ECHOES
A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media Design at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Echoes is a 3D animated short film meant to portray multiple stages of transformation, highlighting that peace and prosperity can arise after horror and destruction. In designing my town, I decided to combine the architectural elements of both Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the villages of Nakasendo, Japan. I chose Puerto Rico due to my Puerto Rican heritage and sense of identity. I chose Japan due to my admiration for their art and desire to explore and examine their beautiful architecture. I decided to render my piece to invoke the visuals of a watercolor painting since I feel that the unique properties of watercolor creates gorgeous images that cannot be replicated with any other medium. This is my first time rendering a scene in a very stylized fashion. The themes of Echoes is greatly inspired by works like WALL E and Adventure Time, whose stories take place in post-apocalyptic worlds that successfully recover and reinvent themselves after facing great trauma and tragedy. Echoes is also inspired by a personal loss I faced last year, when my close friend and fellow DMD student unexpectedly passed away. I wanted this piece to highlight the pain and horror that sudden tragedy can erupt in our lives, but also how tragedy can push us to grow in new, beautiful, and unexpected ways.
About the artist
Tatyana Massa is a Digital Media & Design student with a concentration in 3D animation at the University of Connecticut. At a young age, she was captivated by animation and illustration, a love that was once lost during her adolescence. Her passion was found once again with the encouragement of a high school art teacher. Tatyana’s college experience has been challenging, filled with academic struggles, tragic loss, burnout, and isolation. But despite those challenges, Tatyana has demonstrated profound resilience and determination to overcome any hardships that may come her way. Tatyana is greatly inspired by TV shows such as Haikyu!, Better Call Saul and is greatly driven by the politics of our time.Through her work, she strives to continue honing her artistic voice and to create projects that leave a lasting impact.