"Mi Noche Buena"

Abstract

“Mi Noche Buena” is a four-part collection consisting of a research paper; storyboard, illustrated storybook and accompanying 10-minute animated video of the story. The original storybook illustrations were created using Adobe Illustrator. The page layouts and pagination for the storybook were created using Adobe InDesign. The character rigging and animations were created using Adobe Character Animator. Final production for the video was completed using Adobe After Effects and audio editing was completed using Adobe Audition. The final product is a bilingual personal story of biculturalism geared towards younger children, ages three through seven. “Mi Noche Buena” tells the story of my son, Matéo, who is excited to celebrate his favorite holiday. The story follows Matéo throughout his day and explains what makes Noche Buena so special to him and his family. The final pieces are a 32-page storybook containing original illustrations with written story and an accompanying 10-minute animated video of the story. In this Capstone project, I wanted to explore the importance of using computer animation as an educational tool for younger children, ages three through seven and how it can enhance their cognitive development. I accomplished this with a six-page research paper. I also wanted to incorporate traditional educational resources, such as the storybook, with the animated video to demonstrate how together they become powerful educational tools for young children. I also wanted to explore animation and character design techniques using Adobe Character Animator and video editing by using Adobe After Effects. The goal is to engage the audience through a physical storybook or for the entirety of an animated video.