SLIDE SHOW

TITLE: Xmas in August

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Duration: 0;00;34;29

Tools used:
Maya, Photoshop, After Effects

Never knew that there was a Xmas in August, did you!? Me either until approached by a director and asked to make this thing.

There was no story board for this thing really. Well, I was given a piece of paper from one of the illustrators which had Santa wearing an Aloha shirt riding a surf board.

To get the moving through the water effect, I animated the water texture over the shape of the wave. The rapidly moving camera and foamy spray hopefully take the eyes off the non-moving wave shape.

Before he surfed, though, we needed to actually KNOW and show that this is Saint Nicholas, so I had to give him his regular wardrobe to begin with. The director was wondering how to nicely transition from North Pole Santa to Surf-Santa, so I came up with him jumping behind his board and quickly (Santa Speed) changing into appropriate surf attire.

At the end of the animation, Santa is happily building his own sand castle/palace, not able to build a snow-man in this heat.