:
We agreed that the friend character should visually reflect the elephant, so I adapted key elements from Ellen’s elephant design and applied them to the friend’s silhouette. These included larger, rounder proportions, oversized ears, and soft, expressive features. To align with Mr. O’Malley’s age, I incorporated older characteristics such as wrinkles and glasses.
While exploring variations, I focused on maintaining the elephant’s distinctive head and ear shapes, using them as a foundation to guide the design of an elderly male character who feels both stylised and thematically connected.
The team responded well to a combination of designs 1 and 4, so I merged key elements from both to create the final version of the friend character. I incorporated an oval-shaped nose and a moustache to subtly echo the form of a trunk, reinforcing the visual link to the elephant.
Development:
Looking over the designs Andrea liked Ellen’s postman and Elephant and it fit the claymation aesthetic, and we went with my O’Malley design. Ellen used aspects of my postman clothes and implemented them into her model while I was situated to work on O’Malley’s model. I created a 2D turnaround before delving into the modelling process to get the proportions right.
When receiving feedback for our designs it was noted that O’Malley didn’t fit with the elephant and postman. The main pointer was to simplify his design and round out his features.
I reflected and went back to the drawing board to implement this feedback alongside looking over Aardman’s design principles again to better reflect our art-style. I then proceeded to update the turn-around and create an expression sheet for later animation stages.
Mr. O’Malley’s expressions are conveyed through his moustache and eyebrows instead of a mouth, embracing a simplified, claymation-inspired style. Referencing the dad in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, this limited facial movement adds humor and charm, using exaggerated gestures to enhance his grumpy personality.
Colour block outs:
Based on group feedback, these are the final colour samples. We chose the second option, as it best reflects his Irish roots and understated personality.
Modelling:
My workflow began with blocking out the base model, then adding a multiresolution modifier to sculpt the main forms using the Grab brush. The goal was to establish the old man’s core geometry before retopologising for cleaner topology. During modelling, I experimented with sculpted details on the brows and moustache to add depth and dimension.
In early planning, we agreed to contrast realistic textile materials with procedural clay textures to support the handmade claymation aesthetic. I explored nodes and shaders to visualize the effect and incorporated a fingerprint alpha with displacement mapping to enhance the clay-like surface. With the aid of tutorials, I successfully implemented the look.
Throughout the process, I maintained a blocky, stylised form to stay true to the intended visual style.
Henry suggested adding a shader node to the skin that could be keyframed to create dynamic shadows. He appreciated the subtle shadowing in the original concept art that added depth, so this experiment aimed to replicate that effect from any angle within the 3D space.
Due to a significant health setback after the dissertation submission, I was unable to work consistently for two months, which overlapped with key production stages. To maintain progress, the team created a backup model of Mr. O’Malley. As I recovered, I gradually resumed work by refining the topology and starting the rig placement, using tutorial videos to support and streamline my delayed workflow.
I refined the model’s topology—particularly around the fingers, knuckles, and mouth—to improve deformation and animation quality. Though the jaw wasn’t animated, clean topology allows for future flexibility, such as cheek movement. Additionally, I incorporated Henry’s suggestion to replace the badge with a poppy, reinforcing the character’s identity as a war veteran and reflecting his disciplined background.
To prepare the character for animation, I refined the topology with clean, quad-based geometry, focusing on consistent edge loops around key deformation areas like the shoulders, elbows, and face. I eliminated triangles and n-gons to prevent shading issues and optimized mesh density for a rig-ready model with clean deformations and reliable performance.
Switching from blockout to direct poly modeling improved both quality and efficiency. It provided better control over form, aligning closely with concept art and ensuring cleaner, animation-ready topology, with enhanced detail and edge flow for a more polished model.
Rigging and Refinements:
Rigging was initially challenging, so I used automatic weights to get a baseline, then refined the deformations through manual weight painting. Selecting the armature first made it easier to switch between bones and paint weights more efficiently. I was very overwhelmed by this stage and began over-complicating the rig to the point for a simple mesh so I looked at different videos to help with this process.
This video, alongside Mike’s uploaded tutorials on blackboard, helped clarify the weight painting process for me. I learned to block out bone influence areas, lock vertex groups, and gradually refine them using the smooth and scale tools to achieve clean, controlled deformations.
In Mike’s advanced tutorials, I learned to set up IK controllers, including a foot roll system, to give the team more precise and versatile animation controls. This involved using IK constraints and pole targets to manage bone movement. I also created custom empties with color coding to clearly indicate each controller’s function, making the rig more intuitive for the team. I parented these with automatic weights to test the effect.
