Alien Craft

Alfred the carpenter is forced to close his small woodworking shop due to the increasing industrial competition. But when suddenly an alien suddenly lands in his backyard, his craftsmanship takes an unexpected turn.

Alien Craft is a 2D animated short film (5 min.) and was created as a semester project at my university. The production team originally consisted of four people. I was responsible for rigging and animating the characters, illustrating about 70% of the backgrounds and the sound design.

The motivation behind Alien Craft was to create a visual narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The story emphasizes the contrast between tradition and modernity. Even when things seem to be contradictory, there is often a way to combine the best of both. An attempt to address a common feeling of people in modern societies.

The characters were created in Photoshop and animated using motion capture in Adobe Character Animator. Additional animations such as arm movements, object interactions and camera movements were created using Duik in After Effects. Music and sound effects were added in Adobe Premiere and mixed in Pro Tools.

The brilliantly orchestrated introduction immediately hints at the immense love Julian Witusch's team invested into this animation film! The various elements playfully intertwine until the film begins with carpenter Alfred standing amidst the fragments of his life.

The apt soundtrack and charming art style instantly infuse the characters with personality, engaging the audience when an alien unexpectedly lands in Alfred's garden. While Louis de Funès managed to enthuse his extraterrestrial friend with cabbage soup in the early eighties, the creators from the Nuremberg Technical University devised a unique twist: the alien is fascinated by the carpenter's furniture pieces, leading Alfred's craft in an unforeseen direction.

In just under six minutes, this piece warms the soul, pleases the eyes, delights the ears, and touches the heart. For the team, this was the first project in such a combination - we hope many more will follow, and we wish to honor this endearing tale with the FRANKEN TELEVISION SHORT FILM AWARD. Congratulations!