GIFs
Edweard Muybridge was a photographer known for studying motion by capturing sequences of animals, most famously a horse in motion. He helped pioneer early film and invented the zoopraxiscope to project moving images.
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I chose to work with his horse images because I thought it would be interesting to place the horse in an older, vintage setting. I used Photoshop to carefully erase each frame of the horse, position it in a new background, and animate the sequence using the timeline feature.
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I want the audience to notice the amount of detailed work that goes into creating a gif and to appreciate how motion is built frame by frame, just like Muybridge’s original work.
Original GIF
My GIF, titled No-Face Disappears, was inspired by my love for anime—particularly the magical world of Studio Ghibli. I chose to focus on the character No-Face from Spirited Away, a film that has always fascinated me with its unique atmosphere and storytelling. I wanted to bring this character to life in a new, creative way through pixel art and animation.
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To create the piece, I began by finding a pixelated version of No-Face for reference. Using Adobe Illustrator, I carefully replicated the character, and then brought the artwork into Photoshop to further pixelate and animate it. I used the Timeline feature in Photoshop to create the disappearing animation, aiming to capture a moment that felt both playful and true to the character's mysterious nature.
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What I’m most proud of is how seamlessly No-Face blends into the background, creating a cohesive and visually satisfying piece. It was a challenge to balance the pixelated style with the feeling of movement, but I think the final result reflects both my attention to detail and my passion for the subject.
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In the future, I’d love to continue exploring pixelated animations with other Studio Ghibli characters—there’s so much potential to create fun, nostalgic GIFs that celebrate the films I enjoy.