I also attempted a spine rig, however due to it’s complexity and it being unnecessary due to the mans age (he’s rigid, he doesn’t need a flexible spine) I quickly scrapped this method.
Created bones and IK for the elbow and hand, this provided for easier posing and animation. I mirrored these using the naming L+R conventions.
I added bones to the hat to simulate realistic fabric movement, allowing it to bend and contort naturally. The hat’s master controller is parented to the head but remains removable, giving team the flexibility to take it off when needed.
For the hand rig, I followed Derek Prinzi’s class on Skillshare. He explained that the pinky plays a key role in controlling the natural curve of the fingers, and demonstrated how to replicate this effect using copy rotation constraints in local space. I applied these constraints to the selected finger bones, adjusting the influence values to create a smooth, natural bend across the entire hand. I also included an IK-FK sliding feature that allows the influence to be turned off, enabling individual control of the bones when needed. I let Ellen know about the IK/FK feature and linked the tutorial so she could implement it onto the elephant and the postman.
The lid controllers were created using this tutorial, and they work well for O’Malley due to his simple character design. This was achieve using shape keys, weight painting the desired bones and using drivers to utilize the controllers.
Used the following method for the eye movement. I ensured I weight painted and adjusted the eyes/eyelids so whenever he has his lids closed his pupils wouldn’t clip through the mesh.
With Henry’s feedback, I revised the mesh to better match the concept art. Based on the original, the character looked too small and frail, so I made him fuller and raised his shoulders to create a more hunched posture. These changes gave him a stronger, more solid build—fitting for someone with an ex-army background.
The weight painting stage was time-consuming, but I refined it to the point where there was no clipping and the deformations looked clean. I also applied custom empties to the necessary sections for added readability. I ran into clipping issues with the cardigan and undershirt but I deleted these faces as they weren’t going to be seen.
To streamline the animation process, I created a set of posing assets for commonly used body positions, allowing for quick adjustments and consistent character movement. Additionally, I implemented a range of expression shape keys—covering emotions from the expression sheet—to give the character more personality and flexibility during performance. These tools helped speed up the workflow while maintaining emotional clarity in each scene.
I proceeded to model hard surface model his cane, dislodging edges so there’s no n-gons or tris. I gave a basic run through of the rig for my team.
Pose presets:
To keep O’Malley’s rest pose consistent through all files I utilized Blender’s pose library to assist with workflow. To ensure uniformity of O’Malley’s rest pose, alongside other key poses across all associated files, I utilized Blender’s Pose Library to store and apply standardized pose data, appending this to everyone’s files.
UV Map and Textures:
I marked the seems of my O’Malley and Cane mesh and unwrapped them, exporting them into substance to test out textures so I can save on UV space and texture at the same time.
I hand-painted skin details and used a clay procedural texture in Substance, adjusting height settings for a sculpted look. Scaled fabric textures were applied for stitching effects, and visible seams were resolved by tweaking the projection method and texture hardness for a smoother finish.
Before:
After:
Environment Props and Set dress:
I created illustrations for the living room photo frames, sketched in Procreate, to reflect O’Malley’s background—highlighting his army history, old dog, close friend, and favorite places—offering insight into his personality and personal life (photo frame and implemented by Andrea.)
During this period, Aaron required assistance with environment props and geometry adjustments, which Andrea and I provided. I mostly worked on some kitchen assets and living room set dress.
Due to an unusual texture issue with the stove and with Aaron’s approval, I created a more detailed version to accommodate its appearance in a close-up shot. I researched 1940s kitchen items to inform the design of my assets. To optimize workflow, I used reference images for tracing and employed poly modeling techniques for many of the models.
Alpha stamps made on Procreate. Alpha stamps were created in Procreate. An elephant design was initially developed for the clocks but was ultimately not used, as it appeared too small and cluttered in the final composition.
Painting on height is a key feature I would prioritize in future projects, as adjusting normal maps alongside textures enhanced surface detail and supported the animation pipeline by reducing geometry needs and simplifying shading.
I redid the countertop UVs to ensure the wood grain flowed naturally, and removed unseen geometry to reduce the face count and optimize the model.
The previous countertop was smooth, so I added a tile effect to better reflect the style of 1940s countertops. Height and roughness brush for water effect.
I then went onto make more set dress to fill out the scene.
