Darkly Whimsical World Design
An animated storybook world of gentle magic where inhabitants—big and small —grapple with profoundly human themes: ambition, determination, existentialism, and longing. Stories unfold from various perspectives and scales. It resulted in four festival recognitions across three films.
Stop-motion textured characters (handcrafted) within warm, inviting environments. Scale becomes narrative device. The challenge: treating dark themes within a world of warmth and wonder without breaking the spell.
Demonstrates: Character design systems, environmental storytelling, world-building across narrative formats, tonal balance
Relevant for: Indie game worlds, Kickstarter campaigns, narrative-driven design, character-based franchises
