Selected Backgrounds from Against the Odds (Capstone Short Film)

6 of 43 Backgrounds | Approx. 100 Hours of Work

As the background and concept artist for our 3-minute 2D animated short film Against the Odds, I created 43 backgrounds that bring the film’s enchanted world to life. Featured here are six selected backgrounds showcasing a variety of key environments, including an outdoor marketplace, a glowing magical forest, and a mysterious dungeon cave.

The process began with developing concept art to establish the film’s overall mood and visual direction. I then moved into production, starting with sketches and finalizing linework, followed by blocking in base colors. Each piece was polished with lighting, shading, and detailed touches to capture the atmosphere of each unique setting.

This background work spanned approximately 100 hours. In addition to visual development, I took the original story outline and wrote the full script, incorporating all necessary revisions to improve narrative pacing and story structure. I also assisted in color animation by flatting and coloring character frames, ensuring visual consistency and cohesion between the characters and the background environments throughout the film.