Hey! I’m a University of Michigan student directing and producing FIORE, a fully dialogue-free animated short set in Italy: a grandfather takes his mobility scooter on an unauthorized joyride, and his exhausted granddaughter races to catch him before he gets hurt (or arrested).
Where things stand: Script’s locked, full shot list is built, and a composer’s already attached. Goal is to finish it and submit to a variety of festivals. This is a marathon, not a sprint; realistically, several months to a year.
Style: Stylized 3D. Warm, rounded designs, expressive faces built for physical comedy, vibrant color, soft lighting. Think modern theatrical animated comedy, not photorealistic or gritty.
Currently looking for:
- A character rigger/animator
- An environment modeler
(FX, lighting, and more animators to follow once the core team’s set)
The ask:
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Unpaid, portfolio project. Full credit, reel-ready footage
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No dialogue/lip sync, pure physical comedy and visual storytelling
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Comfort with Blender is preferred; open to discussing Maya if that’s a better fit for the team
A small trial shot is available before committing to the full project. Happy to send the full script and shot list to anyone interested.
Email: lucassom@umich.edu | DM: lucas_smores1
Thanks,
Lucas Somers