Portland, OR, USA – The animation and live action studio Deep Sky released the first installment of their animated anthology "It’s The Little Things" to global recognition and acclaim. Originally released as the studio’s 2022 holiday short, the 2D short has gained over 500K views and over 60K likes on Instagram and TikTok.

The video shows a homesteading frog settling in for a cozy evening in his log cabin during a soft and peaceful winter. The visual style was largely inspired by “cottagecore” aesthetics, combined with a nostalgic perspective of the production team’s coziest memories of winters spent at home. A number of works, including Over the Garden Wall, The Wind and the Willows, and Studio Ghibli’s famous food scenes, were crucial influences of the feelings captured in the short.

“Through animation, we explore how daily rituals can hold the same sense of delight as a grand adventure, if only we take the time to notice them. Every detail on screen hints at an important piece of a larger world, just as every moment in a day is what makes up the whole of life.”, said Gaby West, the Creative Lead for the project and Art Director at Deep Sky.

Background artist Finn Sylwester cultivated a sense of warmth throughout the interior scenes, inviting the viewer into this slice-of-life piece. To match the style developed by the illustration team, animation lead Jack Ellis and animator Adam DiTerlizzi combined the best of traditional and modern animation techniques. Custom brushes were developed specifically to match the delicate and vintage-inspired illustration style, pushing Adobe Animate past its typical vector-based medium.

For the multi-faceted studio, animation production was a highly coordinated team effort between not only 2D animators and illustrators, but also with other internal production teams. The 3D team helped create complex visual effects without sacrificing the unique quality of hand-drawn animation, while intimate sound design created a deeper ASMR-inspired experience for viewers. "It’s The Little Things" will continue with seasonal installments, all focused on celebrating the romance and beauty of the everyday. The next video is set to premiere in Spring 2023.

Part 1: Winter was featured on AWN, Motionographer, Animation Magazine, and Stash TV.
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CREDITS
Executive Producer: Jared Hobbs
Producer: Maddie Loftesnes
Creative Lead: Gaby West
Concept Design: Barret Thomson, Gaby West, and Finn Sylwester
Illustration Lead: Finn Sylwester
Illustration: Barret Thomson, Hayley Purvis, and Matthew Seely
Animation Lead: Jack Ellis
Animation: Adam DiTerlizzi
3D Viz: Israel Arias
Sound Design: Blake Boxer
Marketing Director: Max Richards
Marketing Coordinator: Aida Baird