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So, I’m no graphics designer, OR animator, AND I only found out about this challenge last Friday, and those other entries are AMAZING, so I’m not sure what I’m doing here, but I really wanted to be here, so here I am with my stick figures, hah.
Five evenings. Pure Rive. Blended together some bones ’n’ strokes, nested artboards, fun scripts, state machines (I will forever be in love with those), and NOT. A. SINGLE. SMI. All pure ViewModels and data bindings and all that useful stuff! Cute baby, fluffy monsters, driven mother, all for you to enjoy this simple click-to-kick mini game. Careful though. You may run out of Energy Points. Or you baby - out of Courage Points…
Cheers, everyone!
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Still finding little moments from this project that I want to share
A few more favorites from the launch video 💜
great work..
Excited to officially submit my entry for the Cantina Challenge — a psychological horror short titled Mira.
The spark for this project came from a simple, unsettling image that stuck in my head: what if the emotional weight you carry literally detached from you and stayed in the room? I wanted to translate that internal feeling of isolation into a visual reality without relying on heavy dialogue or classic horror tropes.
Project Title: Mira
Core Thesis: "Not looking back doesn't mean you're not still carrying it."
The Concept: Mira is a short psychological thriller pilot that explores the heavy, invisible weight of unresolved emotional trauma. Rather than relying on standard horror tropes, cheap dialogue, or jump-scares, the story relies entirely on grounded visual storytelling, non-verbal shadow choreography, and high-tension environmental audio.
The Protagonist: Mira
Trapped in a cycle of isolation and avoidance, attempting to project a calm exterior while her internal state deteriorates.
Key Visual Mechanics: A dynamic phone typing interaction where text messages act as a gateway to her internal state, leading up to a chilling moment where her shadow literally detaches from her body — anchored to the living room while she moves forward.
The Climax: A quiet, suffocating sequence where the ambient space collapses into total darkness, leaving her face-to-face with what she's been running from.
Why I Created This: I've always believed that every person carries immense quiet value, but when unaddressed trauma isolates us, we lose sight of our own worth. I wanted to build a character study that honors that internal struggle visually.
This is a blend of: Psychological Thriller + Surreal Character Study + Minimalist Environmental Horror.
Narrative engine: Emotional Isolation --> Unspoken Tension --> Visual Distortion --> Psychological Climax
Where I would take the series next:
Episode 1 is The Room. The engine is one locked apartment, one locked Mira, 10 visual metaphors for grief.
Episode 2 - the shadow that stayed behind now moves when she doesn't.
Creator Studio Feedback:
What worked well - precise low-key lighting, atmospheric sound design, micro-expressions.
Challenge — temporal asset consistency for the brown sofa, and precisely preserving her exact silhouette (hair, shoulder line) through the shadow's turn across frames.
Suggestion — location colour lock + shadow-direction/shape control for finer silhouette fidelity.
Confirmation: Created end-to-end in Cantina. Original work, one submission.
spooky! nice job
New Reel for Brainrot!
Full project from Branding, to App Design to Animation and Illustration!
Dive in! Case study coming soon I swear!
This really bought a smile on my face. Love this