A Pirate for Christmas
Inspired by childhood memories of Newport, Rhode Island A Pirate for Christmas is an original animated short film set during the town’s colonial era. Blending an original fictional story with meticulous historical research, the film reimagines the classic holiday lore through the lens of a scrappy pirate adventure set in 1775
ROLE
writing, directing, storyboarding, art direction, modeling, animation, lighting, editing
FORMAT
Animated short film
RUNTIME
18 minutes
ROOTED IN NEWPORT
Every environment is rooted in the real Newport. Architecture, geography, and materials were reconstructed from historical references, while many textures were captured directly from their real-world counterparts, grounding the film in a tangible sense of place.
TOOLS
Cinema 4d, Blender, After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Substance Painter, Adobe Premiere Pro
DEVELOPMENT
From the writing and storyboarding, to the character design and animation - this project has been a deeply personal one. Pulling in local references and shared experiences seems to connect with viewers as friends, family and strangers alike have been invested in its production right from the beginning. A Pirate for Christmas won the coveted “Projects we Love” badge on Kickstarter.
MUSIC AND SOUND
An original score composed for the film was performed live by musicians playing vintage glockenspiels and busted accordions to bring out a hand made charm that matched the film perfectly.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Designing the characters meant balancing a stylized feel with an immediately recognizable look of the 1700s, capturing each personality while staying true to the period.