Fifteen appliances were created, reflecting the wartime context—where I imagined he would make fifteens and ration them. I also made and rigged a newspaper for our scene but this wasn’t used.
Illustrated a Backdrop photo for the kitchen window in case it displayed the void:
Matching cabs for overhead and clock.
Refrigerators were a luxury in 1940s Belfast, but I envisioned O’Malley having one to keep his Fifteen ingredients fresh, reflecting his practicality and resourcefulness.
Living-Room MISC. Combination of hard surface and poly modelling. Included a stool for the old man because of his height.
I placed these assets in the scene and created a tablecloth mesh that Andrea textured.
For the added postman character, I thought incorporating a bicycle would be a fitting addition to enrich the scene so I modeled a bike and made a simple rig, uploading this for my team. Me and Andrea found out the textured bike was made from the wrong file so the rig and mesh didn’t work. We replaced this to avoid further issue but linking the texture to the right bike.
Quick fire test for fireplace, passed this onto Andrea for the living room.
Final Model Textures:
While I was texturing I got feedback for the skin, that the bump texture was too high. Henry suggested about lowering it and raising the roughness value so the clay texture wasn’t as glossy.
Henry liked the skin mark’s so applied other freckles across his face using a speckle brush. I had also create seams around the hemlines of his jumper so I can cleanly split the woven textile. His textures were made up of downloaded patterns and procedural with various black masks and generators.
I created the skin as a Smart material in substance and sent it to Ellen, however because of the custom fingerprint brush it wouldn’t open so we agreed I would apply the texture and she can focus on the clothing/eyes.
Note: there was an issue with O’Malley’s cane texture. Originally the cane wasn’t attached and I suggested about using child of constraint for the animation, however I thought it was simpler to have the cane be part of the armature. I parented this to the hand but when textured it was hard surface, the render would apply and the seams would change. To fix this we added more edge loops to the cane.
Postman:
The postman character conveyed an awkward, youthful demeanor, which I emphasized visually by adding a prominent set of freckles to his skin. I used the multiply layer to add depth to his eyelids and hair.
Elephant:
After Ellen shared a blank base model of the elephant, Henry recommended using reference imagery to add depth to the design. This approach helped achieve a softer, more endearing appearance that better captured the character’s innocence. I intended to only apply the clay texture but added more details as I progressed.
For the cute elephant design, I used smooth textures with soft color gradients, a matte finish, and subtle blush accents to add warmth. I avoided harsh features, aiming for a tender, inviting look, in contrast to the rougher textures of a realistic elephant design. Height and smooth brush was used to carefully add normal detail to trunk, elbows and knees.
An overlapping section in the UV map was preventing accurate texture placement on the elephant’s hand. I resolved this by manually repositioning the affected UV islands in Blender to ensure clean, non-overlapping coordinates for texture application. We then re-imported the elephant and linked data for the changed UV.
Pajama O’Malley:
I wanted to design an alternative outfit for O’Malley, one suitable for the privacy of his home, to subtly indicate his increasing comfort with the elephant. Given O’Malley’s stern nature, he would typically avoid inviting others into his personal space, so the change in attire was intended to reflect his growing trust and emotional openness toward the elephant. Having completed several poly modeling practices with the environment props, I felt confident in modeling the outfit efficiently. I started with O’Malley’s base shirt, extending the faces downward to create the desired shape. To refine the design, I added curves around the cuffs, ensuring a tailored look and smooth flow to the garment. I then altered it to include a dressing gown.
I retained the existing rig and added additional bones to the hat for posing. Afterward, I transferred the weight maps and manually refined specific areas to ensure smooth deformation during movement. I also re-assigned the face drivers to the new mesh.
Although the mesh had different UVs, I wanted to maintain consistency with the skin texture, so I preserved the same material name and project configuration. This allowed the skin texture to be projected correctly. I then proceeded to manually adjust and refine the texture as needed.
I also ensured that the pose library worked with this model:
Block outs:
I created the animation blockouts for scenes 2-4 and added scenes to enhance the narrative and shot continuity, providing the team with a strong foundation and streamlining the animation process. Matched these up to the storyboards. Added sound test.
Andrea had originally removed the house falling on the Postman but I found humor in it, so instead I changed it to the door crushing the Postman instead.
Animating:
To enhance the comedic effect, I animated the elephant jumping to a lamppost and included a head bump. Due to performance issues caused by the dense floor geometry, I replaced it with a flat plane, which led to a minor foot-floating issue in the final render.
