Concept and Script
The project was born due a teen party I had, which inspired a story about the duality of modern teenage life. The script follows Xanat, a bright 16-year-old student who acts as a “rebel without a cause” outside of school, as she organizes a party with her “cool” rockstar best friend, Lila. The narrative focuses on the internal and external social pressures that lead to negative consequences like addictions, explored through Xanat’s interactions with her socially “inferior” but genuine friend, Alejandra. To ensure the message resonated with its target audience, the script intentionally avoids “soap opera” hyper-dramatization in favor of a more effective, light-hearted tone.
Director’s Vision
My vision was to create the first hybrid short film in Mexico, merging 40% live-action with 60% 2D animation. The core visual hook is a psychological metaphor: when the characters feel socially overwhelmed or stressed, they transform into black-and-white animations styled like doodles in a crumpled notebook. This stylistic choice allowed me to visually represent the fragility and “fakeness” of the social masks teenagers often wear.
Editing and Post-Production
The post-production workflow was a complex technical challenge that required a seamless integration of live-action footage and hand-drawn animation. I utilized Storyboard Pro for the initial planning and Krita for the animation assets. The final assembly, color grading, and compositing were completed in DaVinci Resolve, where the “notebook” animation layers were tracked and merged with the live-action plates.
Project Impact
Funding: Successfully raised over 60,000 MXN through a Kickstarter campaign.
Partnerships: Secured support from 6 international sponsors to bring the vision to life.
Scale: Led a multidisciplinary team of 42 people, managing both local shooting in Reynosa and remote animation in Monterrey.
Legacy: This project was a cornerstone in my career, serving as a catalyst for the eventual recognition of Studio Kixta.