Boyfriend Material | UCLA Animation Workshop 2023

My second-year film made at UCLA's animation workshop! HUGE thanks to everyone at TFT and my friend Troy Thornton for being willing to do the voice acting for a sandwich.

This film is a student project and does not necessarily represent the views of the University of California or the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

Instagram: @birdjetbaron
#animatedshortfilms #animation #studentfilm #anime #ucla

[robbygoodmusic]

I had so much fun composing the music for this animation! Thanks again so much for having me on board, Bridgette!

[Jormbis]

The ending makes more sense when you realize that he didn’t even plan anything for the anniversary.

[citruslimonia]

The end caught me off guard, while I was so ready for them to accept each other without the sweaters and walk together romantically to the sunset, I liked how unexpected it was, the whole animation was catching with a charming style

[broskydoodle]

For me, the real heartbreaker is how happy she was when he was revealed to not be perfect and handsome. The fact that she was overjoyed and shared in the moment of vulnerability, only to be punished for it is so sad, but at the same time that delivery is so funny bruh.

[Enter-a-name-]

3:51 I would have such an existential crisis if some sort of event happened to me, and after the event was done, end credits just appear in front of me. 😂

[fineolchip]

Bro went searching for gold and lost a diamond.

[jonnytayves]

went from a cute intentionally cheesy love story to a genuine social commentary in two seconds. loved the ending, very real.

[donyori]

Now we see why he truly wasn't "boyfriend material".

[FlatHampert]

3:24 you did NOT have to make my dream girl

[SpoiIedMilk]

Some people may not like the tone switch but I fucking loved it lol
It's realistic about how double standards are, and how "ugly" people want to be accepted unless it's another "ugly" person accepting them.
The tone switch was also just comedically perfect
Beautiful animation too, and great build-up to us thinking he was a decent guy. 10/10 loved it!

[minad.]

"They had us in the first half not gonna lie"

Jokes aside, the animation, voice acting, and music was all so very lovely! Great work to everyone involved!

[medeasoak]

I love this. The omen for me was when he photoshopping himself instead of remembering their anniversary. By that point I was ready for a tone shift.

[viddotts]

I've watched this a few times. I love it for a number of reasons but another just came to me on this rewatch. Her 'version' of herself when wearing the hoodie is like 100x closer than his. So she isn't really hiding or changing her true self as much, she's just insecure, and we see that at the end. Him on the other hand, his entire physical self changes completely, showing that he is hiding his true self almost fully.

[idk]

I feel so bad for the girl, she's just sitting there at the end like "Wow, I dated a douche bag" Loved this little short though!

[chaosblitz]

Couple observations here: first off, I really like how it's clear that the girl would still be perfectly fine with dating him because she clearly enjoyed (what she saw of) his personality rather than his looks. Secondly, it's interesting all of the foreshadowing for the REAL reason this guy can't get a date: He gets angry at everyone being in love instead of looking for someone himself, he edits a 6-pack onto a picture of his BFM-sona, he forgot their anniversary even though it was clearly important to his girlfriend, who he'd been dating for long enough that she HAD THE KEYS TO HIS HOUSE. Overall, I hope this girl doesn't spend too long crying over this guy, because he is TERRIBLY shallow.

[justradiclesandco]

It does suck since she is very pretty without the sweater. Like the freckles and the messy hair is adorable. But as other people have pointed out, the point is the double standard and the true reason he couldn’t find someone was probably his attitude.

Edit: 0:59 The foreshadowing here with the website’s text about the sweater being for alphas and being made by Chad is clever.

[AmpShockJohn]

I feel like this perfectly pictures the problem with those who desperately seek out love. Rather than being a decent person who stays true to themselves and lets love find them, often they’ll pretend to be someone else and yearn for the idea of love rather than committing to the person they ‘care’ about.

Never make love a main focus. Someone will find you and like you for who you are. It won’t happen right away but it will happen

[HF-rrkt]

Edit: To clarify what I mean, I don't think she is hypocritical as when she realized that he had the sweater she admitted to having one too. If she had broken up with him then she would have been hypocritical.

I literally yelled NO at the end. That caught me so off guard. What a beautiful animation and great subversion of expectations as someone who is so self-conscious to buy something like that would of course be that hypocritical.

[tricksfollies]

The part where he shows the Linkin Park tickets and some of “In the End” mixes with the original music is so clever! Also, I love this short!

[CaseyBananas]

NO YOUR KIDDING.. SHE WAS PRETTIER WITHOUT THE SWEATSHIRT 😭😭 SHE DESERVES BETTER 🙏🙏