Overview

'The Story of a Wave' is a short, poetic documentary that explores the origins of the waves reaching the coast, blending the world of surfing with scientific explanation. And I was brought in to create the animated sequences that show the wave’s life cycle: how it forms in the deep ocean and travels to the shore. Using collage animation, the aim was to visually translate abstract concepts into metaphors that illustrate the physics driving the wave's long-distance movement. Essentially, my role was connecting those scientific ideas to the film’s narrative through my visual language.

The video above is an edit featuring only the animated collage segments I created for the film.

Client

El Santo Films

Credits

Production Company: EL SANTO Films
Direction: Nagore Eceiza
Animation: MiraRuido (Joseba Elorza)
Cast: Kepa Acero
Script: Nagore Eceiza, Maia García Vergniory
Production: Nagore Eceiza
Sound: Xabier Erkizia, Luca Rubio, Koldo Corella
Music: Elena Setién

Styleframes

These are some sketches and styleframes that represent the initial visual concepts created to define the aesthetic direction of the animations.

The Story Of A Wave Process Images
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation

Storyboard

The storyboards laid out the sequence, framing, and pacing of the narrative. Ensuring everything is precisely defined at this stage is a critical step that guarantees a fluid animation process with minimal setbacks later on.

The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation Storyboard

Process

This offers a look behind the scenes, detailing how the collage scenes are constructed in After Effects. The images show how various 2D layers are assembled and manipulated to create the illusion of a deep 3D environment. As in many other of my projects, you may also spot a cameo from my own hands, filmed using a green screen for some key scenes.

The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation

Final Frames

The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
The Story Of A Wave Process Images - Collage Animation
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Illustrations