Timewatcher – A Cat’s Quiet Moment in a Magical World
Client
Self-Initiated / Personal Project
Year
2021
Duration
1 week
Tools Used
Illustrator, After Effects
Timewatcher is a short loop animation blending 2D illustration and stylized motion to explore the feeling of stillness over time. A lone cat observes a distant clocktower through a mystical, circular window — a quiet moment unfolding across a subtle day-night cycle.
This personal project served as both an illustration practice and a motion design study in atmospheric storytelling, where the story is told through light, shadow, and time, rather than action or dialogue.
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Work Process
Ideation & Visual Style: Inspired by Doctor Strange’s Sanctum window, I designed a magical interior space using Adobe Illustrator, crafting a clean and symmetrical backdrop to frame the scene.
Character & World Building: The cat was designed to be curious yet calm — embodying the observer of time rather than the subject of action.
Animation & Looping: Using After Effects and Blender, I animated subtle lighting changes, moving skies, and micro-interactions (like tail flicks and window glows). The goal was to create a seamless loop that feels alive even when still.
Challenge: Achieving the right lighting balance between 2D flat design and a magical ambiance required iteration. Matching time-of-day transitions with mood shifts was also a key creative focus
Work Outcome
A 15-second seamless loop animation that evokes peace, patience, and curiosity.
Practiced key animation skills: compositing, micro-interactions, lighting moods, and loop design.
Showcased as part of a personal exploration into meditative motion graphics, now part of my showreel and portfolio collection.
