Presto Agitato, until we all vanished... is a short film created by Yeoleum Choi, a graduate student in the Digital Media and Interactive Media program. To illustrate the rapidity with which insects and wildlife are affected by ecological destruction, the film utilizes music played “presto agitato”, or “very fast and agitated”. 

Expanding upon the musical motif, the film features clay-like creatures (crafted using Blender 4.3 and Grease Pencil) who are modeled to resemble different musical notes, ensuring diversity and vibrancy in their character design. They are depicted as appearing on a backdrop of sheet music to tie together the function of the music with the visuals. 

In addition to the film’s technical achievements in animation, the music (composed by Beethoven) was rearranged to better suit the physicality of the character models, resulting in a harmonious partnership between animation and music.  

The film itself evokes a theatrical sensation contrasted with the gravity of real-world ecological disaster. Despite the rapidity with which the insects fly across the sheet music, they are unable to escape the dire fate of mass extinction that awaits them. By combining music, animation and a focus on reality, Presto Agitato makes use of a desperate and, ultimately, somber tone to instill audiences with a sense of urgency surrounding the upkeep of ecological balance and health.