Character Animation
Axel Dangerson
From Concept to Motion
Location
Fort Lauderdale | FL, US
Brief
Create a 2D animated sequence from provided assets - voice-over, musical bed, background as well as the character rigs to create a cohesive narrative with a beginning, middle and an end. Add sound effects as well as produce animation storyboards and animate the character models.
Tools
Adobe Illustrator & Adobe After Effects.
Axel Dangerson is a character animation project that explores how classical animation principles can be applied in a contemporary motion design environment. The piece was developed around a pre-existing soundbed, making rhythm, pacing and emotional tone central to the storytelling. Every movement and transition was crafted to sync with the soundtrack, creating a seamless connection between sound and image.
In addition to building the concept and story, I reworked several of the original styleframes to introduce greater visual depth while staying true to the predefined aesthetic. Adjustments in lighting, perspective and compositional layering gave the animation more dimension without breaking consistency. The result is a character-driven short that balances narrative, performance and design, shaped by the interplay of audio and visual elements.
...In a world full of danger, what’s it's like to be afraid - of nothing? Ask Axel Dangerson...
Storyboard Process
Rory begin the pre-production process for character animation with a series of thumbnail sketches — quick visual notes that act as the foundation of the project. These rough drawings help capture ideas early, explore movement, and visualise how the animation could work within a wider narrative. Thumbnail sketching is a fast way to test composition, timing, and staging before committing to more detailed work.
From there, I develop a set of refined storyboards to crystallise the action and establish pacing. While these boards are clearer and more structured, I keep the process deliberately fluid, allowing ideas to evolve as the animation takes shape. This approach makes it easier to identify what works visually, adjust scenes for rhythm or clarity, and introduce new creative solutions along the way - ensuring the final animation feels dynamic and well-considered
Styleframe Process
The initial styleframes lacked spatial depth, with background elements competing for attention against the main character. To address this, I adjusted the transparency of background layers to introduce atmospheric perspective, pushing secondary elements back and allowing Axel to read more clearly as the focal point. This also shaped how
I approached the sequencing: by mixing up the set order to match the narrative flow, the scenes now transition in a way that mirrors the story's emotional arc rather than sitting as disconnected compositions. These changes gave the animation a stronger sense of place and purpose.
The original provided styleframe for the ending scene. We can see the original styleframe with the basic colour palette tones. The sun i displayed in its original position. In other version I tried adding birds which was scrapped.
In the subsequent styleframe I had made a number of adjustment to improve the work to give it greater depth. This included atmospheric perspective as well as making the sun a larger element of the frame as it rose.
Animation Process
The ending scene styleframe was originally delivered with a limited colour palette, which left the image looking quite flat. To improve the visual impact, I expanded the palette and introduced more depth through lighting and layering. This also influenced how the scene transitioned in motion: by applying tweening
The process of generating intermediate frames between two keyframes - I was able to create smoother, more natural movement. These adjustments not only enhanced the overall animation design but also helped the storytelling feel more fluid and visually engaging.