"The Survival of the Sexiest" is a captivating mockumentary created in collaboration with Anna Melnikova and Marina Corton as our thesis project for the Master's in Stop Motion Animation at BAU College of Arts and Design in Barcelona.
The film follows the journey of Moe, a unique bird who, despite being unlucky at love, wholeheartedly pursues his quest to find a mate. Through a blend of humor and heart, "The Survival of the Sexiest" explores themes of perseverance, resilience, and the desire for companionship. Inspired by the birds of paradise.
Here is the short film! We meticulously crafted the felt puppets and brough them to life over the course of three months, from script to finish.
Below I showcase my individual contributions to the project with glimpses of the creative process along with the making-of footage.
Here is the character design of Moe. Our aim was to design an endearing, quirky, and expressive character that the audience could connect with.
Here is the character design of Lady Bird. Unlike Moe's quirky and distinctive appearance, Lady Bird's design is intentionally familiar, resembling birds commonly found in nature to create contrast with her counterpart and protagonist.
This is one of the pages of the storyboard. I tried to convey Moe's lively expressions and eccentric dance moves from the start.
For the set building we used real dirt for the jungle floor and pre-made foliage to create a lifelike rainforest.
Snippets of me animating and bringing Moe to life.
Stills comparing the animatic and the short film.
Stills from the completed short film that are also shots I animated.