Back in school during 2008, we were given the task of making a cut-out animated short using After Effects.I started by scribbling down several ideas that had very simple premises. Different locales, different plots, but all generally based on the idea of timing the story to classical music.
I was inspired by Disney's Fantasia 2000, especially Eric Goldberg's sequences "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Carnival of Animals". I also was inspired by Friz Freleng's classic Warner Bros cartoons, "Pigs in a Polka", "Mouse Mazurka", "Rhapsody Rabbit", "Rhapsody in Rivets" and "The Three Little Bops". 
When you animate a cartoon to music, the timing is there for you, all you got to do is build an endearing story set to the tune. Easier said than done I'm afraid.I settled on the music of Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals: Finale" after seeing the Looney Tunes TV special, "Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals". I found the music pretty catchy while being highly addicting.
When listening to the music, I always pictured a chase of some kind with it's "up and down" melody, but settled on an actual funny moment from my life. I went on a ski trip quite a few years ago and will always remember trying to conquer that mountain without falling down. I slid down that slope on my final day with such grace until I reached the bottom, coming to a dead halt on my face. Hey, at least I made it all the way down the hill.
I started sketching out rough character designs and story ideas for my story.
I quickly started researching my favorite animated pieces that dealt with mountains, both snowy and not. I also searched the web for photos that reminded me of that faithful ski trip.
After settling on a character design, I quickly started sketching out a rough storyboard timed to the music by Camille Saint Saens.
We were instructed to create an animatic of our storyboard before moving to final animation. Enjoy my rough-as-heck sketches animated to the music here:After timing everything out, I finalized my character poses and finalized each piece of animation in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Now after 3 months of work, please enjoy the final short complete with color in all it's musical glory.I was flattered to find out that my cartoon was the opening headliner of the school's Extreme Design Film Festival. Now if only I had the time to bring my other ideas to animated form.
