Take a drag
Date: 2024
Click here if the video does not play: https://vimeo.com/1010140575
“Take a Drag” is a 2D, frame-by-frame 24fps animation I produced. The story follows a character who resides in a mushroom-shaped house, fixated on watching TV. The character operates a system that keeps the television running; from the opposite side, smoke is emitted, which he then inhales. This cycle reflects a closed loop, symbolizing a growing dependency.
After releasing this animation, viewers had diverse and intriguing interpretations. However, the initial concept stemmed from my personal experience: We had long struggled with television and media consumption. We noticed that whenever we followed a particular media outlet, we were drawn into its narrow, one-dimensional worldview, ultimately being influenced by its biases and goals. The experience felt like a slow immersion, where continued exposure risked completely absorbing us into a limited perspective. Much of the news we receive today is distressing and anxiety-inducing, focused on uncontrollable issues, and often lacks guaranteed truthfulness. Unfortunately, habitual consumption can lead to addiction, creating a false sense of control through compulsive engagement. Yet, this habit does the opposite, drawing us toward psychological collapse rather than stability. The animation uses these visuals to symbolize the pull of media and addiction to it.
In creating this piece, Asieh Mirheydari contributed the script and storyboard, and together, we animated the character. I had the pleasure of producing and directing it, as well as handling the music and sound design to enhance the story's mood and intensity. For this project, we used a Huion Kamvas Pro tablet to animate the characters in Toon Boom Harmony, and we completed the final edits in Adobe Premiere.
"Take a Drag" has been recognized internationally, winning Best Animation at A Night of Misfit Films in Arizona, the Los Angeles Animation Festival, Best Hollywood Day Short Film Festival, Couch Film Festival in Canada, Lift-Off Global Network, and the Animation Tanzania Film Festival.
Coercive Charity
Date: 2024
Click here if the video does not play: https://vimeo.com/1011569170
“Coercive Charity” is a 2D, frame-by-frame animation I produced and directed. The story centers on a giant pyramid symbolizing society, with characters residing inside, visible through small windows along its sides. Crows circle the pyramid, seizing valuable items like gold, jewelry, and other treasures from the characters and carrying them to the pyramid's summit, symbolizing the concentration of wealth and power at the top.
“Coercive charity" refers to situations where individuals are pressured or forced to give money, time, or resources under social, political, or legal pressure, rather than out of free will or genuine generosity.
The inspiration for this animation came to me during a visit to a religious shrine. Observing people throwing money onto the grave of a figure revered as holy, despite having died centuries ago, I noticed a spectrum of emotions: some participated willingly, while others did so reluctantly or out of fear, believing they might face misfortune otherwise. This experience led me to explore a critical question: why do we allow ideology to control our lives, often to our detriment? People submit for various reasons like love, faith, fear, and ignorance, giving rise to a form of oppression cloaked in sanctity. Through this piece, we aimed to expose how religion and governments can manipulate human emotions and beliefs.
Asieh Mirheydari penned the script and storyboard, while she, Amin Saki, and I brought the characters to life through animation in Toon Boom Harmony. I also created the music and sound design to further enhance the narrative's emotional depth. For this project, we used a Huion Kamvas Pro tablet to animate the characters in Toon Boom Harmony and completed the final edits in Adobe Premiere.
"Coercive Charity" has been honored with the Best International Short Animation award at the BFX Festival and the Sunday Short Film Festival in the United Kingdom. It has also garnered acclaim at international events such as the PressPlay Cinema Film Festival, Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards, F3 Queen City Film Festival in the United States, Short to the Point, Paradise Film Festival, Sunday Shorts Film Festival, and Animation Marathon.
Encase
Date: 2023
Click here if the video does not play: https://vimeo.com/1011571829
“Encase” is a combination of cut-out and frame-by-frame animation exploring the universal struggle of feeling trapped in the challenges life throws at us. At its core, the animation centers around a character confined within a cage-like cocoon, endlessly searching for a door that symbolizes freedom.
The character searches desperately for an escape, embodying the struggle many face between remaining in the comfort of the familiar and taking the risk of stepping into the unknown.
The concept and script were developed by Asieh Mirheydari, whose inspiration reflects the idea that life’s problems can sometimes feel like a cocoon, tightening and preventing freedom. Even with the potential for positive change, people often cling to familiarity, avoiding new experiences and, as a result, hindering personal growth and fulfillment.
The animation was created in Moho, with final edits done in Adobe Premiere to bring Asieh’s vision to life. I took on multiple roles in this project, serving as producer, director, and storyboard artist, working with Hanie Ebrahimi as the animator. Andisheh Hozhabr's music and sound design add depth to the story, reinforcing the character’s emotional journey.
