Project Title: 
Animating Narratives: Exploring the Role of Blended Animation Styles in Adaptation 

Project Description:
This thesis explores stylistic blending of animation functions as a narrative design tool through the production and analysis of an animated adaptation inspired by The Ugly Duckling. This research explores how blending visual styles in animation can function as a deliberate narrative device. The integration of multiple animation styles expands the expressive potential of animated storytelling and encourages critical engagement with both the original source material and its reinterpretation. The project establishes a discussion between the designer, source material, and final animation. Within the film, different visual styles represent different stages of the protagonist’s journey and internal mindset. Variations in environmental detail further reinforce narrative perspective: watercolor-inspired environments limit visual information to reflect the character’s initial uncertainty, while a low-poly environment during the climax introduces harsh geometry and spatial abstraction to represent emotional overwhelm and internal conflict. By integrating seven distinct styles into a cohesive film, this design exploration starts a conversation about potential uses for the applied technique. 

Committee Members:

Kyoung Swearingen (Advisor), Maria Palazzi, Mary Anne Beecher

Keywords:
Animation, Adaptation, Style, Stylization, Visual, Storytelling, Narrative Design, Design

Exhibition Artifact: 
The Ugly Duckling

Artifact Description:
This film project explores stylistic blending in animation as a deliberate narrative device, using an adaptation inspired by The Ugly Duckling as both subject and framework. Rather than treating style as a fixed aesthetic choice, I approach it as a dynamic language -- one that evolves alongside the protagonist’s emotional and psychological journey.

Technical Description:
Format: Animated Film Video
Software: Maya, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Watercolor
Specifications: HD MP4 (H.264), 1920 x 1080 px; horizontal