Animation & Motion Design
Michelle Geraghty
Kohana
My story follows a girl called Kohana, meaning swift, who is in pursuit of a mysterious black panther. Having become obsessed with finding this spirit animal she begins to miss out on key events in her life. As she grows increasingly removed from reality, the backgrounds in the piece emulate her disconnect. Finally catching up to the creature, she finds herself in a place she does not expect.
In the fast paced environment that is everyday life, we are always aiming to achieve but what happens if we forget about the journey? My subject matter deals with life and death, focusing on the idea of drifting through life and forgetting to exist in the moment.
Exploring life and death are common themes in Native American Myth. A commonly recited tale ‘Journey to Skeleton House’ tells the story of a character who fakes death to go and explore the underworld, only to return some time later. This led me to think about death as a location rather than a state of mortality. I was inspired to explore this idea through animation, drawing from elements of Native American Mythology and artwork.