Isabelle MacNeaney
My project, Madra Dáná, is centered around my 17 year old dog Jasmin and her life. It is a lighthearted, funny, great-escape film where she finds herself going on a crazy adventure after finding a way over the back garden fence. The reason the title is in Irish is because the story itself is based off an essay I learnt off for my Irish oral and that always stuck with me as its such a funny story about my funny little dog!
My main determination throughout the process of this project was to do a bit of everything! Story boarding, design, animation and direction were all some of the roles I experienced while making my film.
Story boarding and animation were probably some of my favorite roles I partook in. The creative direction of the film was mostly hand drawn, 2D experimental animation, so in both the story boarding ad animation roles it was really fun and insightful to figure out ways around obstacles and just generally making the whole thing run smoothly and, well, move!
I am so unbelievably proud of what i have been able to achieve in my film over the 7 months this year. It seemed like such a large task to overcome last September but now that i am out the other side its so lovely to look aback and see with a bit of hard work and a lot of planning and time management something so great can be made. I have learnt so many skills. From animation to design to networking to scheduling and time management i have gained some irreplaceable experiences throughout the course of this film. I also now have some experience in design work and compositing and even rigging that I didn't have before this year. I am overall a more capable and confident animator with a great short film to show from it!
‘Adult animation’ is a specific type of animation in which the medium, usually tailored towards children, is created with the purpose of being enjoyed by grown-ups. Throughout this thesis we aim to explore the development and creation of adult animation as its own genre. Beginning in the 1930s, controversial topics and characters were presented within animated media. This led to conversation around what should and should not be allowed within animated media and also lie action media at the time (The Hays Code). After this period, adult themes within animation resurfaced with the creation of the animated sit-com. Matt Groening’s ‘The Simpsons’ (1989) catapulted animated media back onto prime-time television and also pushed forward to the creation of more animated sitcoms made in it’s likeness. After what followed was a wide array of Adult Animation, solidifying itself as a genre of its own. Netflix and Adult Swim allowed space for such animated shows with mature themes such as Bob-Waksbergs ‘Bojack Horseman.’ (2014) and Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s ‘Rick and Morty’ (2013). In this thesis we divulge into each animated show, criticizing individual actors of each how they relate to the cultural context of the time. The demand for adult animation is increasing and therefore the future is expansive and exciting for the genre to develop further.
Hi! my name is Isabelle MacNeaney and I am a 2D animator, and experimental animator. I have just completed my first short film, Madra Dana about my dog, Jasmin. In this film I really wanted to focus on world creation and keeping it light while still conveying the humorous side of her life. For my film I experienced design, rigging, direction and animation throughout the process. I also have experience in Toonboom and Photoshop, and am always excited to learn more!
