A Story That Matters
This project was deeply meaningful for me, I’ve always been drawn to emotional stories that spark reflection and inspire positive change. When I first received the brief, Robert and Kostas introduced the idea using the Manchester Arena attack and its spontaneous memorials as an example. They sent me links and photographs of archived items, and later we visited the Manchester Art Gallery to see the collection in person. Seeing those letters, flowers, toys, and handwritten messages was incredibly powerful. I remember thinking: This is the story I need to bring to life.
Finding the Right Language
Visual and Technical Choices
Before I began animating, I asked myself: What technique would best reflect the emotional weight of this story? I chose hand drawn frame-by-frame animation because of its human touch, it carries imperfections and subtle gestures that mirror real emotion.
And in terms of color choice I opted for a mostly black-and-white colour palette to strip away distractions and focus attention on the narrative. But one object, the teddy bear, was intentionally coloured brightly to emphasize its emotional significance.
Building a Narrative
From Character to Conflict
To develop the storytelling structure, I drew on techniques I had explored in a previous project about veiling and women throughout history . I used a three-act narrative.
Introduction (Act I)
Characters are introduced through their belongings. A child reaches for a teddy bear from a shelf; an archivist retrieves a file from an archive shelf. I also added a teddy bear print to the child’s t-shirt to hint at its personal value.
Rising Action (Act II)
The rising action is when the characters face a challenge. