Umi Animation Project – Tour, TED Talk, and Social Media Visuals

Crafting a Visual Identity Through Animation

I created a three-part animation for Umi, featured during her tour with Jhené Aiko, her TED Talk, and on social media. For this project, I developed the visual style from the ground up, blending inspiration from Japanese ink paintings with serene, fluid transitions. I designed the storyboard, established a cohesive narrative style, and ensured the visuals complemented Umi’s soulful music and message.

Key contributions included:
• Designing the complete visual identity for the project
• Creating animations for live performances, digital platforms, and a TED Talk
• Storyboarding and crafting the narrative to align with Umi’s artistic vision
• Infusing traditional Japanese artistic techniques into contemporary animation
• Ensuring cohesion across multiple mediums to deliver an impactful audience experience

This project reflects my ability to merge cultural inspiration with modern storytelling to create visually stunning, emotionally resonant animations.

Hula is Hawaii – Animation Project

Award-Winning Animation Highlighting Hawaiian Resilience

“Hula is Hawaii” is an animation within an Emmy-winning short film that honors the perseverance of Hawaiian culture during Hula Kapu, a period when hula was banned. The story follows a young girl whose mother sends her to live with hula kumu hidden in the forest, ensuring the art form’s survival.

This project showcases the strength of cultural preservation and the enduring connection between hula and Hawaiian identity. My role included:
• Crafting the animation and design from story boarding to final draft
• Creating emotionally-driven narratives
• Character design
• Project Managment
• Youtube
• Emmy Award Winning Film
• Delivering visuals that resonate across audiences

This work reflects my passion for storytelling and cultural heritage through visual art.