Catch of the Day is a personal animated short made in memory of my father. It started as a self-driven project during my final year of university and evolved into my capstone submission, a chance to demonstrate my ability to develop and deliver a creative media work from concept through to completion.
I wrote the script, designed the characters and backgrounds, animated the entire piece using TVPaint and After Effects, and edited the final film. The only element I didn’t handle myself was sound, where I worked with a musician who composed an original soundtrack and crafted the sound design to support the tone of the story.
The story itself was fun and simple, but had some emotional weight and connection. The creative process was certainly a challenge while juggling so many roles alone. What I had imagined as an ideal, polished work gradually shifted into something much more about presence, persistence, and letting go.
Early concept sketches and character designs were focused and expressive, but as the deadline approached, I leaned more into what I could do with the time I had. I made choices that simplified scenes, reused assets, or embraced rougher animation where needed. Even so, the core of the story remained intact, and in some ways, the imperfections became part of its honesty.
By the time it was submitted, the film was finished, watchable, and received encouraging feedback. More importantly, it marked a moment of growth for me, a memorable experience and a sweet tribute to my old man...
