Cost of Curiosity
Short film (Dark Comedy) | 2021
length: 2min 14 sec
Technique: Ink & Gouache on Cel
Sound Designer: Nicholas Faris
Project Mentor: Joe King
Royal College of Art.
Helpless insects fall victim to a child in pursuit of answers, An ode to childhood curiosity and innocence.
It's Nice That featured Article
The Making of
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/a15ea788-d24b-4cc2-9251-9cd6175e2a88_rw_1200.gif?h=059198cbfb623638fe339f7fbeaf8ab4)
The Cost of Curiosity was made during the COVID-19 Pandemic in my bedroom in London.
The approach to making this film embodied the theme of the film, one of curiousness. I was determined to make this film on Cel but had very little resources or budget so there was a lot of experimentation and problem solving to make a process like cel affordable using limited resources.
1. I started off by 3D printing some peg bars for my 3-hole puncher and began animating on paper.
2. I then traced my frames onto transparency film (the kind for overhead projectors) which was a cheap alternative to cels. I used a dip pen and Indian ink for the line work.
3. I then painted the opposite side of the transparency with Acrylic-gouache paint. I did some experimenting with types of paint and this was the best by far, being highly pigmented and quick-drying.
4. After the transparency was dry, I scanned everything!
![Animation on Paper](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/277aa115-4e04-4353-9d9b-c30a9934aec8_rw_1200.gif?h=27038487c3d6d1ab2b85cabb5a2ef8c4)
Animation on Paper
![Ink on Cel](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/cd79f4f3-3287-4d93-861e-b306462168ff_rw_1200.gif?h=53444e73e3a02c20b2c4cc880ee82569)
Ink on Cel
![Paint on Cel](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/6fdf41ef-16f4-4dd6-af93-6a5ed5130924_rw_1200.gif?h=dbc89cb50d5514370c9c90c86859db12)
Paint on Cel
Stills
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/c468c1d9-a28f-4935-bec9-928bcb9b8a60_rw_1920.jpg?h=c107324cdd3283e459653e904f7a61a3)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/f6609c95-22a2-4d12-b6bb-6ba512177f30_rw_1920.jpg?h=df40f44daf2809d764b4cb80fbd66d4d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/1fc6e31c-76ef-4317-902e-250a3f8fa281_rw_1920.jpg?h=3c4420342599cd73061461ccee47ae40)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/2bf17ffb-00ad-4d8d-b070-956c5f5c642e_rw_1920.jpg?h=fb5fcd935aaca859ae91bd4bd4a1bea4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/ed3cbd24-9d27-4146-ba86-dac4d32afcfe_rw_1920.jpg?h=9b40b368f7534d9b40cb6b2b81e3a4a1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e66c3aea-3825-46ed-83ab-9d785c17af39/08477ecd-df2b-4328-ace9-afe4f7d5b092_rw_1920.jpg?h=f1a9bd13492a474bae3a35883a1994a7)