Batchan Animation by Ester Harumi Kawai |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: Batchan PRIMARY FUNCTION: Animation INSPIRATION: This animation is autobiographical and was made as a posthumous homage to the author's grandmother. It was produced during the pandemic and was a way for the author to find closure after her grandmother passed away. The film is visually influenced by watercolor paintings and movies from Ghibli studio, which focus on depicting daily family life in a whimsical and even magical way. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is an autobiographical animated short film about a young girl trying to communicate and connect with her deaf grandmother. The project uses the visual imagery of hands and threads to portray how family love can prevail despite physical disabilities. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: This animated short film combines animated visuals with audio and can be played on a screen. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in April 2020 and finished in October 2020 in Sao Paulo. While the pre-production was done at the university, the animation was completely made during the pandemic lockdown. FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Movie, Video and Animation Design |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The techniques used in this work are 2D animation, digital illustration, and rotoscopy in some scenes. 2D animation was produced in Toon Boom Harmony and Clip Studio Paint, while all the backgrounds were made on Clip Studio Paint. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: 1 Video Width 2560 pixels, Height 1440 pixels 5 minutes and 22 seconds TAGS: Animation, Design, 2D Animation, Family RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Ester Kawai researched how to digitally emulate a watercolor texture on the animation and applied a paper texture to complement its look. Japanese animated movies were the main visual reference. The author researched her family photos to use as a basis for the characters and some backgrounds. The artist used her own footage as reference for the animation. Rotoscopy was used on some scenes as a way to save production time. Voice lines were recorded with a cellphone due to technical limitations during the pandemic. The soundtrack is from Purple Planet Music, a website which provides royalt free music. CHALLENGE: The first challenge was organizing the author's recollections into a cohesive narrative that would feel both personal to the artist and relatable to the general audience. The main challenge was to produce the animated short amidst the lockdown on the pandemic. The author had to research how to save production time and costs with different techniques while staying true to the original vision. ADDED DATE: 2025-03-28 07:30:40 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : IMAGE CREDITS: Image 1: Creator Ester Harumi Kawai Image 2: Creator Ester Harumi Kawai Image 3: Creator Ester Harumi Kawai Image 4: Creator Ester Harumi Kawai Image 5: Creator Ester Harumi Kawai Sound Credits: Purple Planet Royalt Free Music |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://www.esterkawai.com/ | |||||
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NAME: Ester Harumi Kawai PROFILE: Ester Kawai is a Brazilian animator and illustrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her work reflects her deep influence of Japanese culture and her Christian faith, so it is important to her to contribute to projects aimed to uplift families, specially children. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Batchan Animation by Ester Harumi Kawai is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design Category, 2024 - 2025.· Read the interview with designer Ester Harumi Kawai for design Batchan here.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Ester Harumi Kawai. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Ester Harumi Kawai. |
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