ANIMATION

This rotoscoped ASL self-introduction is an exploration of language through motion. By tracing my signing frame-by-frame, I wanted to blend animation with the expressive physicality of ASL. The project transforms human gesture into stylized movement while maintaining the authenticity of true signing. It reflects how communication, identity, and form come together through animation. I did this during 2024 Spring Semester AVC 177 at Mesa Community College.

This assignment required creating a 40-second animation using original assets. I designed all elements from scratch, starting with concept sketches and building digital assets such as characters, backgrounds, and environmental details. After organizing my layers and preparing the elements for motion, I animated the sequence with a focus on timing, rhythm, and visual clarity. The project helped me understand how asset creation, composition, and animation work together to produce a cohesive short film. This project was created in 2025 Spring Semester AVC178 at Mesa Community College.

This was the first time ever using Photoshop to create an animation. Not only were we using layers to create a picture, we were using layers along with timing to create movement and timing to set up scenes. Along with creating our own brushes to create the trees. We had to learn the importance of timing and how to get the flow down to make sure verything flowed together. This was created during 2024 Spring Spring Semester AVC177 at Mesa Community College.

In this piece, I approached video editing as a form of poetry like we were assigned. Each clip functions like a line or a stanza, layered with meaning through visual metaphor. By combining footage from multiple videos including my own references using my own mother, I created a narrative that emerges through rhythm and repetition rather than spoken language. The pacing, transitions, and imagery form a visual poem that invites interpretation beyond literal words. The poem I used to create this visal poem is “Mother Doesn’t Want A Dog” by Judith Viorst, this project was created in 2025 Spring Semester AVC178 at Mesa Community College.