top of page
Somber is a CG-animated thesis short film about a queer romance between Chris and Davis, focusing on self-acceptance and overcoming internalized homophobia. Set within a romanticized 1920s, the film uses stylized characters and environments to tell an intimate, emotionally grounded story.
The visual style is influenced by J. C. Leyendecker, particularly his idealized portrayals of masculinity and subtle expressions of intimacy. His work informs the film’s restrained, romantic tone and approach to queer representation.
Somber was created using Maya, Marvelous Designer, ZBrush, Substance Painter, SpeedTree, Houdini, and Nuke, allowing for a balance of stylization, realism, and cinematic presentation.
Characters
For this thesis, I challenged myself by creating all three characters seen in the film. Each character was sculpted in ZBrush, retopologized in Maya, textured in Substance Painter, and the cloth modeled and simulated in Marvelous Designer. My focus was on creating grounded characters that integrate naturally into the environment.
Thesis Work in Progress: Somber
Foliage
The foliage for this project was created using two different approaches. Some trees were built entirely in SpeedTree, while others were created fully in Houdini. I initially worked in SpeedTree, then transitioned to Houdini when I needed more control over variation/placement. This allowed me to better tailor each asset to the mood and composition of the scenes.
Pyro
The pyro simulation was created in Houdini and designed to be grounded in reality while still feeling stylized and expressive. I wanted the flame to feel alive and emotionally connected to the story, acting as a visual metaphor for Chris’s love for Davis through its motion, timing, and look.
bottom of page