Animated Shorts
A collection of animated shorts introducing mathematical concepts created for DreamBox Learning.
The challenge: once I receive the script, and raw voice-overs, it's solely up to me to execute the concept videos: character design, storyboard/animatic, music and sfx, and final animation. Timeframe = a few weeks on average.
Solution: I decided on an overall style of a simple line-based cartoony and doodle-y style as I wanted to convey the idea of a kid doodling out math solutions to a friend, hence little touches like a graph-paper background and silly character expressions. The style evolved over time towards a line-based cartoon style. Working as the sole artist/animator/audio creator within a tight schedule, the final Animate (Flash) animation would be key-frame-based with some simple motions--essentially a glorified animatic. Music and sound effects were created by compositing and editing various purchased audio tracks and then incorporating them into the Animate file timed to the animation. This was done using the initial rough storyboard animatics as a guide.
Shout outs: To Max Holechek and Tiffany Young for great concepts and scripts; Dr. Tim Hudson for all the insightful math content; and Max Holechek and Katie Yaeger for their stellar voice-over talents!
Software: Animate/Flash, After Effects, Photoshop, Audition. All music and sfx purchased from Pond5.com
Follow Chance Random as he subjects himself to the effects of decimal placement.
Oh no! The wolves are about to eat the barnyard animals. You as the visiting alien need use math to generate coordinates that can teleport the animals to a safer place. An animated introduction to your next DreamBox math lesson.
Additional credit: Michael Neumann for the alien dial UI design and effects and the 3D animals.
Watch the Super Subtraction Squad battle menacing bots using math strategies.
Hairy math monsters beware, the Addition Action Avengers are here!
You've reached the end of the curriculum...congrats!