{"id":82187,"date":"2018-04-21T11:02:26","date_gmt":"2018-04-21T15:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=82187"},"modified":"2025-06-20T10:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T14:37:14","slug":"ucf-students-premiere-animated-short-films","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-students-premiere-animated-short-films\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Students to Premiere Animated Short Films"},"content":{"rendered":"

A young girl with a speech disorder learning to express herself. A baby sea turtle trying to make its way to the ocean while confronted with obstacles.<\/p>\n

UCF\u2019s animation programs were ranked No. 4 among the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the nation by the Animation Career Review.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The films produced by this year\u2019s senior character animation students are more than art for art\u2019s sake. Both \u201cUkelayla\u201d and \u201cNight Light\u201d are decidedly message-driven. And after two years spent creating the films, students in UCF\u2019s character animation program<\/a> are working to ensure their films reach new audiences beyond premiere night on Monday, April 23, at the Center for Emerging Media in downtown Orlando. The showings are free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

Meet Layla of \u201cUkelayla\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cUkelayla\u201d tells the story of Layla, a young girl living with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to send oral messages from their brain to their mouth. Children with CAS will often know what they want to say but are unable to verbally communicate it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really important that Layla portray herself the way that somebody with [childhood apraxia of speech] would,\u201d Thomas says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Layla\u2019s frustration with the inability to express herself leaves her isolated, but she eventually learns to express herself through the power of music and friendship. The film\u2019s title is a mash-up of the main character\u2019s name and the ukulele, the instrument Layla uses as a medium to communicate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to bring light to this situation that many kids go through and give them representation in media where there really hasn\u2019t been any,\u201d says senior Character Animation major<\/a> Haleigh Mooney, who pitched the story for \u201cUkelayla\u201d and acts as student director on the film.<\/p>\n

To make sure they got the details right, the \u201cUkelayla\u201d team partnered with the nonprofit organization Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America to ensure that CAS was depicted authentically.<\/p>\n

For the film\u2019s production manager Tabitha Thomas, \u201cUkelayla\u201d was especially personal. The senior\u2019s younger brother has CAS, which provided her with insight into the disorder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really spoke to me,\u201d she says. \u201cI would call my mom, and she would tell me stories about my brother when he was younger and how he would act at that age,\u201d Thomas says. \u201cWe did a lot of research. It was really important that Layla portray herself the way that somebody with CAS would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meet Fin of \u201cNight Light\u201d<\/h2>\n

The film \u201cNight Light\u201d follows a baby sea turtle named Fin on his journey from nesting beach to the ocean.<\/p>\n

The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light. Artificial light from sources like street lamps can distract baby sea turtles away from the reflection of natural moonlight off the ocean\u2019s surface, exposing them to moving vehicles and other threats. On his journey, Fin is joined by Abueluna, a maternal spirit, and Lumin, a friendly light bulb. Abueluna supplies wisdom and guidance by following the moon as a natural light source, while Lumin represents humankind\u2019s curiosity and ignorance about nature.<\/p>\n

The \u201cNight Light\u201d team consulted with sea turtle expert and UCF associate professor of biology Kate Mansfield, as well as the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group, to ensure accuracy in even the smallest details, such as nailing the texture of Fin\u2019s shell. Students from the program also visited nesting sites in Melbourne Beach with the research group to see the sea mammals up close. The film\u2019s creators were careful not to dissuade people from interacting with nature, but rather inform the audience on how to do so safely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re saying that there is a correct way to have a relationship with nature. People need to know that because it affects the turtles,\u201d says senior Character Animation major and co-art director Jonathan de la Uz. \u201cIt\u2019s better if we can teach people the right way to be with nature instead of separating people from it completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teams hope the short animated films live on beyond the premiere. The \u201cUkelayla\u201d team hopes to provide DVDs of the film to speech clinics for children, while the \u201cNight Light\u201d creators are in talks with the Brevard Zoo and the Barrier Island Sanctuary to start educational showings for visitors. And for about a year after the premiere, the films will be submitted to short film festivals. Both teams have opened ongoing fundraising pages to help pay for admission to the festivals.<\/p>\n