Nomad
Date: 2023
Click here if the video does not play: https://vimeo.com/900167415
“Nomad” is a 2D frame-by-frame animation we created, inspired by a song from the Persian band Sayetab. The song fuses modern music with oriental vocal themes, influencing the animation's flowing, transformative style. The animation features female dancers moving and morphing into one another against a limitless white background, with wings occasionally appearing to emphasize freedom and grace. The dance genre is contemporary, and Persian words appear on screen, highlighting key lyrics and enhancing the cultural resonance of the piece.
Despite its short length, “Nomad” garnered attention at numerous international festivals, earning accolades such as the Drawtastic Golden Pencil Award in the United States, recognition at the Chaniartoon Festival, and selection in Lift-Off Global Network’s First-Time Filmmaker Sessions. The animation was drawn on a Genius G-Pen tablet using Adobe Flash and edited in Adobe Premiere, showcasing a minimalist yet impactful visual style.
Tanpasin
Date: 2021
Click here if the video does not play: https://youtu.be/_4hfxOi6DXY
This animation is a promotional piece for “Tanpasin”, the fourth album by the Persian metal band Electroqute. Named after the ancient Persian term for the Day of Resurrection, Tanpasin explores themes of transformation, rebirth, and the journey of existence.
We combined 2D frame-by-frame animation with 3D objects to visually represent these themes, creating an immersive experience that aligns with the album's industrial metal aesthetic. My role focused on the 3D elements and digital edits, while Asieh Mirheydari worked on the 2D animation, creating a seamless blend of both styles. The animation follows a human character who rises from the earth and embarks on a symbolic journey, walking through industrial landscapes, then morphing into a wolf, running through a forest, transforming into a dolphin swimming through a sea filled with naval mines, and finally evolving into a bird that ascends into space before the earth explodes, giving life to a tree. The visual scheme is rich with dirty greens and browns, mirroring the raw and grounded feel of the music. Each transformation in the animation is meticulously timed to the music’s grooves, enhancing the sense of harmony and synchronization between sound and visuals.
For this project, we used a Huion Kamvas Pro tablet to draw the characters in Toon Boom Harmony and completed the final edits in Adobe After Effects.
The animation received significant attention and engagement on social media, resonating with audiences and enhancing the impact of the album's release. It captures the essence of “Tanpasin”, translating the energy and intensity of Electroqute's music into a powerful visual narrative.
Equal Gods
Date: 2015
Click here if the video does not play: https://youtu.be/ml-53y9tqe0
This 2D cut-out animation was created for “Equal Gods”, a powerful song by Shahrzad Sepanlou, a veteran Persian singer. The song addresses the ongoing struggle for gender equality, a principle that, though essential, remains far from reality.
Written and directed by Asieh Mirheydari, the animation emphasizes that true equality between men and women goes beyond performing similar tasks or having comparable abilities; it’s fundamentally about equal rights. One of the most stark indicators of our distance from this equality is the instrumental and sexual objectification of women, who are still often seen as possessions or assets of men. In this animation, we symbolically depict this complex issue. To distill the theme, we portrayed all women and men with similar appearances, focusing solely on the male and female binary without individualized characteristics. We depicted the women as motionless dolls, underscoring the idea of their objectification. In the narrative, men treat women as dolls or tools to accomplish their personal goals. If this “tool” were removed, it would leave men with nothing. Only in the final scene does a woman come to life, symbolizing that achieving equality requires women to actively break free from this restrictive cycle, not necessarily through confrontation but through gradual steps toward change.
Asieh’s creative process involved hand-drawing the characters, which I then scanned and refined in Adobe Photoshop. I also created the backgrounds, and then we animated the scenes in Adobe After Effects. Finally, I edited the project in Adobe Premiere. This project reflects the commitment to using art to explore and challenge societal issues, aiming to spark dialogue toward equality.
"Equal Gods" has gained international recognition, earning accolades such as the Best Animation Award at the prestigious Crossroads Festival, which has been running for 18 years.
Passage (Gozargah)
Date: 2011
Click here if the video does not play: https://youtu.be/ax30vrbS0Wg
This 2D animation was created as a music video for Gozargah, meaning "Passage", a song by the Persian metal band Electroqute. Using a combination of ink wash and rotoscoping, we explored the theme of a one-way journey and the question: If you could only bring a single handbag, what would you pack?
The animation visualizes a sequence of individuals and entities, each choosing what they would bring along. A child clutches their doll, a mother takes her child, and a father takes his spouse. As the metaphor grows, a home gathers its family, a city holds onto its homes, and the world bears its cities. But as each entity fills its handbag with what they hold dear, we’re left questioning: can a single bag truly contain all that defines us? And, more deeply, do our lifelong pursuits and possessions really matter on this journey?
Technically, creating “Gozargah” required intensive processes, beginning with rotoscoping. My team and I traced over live-action footage frame by frame, crafting realistic movements. We then employed ink wash techniques, layering textures, and shades to evoke an emotional atmosphere. Each frame was hand-painted, scanned, and later refined in Edius for the final cut.
This animation was both a technical and philosophical exploration, pushing us to capture not just motion but emotion and meaning through each frame.