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Has death got you down? Many find ooberty — the transition between life and death — to be a particularly challenging time. This friendly tutorial video will help you make sense of all these new and exciting changes to your body.

This animation began as a project for four students in the MFA program, but later expanded to include four BFA students as well.

Process Gallery

  • Title slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, depicting a stylized, blue and light blue logo
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, text of crew names and Team Magnus Effect
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "STORY"
  • 50's era black and white photographs depicting fashion and stylistic inspiration for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Beatboard and black and white sketches depicting the initial imagined plot and action of Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Second beatboard and black and white sketches depicting the initial extended plot of Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Color thumbnail exploration board for Orientation Center for the Unseen with initial plot, in a vibrant color palette
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "DESIGN"
  • Several early color character concept designs for Ted in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Concept art of Ted from Orientation Center for the Unseen in alive and ghostly forms, including color palette and fashion
  • Early sketches and drawings of concept for the character of Peggy in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Final drawings and 3D model of Peggy in Orientation Center for the Unseen, both alive and in ghostly form
  • Layout and lighting design for Orientation Center for the Unseen depicting various still scenes in black and white
  • Black and white exterior concept sketches for buildings and streets in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Concept sketches and drawings of the interior office set in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Black and white concept sketch of the Lobby environment from the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen.
  • Blue line sketches of concepts for telephone, typewriter, and clipboard props for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Blue line sketches of concepts for desk, chair, and lamp props for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Blue line sketches of concepts for paper stack, picture frame, trash can, and cup props for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • 3D color and lighting interior concept design for Ted's office in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • 3D color and lighting interior concept design for the lobby set in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Environment and prop concept sketches for cars and street setting of Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Concept sketches and drawings of building frontage, props, and logos for street setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • 2D Color environment exploration and color key for the street setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Grayscale drawing of an office setting with desks, chairs, typewriters, and paper stacks in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Black and white environment design and exploration for office setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Color script for Orientation Center for the Unseen, depicting the finalized plot and action for the film
  • Color script depicting the emotional intensity level for various scenes in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "ANIMATION"
  • Sketches and photos depicting character inspirations for Orientation Center for the Unseen: Harold Lloyd and Julie Andrews
  • Screenshot depicting animation program UI during the rigging process for Ted's face in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "GHOST EFFECT"
  • Early concept sketch of Ted's change from alive color palette to ghostly blue once dead in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Presentation for Orientation Center for the Unseen describing bioluminescent sea creatures as inspiration for lighting scheme
  • Technical description of Ted's appearance change from alive to dead in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Technical description of the hypershade setup process for the character of Ted from Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Man in a red argyle sweater and glasses floating in a black background, glowing an ethereal blue
  • Slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "Lighting and Rendering"
  • Lighting progression process for a single shot of a man reading a newspaper in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Lighting progression process for a single shot of a man floating in an office setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Lighting progression process for a single shot of a telephone dangling by a pair of floating feet.
  • Lighting progression process for a single shot of a man staring at his hands in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Presentation slide for the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen, white background with text reading "COMPOSITING"
  • Slide showing a man on the phone in several stages of 3D animated rendering for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Slide showing a 2D-animated man on the phone with added shadow and light for Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Compositing breakdown of shots depicting the timeline of animated sequences in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Various stages of rendering passes for the office setting in the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Various stages of rendering passes for a man leaning against a wall in the short film Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Final composite of a shot of a man leaning against a wall in an office setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Various stages of rendering passes of the man and woman ghosts in Orientation center for the Unseen
  • Final composite of a shot of the man and woman ghosts in an office setting in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Various stages of rendering passes of the exterior street setting in Orientation center for the Unseen
  • Final composite of a shot of a man in a red argyle sweater walking across a street in Orientation Center for the Unseen
  • Screenshot depicting animation program UI during the matching process of two different composited shots
  • Floating man and woman against a dark green background waving at the viewer. "THANK YOU!" seen in white text below.

Awards and Recognition

  • 2016 Best Shorts Competition

    Award of Merit Special Mention

Official Selections and Screenings

  • 2016 2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival
  • 2016 Blue Plum Animation Festival
  • 2016 Columbia Gorge International Film Festival
  • 2016 New Animation & Cartoon International Film Festival
  • 2016 San Francisco Frozen Film Festival

Created by Team Name

  • Zahra Amirabadi

    MFA in Digital Arts

    Role: Concept Artist, Production Design, 3D Modeling, Lighting Artist, Compositing

  • Tai Gordon

    BFA in Digital Art and Animation

    Role: Prop Modeling, Texturing

  • Francisco Guerrero

    MFA in Digital Arts

    Role: Concept Artist, Production Design, 3D Artist, Lighting Artist, Rendering

  • Tara Jaiyeola

    MFA in Digital Arts

    Role: Rigging, Story

  • Xiaoran “Danny” Li

    MFA in Digital Arts

    Role: Animator

  • Spencer Mauro

    BA in Music and Sound Design

    Role: Assistant Sound Designer

  • Zachary Mitchell

    BA in Music and Sound Design

    Role: Music & Sound Design

  • Amanda “Nemo” Nemiroff

    BFA in Digital Art and Animation

    Role: Additional Animaton

  • Scottland Reed

    BFA in Digital Art and Animation

    Role: Additional Animaton

Animation Stills

  • A man in glasses and a red argyle sweater sits on a bench reading a newspaper, fascinated by a story.
  • A man in a red argyle sweater reads a newspaper while walking across a street. A red car is about to hit him from the right.
  • A man in glasses and a red argyle sweater holds a green telephone to his ear. His hand glows a spectral blue.
  • A man in glasses and a red argyle sweater looks in horror at his hands, which are translucent and glowing blue.
  • A translucent, glowing blue man retracts from another spectral woman holding a clipboard and a small button to pin on him.
  • A translucent, glowing blue hand holds up a round, white button reading "Orientation Center for the Unseen."
  • A translucent, glowing blue man and another spectral woman holding a clipboard stare directly at the viewer.