Basilisk

I’m sure many of us have been fascinated at one time or another with the beautiful work of animation production companies like Disney or Ghibli. Such animated creations may look absolutely magical, but they are, of course, the result of an enormous amount of time and work put in by a whole studio full of animators. And now, we just may have found the next rising star in the world of animation! A short animation that was recently posted on the Internet has been attracting attention around the world for its amazing quality and more significantly, for the fact that it’s the work of a single student. But don’t take our word for it — see for yourself how impressive the short film is!

The short animation, titled “Basilisk”, is the work of fourth-year Japanese student Ami Thompson (short for her full name Mami Uebayashi Thompson) at Sheridan College in Toronto, Canada, and it can be described as an adventure story involving a lizard-like creature hunting for a treasure on an island in the middle of the ocean. And it really is a “short” animation, as it’s just one minute 43 seconds long and without any spoken lines, but it’s definitely action-packed.

▼This is the actual short film:

Now, isn’t that cool? Ami spent a year creating the short animation as her fourth year film project. The use of soft colors and exhilarating sense of speed is somewhat reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s own work, and the smooth movement of the characters and images is simply incredible, making it a highly entertaining and exciting slice of animated goodness.

Ami may be well on her way to animator fame if the response on the Internet is anything to go by. Below are just some of the positive reviews and comments Ami’s work has received from viewers:

“This is too awesome!”
“I love the gentle tone of the artwork.”
“Is this really the work of just one person?”
“I would love to see the work with spoken dialogue.”
“I really want to know what happens after this.”
“This is fantastic! I can’t believe I’m feeling so excited about a short animation!!”
“She’s definitely going to be a top-rate animator in the future!”

Even a professional animator offered generous praise, commenting, “The character design, motion, direction is all superb. Truly well-done!”

Ami’s profile reveals that she has interned with Walt Disney Animation and Studio Ghibli in the past, both highly coveted positions for aspiring animators, so there really is no question that she’s extremely talented. But still, the response to her short film has been so positive that it’s hard not to be excited about Ami’s possible future as an internationally renowned animator. We certainly hope we’ll get to see many beautiful animated works by her in the years to come, because the sky is always the limit for young new artists!

Original Article by: Megumi Sawai 

Update: We originally stated that Ami Thompson attended Sheridan University in Alberta, Canada. It was, in fact, Sheridan College in Toronto, and the article has been edited to reflect that. Thanks to reader Kerry for the tip!

Source: YouTube 
Awesome-robo 
Ami Thompson portfolio (blog) 

Top Image from: Basilisk by Ami Thompson 
[ Read in Japanese ]