{"id":10,"date":"2024-08-26T19:43:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T19:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danforthportfolios.com\/ec1113952\/?page_id=10"},"modified":"2026-04-23T19:14:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:14:26","slug":"projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/danforthportfolios.com\/ec1113952\/projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hello!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

My Name is EJ Cail and I’m a student at Francis Tuttle Technology Center as a 2D Animation Student. I am certified in Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and Toon Boom Harmony. In addition to art, I love to sing and watch cartoons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

EJ’s Works<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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If you want to view my background design, view here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to see my BPA animation PSA, view here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to see my Scooby Doo Theme song, view here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to see my Animatic, view here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to see my Character Turnaround Sheet, view here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Backgrounds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are the two backgrounds I have done as class projects. I have really loved this part of my animation course, and I was extremely proud of how these turned out. These pieces have inspired me to consider background art as my profession in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Classmate Environment Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The piece below was my first time making a background for animation without a tutorial. I was tasked with making an environment for a classmate to put their character in. My classmate Ethan, gave me a character set in Oklahoma that was running from zombies. I wanted the character to be able to have a nice temporary home to keep safe in, so I drew a cozy barn that seems safe but also looks like it has seen better days. This was a super fun project to work on and I’m proud of the level of detail I put in while also keeping things distinct from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brainstorming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was really thinking Wild West with this project since the story is set in the 1860s. I wanted to have either a creepy, deserted feeling, or a comforting, familiar feeling. I tried to get both ideas across in my mood-board and brainstorming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pre-Production<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I chose my fourth brainstorming idea because it felt most accessible to both me, and the viewer. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Despite it being set against a zombie apocalypse, I wanted this environment to have a sense of life. I tried adding as many details pointing to someone living in this barn like the bags on the hook and wall, as well as the fire pit and bucket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color-Blocking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Now it was time to start color blocking. As you can see here, I started with simple, desaturated colors for the background that would be added onto later. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Final Product and Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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As I said before, this was my first time really making a background for animation. I am very proud of myself for how this turned out. If I had to change something, it would be to have a clearer line of sight because I don’t really have one element that draws the viewers in. Other than that, I love the color and location I used as well as the perspective being correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Viking Landscape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This piece was the first time I really worked with background design. I followed a tutorial on Skillshare, and it really opened my eyes to how great background design can be. While I am ultimately proud of how it turned out, it being my first time, I wish I had added more distinction in the wood because I feel like some of the planks run together. All-in-all, I like the colors I used, and the experience is one I would gladly return to, and definitely will in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BPA Animation Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This project was different from anything I’ve ever done as it was a group animation project for BPA. Our prompt was: “Create a 2D animation that showcases a diverse group of students or citizens from around the world using Internet of Things (IoT) devices and smart technology to observe, collect, and share environmental data through the NASA GLOBE Program” I was tasked with the role of animator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Me and my group decided we wanted our project to resemble 80s and 90s PSAs because of their cheesy vibe and easy-to-understand language. We planned our story and characters around those ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our style sheet makes sure that the characters, backgrounds, props, and story stay consistent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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My teammate Ivan designed our two characters which I based my character rigs on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Animation Tests <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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