3D Animated Short: Cambrian Explosion

It's been a long time coming! The public upload of my team's SCAD 2020 senior animation capstone project (and bronze finalist!), directed by Devon Palmer and Helen Prekker.

Created by Devon Palmer, Helen Prekker, Donald Brooks, Morgan Camp, Sarah Mydland, Tessa Kelley, Cole Roberts, Miranda Bernheim, Madeleine Williams, Delanna Poiencot, Christina Montellano, Wesley Tsang, and Casey Falcone.
Audio by Nathan Lienau, Clifton Kadanec, Nate Vrana, and Devon Palmer.

Synopsis: Hallie, a worm living in the Cambrian sea, struggles to find a balance between the survivalist life she is forced to live and the emotional connections she desires.

Much love and well wishes to my whole crew, who finished this film off in the throes of the pandemic despite everything! Every one of you is an incredible artist, and I'm lucky to have gotten the privilege to work with you.

You can see more content and behind the scenes work over at...

[pikminfan]

It's a sponge, it's a worm, it's a plant and all sorts of weird bugs and strange fish! It's the Cambrian Explosion!

[Denneth_D.]

I always knew the Moomins first appeared back in the Cambrian

[ibi]

This is super stylized and SO CUTE! Cambrian Explosion has never been this cute in media.

[mintakamothkind]

that is one HEAVILY stylized anomalocaris, it took me awhile to even recognize what it was supposed to be. still, this was fantastic.

[TO-mpbv]

Fun fact: Hallucigenia could only move forward until it's enemies were destroyed.

[ryorika]

the style is so cute!! love that lately i stumble upon videos about kembrian explosion in my fyp a lot. for the context: i’ve drawn a whole comic book about these funny creatures, and it’s so heartwarming to see that such things are becoming popular rn

[PreHistX]

This is adorable! The Opabinia and Hallucigenia remind me so much of my girlfriend and I. Idc if the Anomalocaris is too small and has shorter mandibles, this is perfect. Love it!

[flixtocicgaming]

this has to be on eof the best peices of cambrian explosion media ever!
so epic

[VirgoShelter]

I love this the style and animation is great also shows some of the lesser know prehistoric animals. I also like the speculation that Opabinia can camouflage. 11/10 stars

[napalmzombie]

This was lovely, great job. Super neat that the credits give some insight into the real animals.

[ZachToons]

This was fantastic. The style is simplistic and expressive, and the pacing of everything is right. I actually made an underwater animated short as well, but it has...a crab that walks forward, and a shark that moves its tail up and down.

[IC-Capinatator]

3:31 I never thought a bloodthirsty, five-eyed stem-arthropod could be so cute.

[SpecialFanLilMan]

How they shake " hands" is so cute❤

[thedansusart]

That was incredible! I can tell you guys were inspired a bit by moomin. I just love how cute all the character designs were!!!!

[artsandcraftsoutdoors]

My daughter watched this and it was lovely up to the point where the creature's head was cut off with blood splatter. Its now the only thing my daughter remembers, which is a shame. Good but be careful with younger children.

[Schnee]

the colours and backgrounds are wonderful! im surprised at how dark it went with "opl" (i think thats his name) killing the red creature, especially with the colourful palette, but it made for an extremely interesting plot twist. i also love how opl and the red creature are animated in 3:07 floating in the air in a circular motion.

[danischeel]

You should make this a full time strip and give the creatures personalities and have them interact with each other in a humourous yet educational manner. The creators have fantastic talent. I could watch over and over!

[idontknowwhattosaywhatever]

3:02
Top ten epic battles in the world

[Dayonder]

Dang this has some really good animation. Congrats to everyone involved!

[NeuronRobberyVictim]

I will always have respect for the microscopic fandom that is obsessed with the cambrian explosion and it’s creatures