Square dance

Project done as part of an international student animation exchange program under the guidance of Sekhar Mukherjee & Isabel Herguera

YEAR

2024

This film was made under KHM exchange, which is an annual international animation exchange program with design schools from across the world. Amidst designers from Korea, China, Bangladesh, and Germany, we were 4 teams representing our college. This year, our theme was ‘Martian Chronicles’

SCOPE

Mix media animation

Script writing

Storyboarding

Research

Animatic

Long exposure photography

Brand Strategy

Visual Identity

User Research

Packaging

Verbal Identity

Digital Media Guide

Concept

Grids define much of our existence—cities are built upon them, and from childhood, we are taught to fit our letters and numbers neatly within them.
But were we always meant to live within such rigid systems, or does something within us yearn to break free? Square Dance takes this question forward.

In a world where life unfolds only within grids, creativity is stifled. Yet, when one person dares to step outside, they spark a movement that inspires others to rediscover freedom, imagination, and individuality.

Square Dance– Final Film

Square Dance–
Experimental animation short film also got nominated for two international film festivals

Behind The Scenes

The filmmaking process was far from straightforward. We had to iterate and refine our ideas multiple times.
CAFA, China provided us with a soundscape, and we experimented with various animation film concepts to visualize it. We created rough animatics for each idea to ensure the timing and rhythm were effective.

Light painting through long exposure photography, a technique we were eager to explore, was incorporated into our film, along with stop motion and 2D animation.