High system demand resulted in repeated render crashes, limiting my ability to make further adjustments. This also lead to the final stages of the animation to be rendered out last minute, scrapping the idea to render on my own laptop and go to uni to render out in shorter frame spans on different computers.
Although I was meticulous with the tea table setup, I overlooked the shifting placement of a bowl and surrounding kitchen props between counters—one of the few noticeable continuity errors. Despite these oversights, I revised and updated all relevant assets to restore continuity and maintain a professional standard across the scene.
The trickiest part of my scenes was the walking animations as mine had the most leg movement. I recorded myself walking as a reference alongside people walking with a walking stick.
Using frame-by-frame analysis, I referenced multiple videos to study weight shifts in movement. To convey this effectively, I ensured that O’Malley’s torso lowered appropriately during his descent, emphasizing the transfer of weight and adding realism to the animation. I incorporated secondary animation by adding a subtle ticking motion to the clock in the background, enhancing realism and maintaining visual interest without drawing focus from the main action. I also ensured that the walking stick followed the movement of the left foot to maintain realistic motion and ensure accuracy in the animation.
The kitchen walls were not originally intended to be visible from this angle and thus shared the same texture as the living room. To resolve this, I duplicated the wall geometry and realigned the UVs with the kitchen texture, ensuring a seamless visual transition. This adjustment allowed me to maintain the original walk-in angle. I also modified the scene transition, replacing the sharp cut with a camera pan from behind a teapot to the left, revealing O’Malley walking into his kitchen.
The newspaper scene proved more challenging than expected. I rigged the newspaper as a child of the hand to follow its movement then manually adjusted its position and the finger placement to avoid clipping when adding the secondary sway of the hand. Originally, the newspaper was meant to open fully for O’Malley to read, but since he needed one hand for his walking stick, I revised the action so he unrolls it with one hand and glances at the headline.
I animated the camera to follow the motion of the newspaper being placed on the countertop, using a dramatic swooping movement that transitions seamlessly into the newspaper photo. This shot serves as a visual bridge into the next sequence, where the elephant is seen sneaking through the streets.
For the elephant sequence, I recorded reference footage and studied videos to guide the animation. I used slow, exaggerated movements to build anticipation, followed by a quick, snappy headbutt for comedic impact. This contrast in timing emphasized both humor and the character’s weight. Secondary animations like ear flaps and tail movement added alertness and energy.
My main reference point for the elephant was the animals in Madagascar, fast movements
I had also key framed the HDRI to rotate it’s access, giving the subtle illusion that clouds were moving overhead.
The kettle steam was implemented with a video file with a black BG on blender, same method as the fire for the fireplace. I copy and pasted the same steam video and animated the scale so steam was coming out of the open top. Since it was a high up surface I moved the master controller up and down, making it look like O’Malley was hopping off his stool. The same instance occurred here when I needed to keyframe the hand/teapot so it followed the rotated movement without issue.
I keyframed the ‘Child Of’ constraint on the teapot, set the inverse, and detached it, manually repositioning it to maintain spatial consistency with O’Malley’s hand. Since the set was aligned with Andrea’s scene, I animated around it—having O’Malley pour tea and move around the table. To add realism, I animated knee bends, anticipation, and a leap, with the seat reacting to his weight using keyframed bounce for added physicality.
There was trouble getting the tea sim to work properly however it was needing to be baked from frame 1 in order to work, this became a setback, as I had to troubleshoot why the particles were behaving erratically within the simulation domain.
When O’Malley contacted the wall, I used proportional editing to deform the faces, simulating a clay-like impact, then animated the effect using shape keys. Although sculpting was an option, it was too demanding for my hardware.
Final Animation:
To conclude….
Working on this Claymation-inspired animation project greatly improved my technical skills and creative approach. I gained strong proficiency in polygonal modeling, enabling efficient creation of clean, animation-ready topology that saved time and enhanced model quality.
Texturing in Substance Painter helped me achieve the handcrafted look central to the style, inspired by studios like Aardman and Laika. Setting the story in 1940s Belfast added authenticity, while collaboration across all stages—from concept to rendering—enhanced problem-solving and flexibility.
I also advanced my animation skills by creating complex movements that convey weight, timing, and personality, improving the visuals’ emotional impact. Overall, the project highlighted the value of combining solid technical skills with storytelling and teamwork to bring a unique creative vision to life.