Thu Jul 19 2022
About Project
I created this frame-by-frame animation for the Taiwan SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals),an organization dedicated to promoting kindness, protecting animal welfare, and preventing cruelty throughrescue, rehoming, and education. As a motion media designer, I was moved by their mission to foster respect forall life, and I wanted to craft a short, emotional ad that captures their work. My animation tells the story of Seven,a stray dog, from his own perspective, using his footprints to represent him and evoke universal empathy amonganimal lovers. This project is my way of supporting the SPCA’s vision of harmony between humans and animals,designed to tug at heartstrings and inspire action.
Conceptual Framework
I designed this animation to immerse viewers in Seven’s world, using a first-person narrative to evoke deep sympathy, especially for animal lovers. By focusing on Seven’s journey from loneliness to hope, I aimed to mirror the SPCA’s mission of rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. My key ideas include:
- First-Person Perspective: I chose to narrate from Seven’s point of view to create an intimate, emotional connection, making viewers feel his fear, loneliness, and eventual hope as if they were walking in his paws.
- Dog Footprints as Symbol: I used Seven’s footprints instead of showing his full form to represent him, allowing audiences to imagine him based on their own experiences with pets. This abstraction makes the story personal and universal, inviting interpretation.
- Emotional Arc: I crafted a sad, melancholic tone for most of the animation, reflecting Seven’s isolation, with a hopeful uplift at the end to highlight the SPCA’s transformative impact.
- Child’s Voice: I selected a child’s voice for the voiceover to add innocence and vulnerability, amplifying the emotional weight and aligning with the SPCA’s goal of inspiring compassion.
Story
The animation follows Seven, a stray dog, as he narrates his lonely life on the streets. Through his footprints, we see his endless wandering, sleeping alone, and scavenging for food, marked by fear and rejection. On the 148th day of his solitude, Seven’s journey takes a hopeful turn when he meets “you”—a kind person, implied to be an SPCA volunteer or adopter—who offers him a chance at a new home. The story ends with a sense of renewal, reflecting the SPCA’s mission to rescue and rehome animals like Seven.
Visual Motifs
- Dog Footprints: I designed Seven’s footprints as the central visual element, simple yet expressive, varying in size and rhythm to convey his emotional state (e.g., hesitant steps for fear, quicker steps for hope). The prints appear on diverse surfaces—cracked pavement, muddy alleys, a clean doorstep—to trace his journey.
- Urban Environment: I depicted a gritty, monochromatic cityscape (grays and muted blues) with elements like rain-soaked streets, empty alleys, and discarded trash to reflect Seven’s harsh reality. The environment softens at the end, with warmer tones (soft yellows) to suggest a new beginning.
- Abstract Representations: I avoided showing Seven’s full body, instead using subtle hints—like a shadow of a wagging tail or a flicker of ears—to keep the focus on the footprints. Human figures are blurred or faceless, emphasizing Seven’s sense of rejection until the final “you,” depicted as a gentle hand or glowing silhouette.
- Emotional Cues: I used visual details to echo the voiceover’s tone—raindrops for sadness, a trembling footprint for fear, and a glowing doorstep for hope. The SPCA logo appears subtly at the end, integrated into the scene (e.g., on a collar or sign) to tie the story to the organization.
Voiceover Script Integration
I timed the visuals to sync with the script, enhancing the emotional impact:
- “My name is Seven. / I’m not pretty.”: I opened with a close-up of Seven’s footprints on cracked pavement, hesitating as if unsure. The city looms in muted grays, setting a somber tone.
- “People, / they don’t seem like me.”: I showed blurred, faceless human silhouettes passing by, ignoring the footprints, which pause and tremble slightly.
- “Yesterday / is the one hundred and forty-eighth day I walk alone, / sleep alone, / look for something to eat, / alone.”: I depicted a montage of footprints wandering through rain-soaked alleys, curling up in a corner, and nudging trash for food. Rain intensifies, and the footprints grow shakier, mirroring the sad tone.
- “I’m afraid.”: I focused on a single, trembling footprint under a flickering streetlight, with the city fading into darkness to emphasize fear.
- “Until I meet you, / today.”: I transitioned to a glowing doorstep, where the footprints pause, and a gentle hand or silhouette appears. Warm yellows creep into the palette, and the footprints step forward confidently, ending with the SPCA logo on a collar or sign.
Emotional and Thematic Goals
I wanted this animation to break hearts and then mend them, making viewers feel Seven’s loneliness before uplifting them with hope, just as the SPCA does for animals. The first-person perspective and child’s voice are my tools to evoke sympathy, inviting animal lovers to connect with Seven’s story and see themselves as the “you” who can make a difference. The footprints let viewers project their own pet experiences, making the story personal. As a designer, I poured my passion for animal welfare into this project, hoping to inspire viewers to support the SPCA’s mission of kindness and harmony.
Storyboard
Style Frames
*BGM: Receives by Keith Kenniff; Album: The Last Survivor.