ANIMATION
MOTHER OF THE FOREST: CURUPIRA
THE STORY BEHIND CURUPIRA
In 2024, I was given the incredible opportunity to combine my skills to illustrate, design and direct my first animated short. The sequence is part of a short film call ‘Mother of the Forest: Curupira’. It tells the tale of a young man in the Amazon rainforest who encounters a mysterious, shapeshifting deity named Curupira. The communities that dwell in this forest know well of her message to respect the natural world, but this young man pushes his luck, and we watch as she plays a wicked trick on him as a consequence… below are some highlights from the final production, as well as some early designs and storyboards. The final film was completed with the help of illustrator Betty Simons Denville, and animator Giulia Bavagnoli.
ARTWORKS AND STYLE FRAMES
ANIMATION TESTS
Butterfly flight test
Butterflies crawling and glowing
Early parallax test with finalised artwork
STYLE FRAME REFERENCES
CURUPIRA APPEARANCE
The spirit has taken many forms within the stories of the Borari Tribe and the tribes beyond living within the rainforest. The most common depiction is one of a powerful, invisible force, with a piercing and eerie whistle used to confuse any trespassers or wrong-doers. The spirit can choose to reveal itself by shapeshifting into any creature, man or woman. Our storytellers have described the Curupira as a beautiful, mesmerising woman with striking blonde hair….
INITIAL STORYBOARD
ACT ONE
ACT TWO
ACT THREE
CHARACTERS & CONCEPT ARTWORK
