Denver director/animator Harrison Vincent examines themes of identity, routine, and consciousness in his latest passion project, a CG short film he describes as “a sweeping Western epic with a touch of science fiction”.

Harrison Vincent: “Completed over seven months on my own, Awake is my fourth personal short film. The story comes from the question ‘What is my purpose?’, and the existential themes begin to build from there.

“I wanted Awake to fully stretch my abilities as a designer/animator. However, beyond fostering a technical skill set, I was really interested in how I could become a stronger director/storyteller. Focusing on traditional storyboarding got me outside of my comfort zone, asking ‘What do I want to show?’ instead of ‘What do I already know how to show?’
 

“It was very easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of creative disciplines and overall volume of work this film required. Trusting the process and building slowly were invaluable tenets for its success.”

 
“The hardest facet of the production was structuring its process in a way where that felt like I was making constant progress – pushing towards the end goal and not constantly getting caught in technical hurdles. I also had to be realistic with my goals and what skills I wanted to grow. Posting dailies, building a production calendar, and keeping a robust project Miro board all allowed me to see the film from 10,000 ft.

“It was very easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of creative disciplines and overall volume of work this film required. Trusting the process and building slowly were invaluable tenets for its success and my own.”

Watch the breakdown reel:
 

 
 

 
Director/animator: Harrison Vincent

Music/sound design: 8.Bit Ghost (Matthew Morris)