Initial Story and Storyboards
The story starts with the camera zooming into the main character’s bedroom, where she is taking her last breath. As the ticking of the clock stops so does her heart, as she falls into a peaceful sleep.
She wakes up in limbo, the space between life and death. She is surrounded by endless darkness and fog, however snow crystals keep falling all around her. As she looks around she starts passing crystal ice mirrors showing memories of her life. The first one shows the reflection of her as a young woman.
As she walks, a path of stones forms in front of her. She stops in front of a big ice crystal and sees her wedding day. As she continues to walk further into limbo more reflections show her life: her childhood and her expecting her daughter.
A large memory crystal shows her family, her daughter and grandson. With tears in her eyes she continues to walk to a nearby island where a lonesome crystal awaits her
However, that crystal doesn’t show her a happy memory but her open-casket funeral. Realising the reality of death, she intends to run away however crystals showing images of her funeral cut her path. In desperation, she shatters the ice crystals, and the earth starts to crumble around her. She again tries to outrun the reality of her death just to fall on the crumbling down. Taken by sadness and desperation she cries on her knees.
As she cryes, limbo reveals to her a warm lighted crystal. In that reflection she sees her entire family surrounding her grandson holding a picture of her. This makes her realise that she has lived her life well and she will forever live in the hearts of her family and therefore becomes contempt with her passing over. With this realisation, a lighted path unfolds in front of her feet leading her towards the gates of heaven.
Character Design and Turnaround
Previz
Modelling and Animation by Ana Erbasu and Dovydas Vainoras
Loyouts
Upon feedback on the previz, we updated elements for the layouts.
Animation and modelling by Ana Erbasu and Dovydas Vainoras
