The initial spark for this project was the desire to create a short animated film set entirely to music.  The reasons were both practical, in that I would not have to worry about editing in sound effects, voice-overs, etc., but also creative, in that I wanted to be free to let the music inspire the animation, rather than vice versa.

The song, “Body of Water,” by Red Hot Chili Peppers instantly got me thinking about an epic journey.  Initially, the story was going to be more generic, with the typical journey of a knight battling his way to rescue a damsel in distress, but as I thought more about the journey being across the sea, the story of Homer’s The Odyssey came to mind.  It’s obviously impossible to tell the entire story of The Odyssey in five minutes, so the film focuses on some key story points, and alternates perspective between Odysseus’ journey to get home, and his wife Penelope’s perspective fighting off the advances of suitors seeking her hand.

The art style is inspired by ancient Greek art, utilizing 3D animation shaded to look somewhat like 2D animation, including a white outline.  The backgrounds all include a stony texture and are painted to give the feel of ancient art painted on sandstone.

Be sure to check out this page, for additional artwork related to the film, but in the meantime, enjoy!

“Epic” Short Animated Film from Greg Brozenske on Vimeo.