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8-Bit Diorama

Digital

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Print

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Identity

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Multimedia

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A pixel art fantasy carnival scene featuring a purple and cream tent with a red flag, a stone archway with a hanging bell, colorful market stalls, and floating grassy islands against a bright blue sky with clouds.
A pixel art fantasy carnival scene featuring a purple and cream tent with a red flag, a stone archway with a hanging bell, colorful market stalls, and floating grassy islands against a bright blue sky with clouds.

Intro

Evoking nostalgia through pixels and chiptunes.

Prompted to depict a scene based on my interpretation of the word “memory”, I ventured to animate more than just a literal representation of the term. My objective was to compose a nostalgia-driven audiovisual glimpse into my childhood.

All assets and imagery designed exclusively for Sprout Studios and client.

Storyboard sketches of an animated diorama, showing a TV turning on, an 8-bit game scene, and a transition from day to night with fading music.
Storyboard sketches of an animated diorama, showing a TV turning on, an 8-bit game scene, and a transition from day to night with fading music.

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Storyboard sketches of an animated diorama, showing a TV turning on, an 8-bit game scene, and a transition from day to night with fading music.
Storyboard sketches of an animated diorama, showing a TV turning on, an 8-bit game scene, and a transition from day to night with fading music.

Opportunity

An 8-Bit Dream

Early on, I realized that this project had to revolve around something that I could get passionate about; something that I would want to invest hours into. That’s when I decided upon the theme of video games–a hobby of mine that has been largely influential since a young age. Interpreting “memory” in a more personal sense of the word, I based my diorama on the sentimental nature of retro gaming. I would achieve this by recreating a setting from Chrono Trigger, an acclaimed role-playing game from 1995, in an 8-bit style of pixel art while pairing it with an iconic track from the game itself.

All assets and imagery designed exclusively for Sprout Studios and client.

Pixel art festival scene with stone pathways, tents, and vendor stalls. A bell arch stands at the center, surrounded by colorful banners, balloons, and NPCs. "Original Art" text in the corner.
Pixel art festival scene with stone pathways, tents, and vendor stalls. A bell arch stands at the center, surrounded by colorful banners, balloons, and NPCs. "Original Art" text in the corner.

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Pixel art festival scene with stone pathways, tents, and vendor stalls. A bell arch stands at the center, surrounded by colorful banners, balloons, and NPCs. "Original Art" text in the corner.
Pixel art festival scene with stone pathways, tents, and vendor stalls. A bell arch stands at the center, surrounded by colorful banners, balloons, and NPCs. "Original Art" text in the corner.

Development

After studying reference images from the original game, I began creating the scene by coloring pixels with the help of Adobe Illustrator’s Live Paint tool. Slowly layering assets, I translated the game’s original style into a full setting of my own. Once these visuals were complete, I brought them into After Effects to begin the animation process. Working solely with keyframes and translation effects, I created movement mimicking that of older video games. In an effort to enhance the animation, I added television-like effects to open and close the piece, as well as the accompanying audio. To finalize the sequence, I tailored the transitions and focused on the synchronization of assets to ensure seamless motion.

All assets and imagery designed exclusively for Sprout Studios and client.

Blinking "Press Start" text in pixel font, mimicking a retro video game loading screen. The animation flickers on and off, evoking classic arcade aesthetics.
Blinking "Press Start" text in pixel font, mimicking a retro video game loading screen. The animation flickers on and off, evoking classic arcade aesthetics.

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Blinking "Press Start" text in pixel font, mimicking a retro video game loading screen. The animation flickers on and off, evoking classic arcade aesthetics.
Blinking "Press Start" text in pixel font, mimicking a retro video game loading screen. The animation flickers on and off, evoking classic arcade aesthetics.

Solution

Sonic Sentimentality

This diorama would live as a sensory-focused sequence that captures the nostalgic nature of retro gaming. Serving as a glimpse into one’s perception of the word “memory”, this piece captures the child-like whimsy of a distant recollection.

All assets and imagery designed exclusively for Sprout Studios and client.

8-bit pixel art scene of a carnival setup with purple tent, stone arch and bell, floating islands, and colorful bear-shaped balloons under a blue sky.
8-bit pixel art scene of a carnival setup with purple tent, stone arch and bell, floating islands, and colorful bear-shaped balloons under a blue sky.

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8-bit pixel art scene of a carnival setup with purple tent, stone arch and bell, floating islands, and colorful bear-shaped balloons under a blue sky.
8-bit pixel art scene of a carnival setup with purple tent, stone arch and bell, floating islands, and colorful bear-shaped balloons under a blue sky.