Ni Hao-dy! 你好! x howdy!
Chris Lee here, a motion designer + illustrator.
And I’ve got happy feet!
2D Animation
Using simple geometric illustrations, this motion piece connects how a prophet being swallowed by a big fish relates to the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity today. It reveals how God’s redemptive plan for the world includes even the worst prophets.
The Word taking shape:
If the goal was to simplify a complex story down to basic conceptual building blocks, the illustration should do the same.
Shape language in the character designs was very apparent because of the illustration style. Jesus’s rounded yet squared body conveys peace and righteousness. Jonah’s slanted, jagged features indicate his bitterness, and that there’s something fishy about him.
E-fish-iency is key:
In order to save time and for there to be a cohesive color palette throughout, the frames were first designed in black and white. A filter was added to push darker values towards a dark green and lighter values towards a beige. These colors were inspired by the murky depths Jonah was in and the dusty, arid land the Israelites and Ninevites called home.
The book of Jonah is full of references to other books of the Bible, Hebrew puns, concentric literary and conceptual structures, and parallels to Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.
For keen-eyed audience members, these unique details are highlighted not only in the script, but specific frames as well. These connections were planned far in advance to the final script and animation.
Special thanks to:
Dr. Tim Mackie - for his course on the book of Jonah (that inspired this piece)
Miguel Lee - for his faithful encouragement and guidance on the script and animation
Ming Tai - for the generous provision of a recording booth
Eunseo Ryu - for letting me borrow her mic to record myself talk
And most of all:
Jesus, my Lord and Savior, who can do miraculous things through me, even if I am sometimes the worst.