Mortal

Overview

Mortal is a 4-minute and 7-second 3D animated short film created in Autodesk Maya. Set in a cube factory, the story follows Robot 447, who accidentally crafts a sphere—a deviation from the factory’s rigid production norms. Despite doubling the course’s recommended two-minute runtime, the film surpassed quality expectations and was voted the best student works in the program’s history (voted by students each term). It was also selected as the cover piece for the school’s Fall 2023 showcase.

This project reflects my commitment give my 100% to learning new skills and pushing creative boundaries, ensuring every aspect—from storytelling to technical execution—reaches its fullest potential.

Project Information

This is a university project for IAT343, Animation.

We were asked to learn to create a 3D animation .

My Role

• Co-director, concept artist and storyboard artist who designed shots and characters concepts.
• A 3D modeler who created all models used in this animation
• A animator who rigged and animated evetything after 1:23. Studied
• Explore, brainstorm and research possible solutions to elevate storytelling experience.

My Takeaways

• Experience with Maya and Substance 3d.
• Experience with storyboarding, animation, modeling, rigging.
• Courage to tackle unknown territory
• Team communication and coordination under tight deadlines and diverse ideas.

Achievement and reflection

The roadmap of this project was bumpier than it appears. With a three-week strike, two holidays scattered throughout the production schedule, and a sharp pivot four weeks into the process, challenges emerged at every turn. However, I was fortunate to work with a focused and resilient team that shared my ambition. Together, we pushed the boundaries of what was possible in this class.

• This animation is one of the best student works in the program’s history, and this was my ambition all along.
• This animation was selected as the cover piece for the school’s Fall 2023 showcase.