Still Here, 2025 | Studio Novella
2.5D Compositing, 2D Effects
A beautiful film about identify, resilience and Native culture and stories, Still Here is an animation for powow dance group, Indigenous Enterprise. I worked with the team at Studio Novella to help bring the stories to light for their production at the Joyce Theatre from Sep 16 to Sep 21.
I was brought on to Composite several shots from the film, layering each part of the animation and adding select details to help boost the emotional impact of the animation. I added 2D visual effects, applied texture, and crafting lighting effects, utilizing Blender’s Compositor & Grease Pencil Tools, as well as 2D raster tools Photoshop and Affinity Photo.
The challenge, due to the cultural importance and social relevance of the piece, was putting together the scenes in a way that presented the right mood and that honored the story being told. Collaborating with the director, Stephanie Gumpel, I had the privilege to work on 26 shots over the course of a little over 11 days. By combining the strengths of the 3D side of Blender with the 2D elements of Grease Pencil, I was able to create a finished, visually compelling set of visuals that worked well with the vision and style of the film.
A beautiful film about identify, resilience and Native culture and stories, Still Here is an animation for powow dance group, Indigenous Enterprise. I worked with the team at Studio Novella to help bring the stories to light for their production at the Joyce Theatre from Sep 16 to Sep 21.
I was brought on to Composite several shots from the film, layering each part of the animation and adding select details to help boost the emotional impact of the animation. I added 2D visual effects, applied texture, and crafting lighting effects, utilizing Blender’s Compositor & Grease Pencil Tools, as well as 2D raster tools Photoshop and Affinity Photo.
The challenge, due to the cultural importance and social relevance of the piece, was putting together the scenes in a way that presented the right mood and that honored the story being told. Collaborating with the director, Stephanie Gumpel, I had the privilege to work on 26 shots over the course of a little over 11 days. By combining the strengths of the 3D side of Blender with the 2D elements of Grease Pencil, I was able to create a finished, visually compelling set of visuals that worked well with the vision and style of the film.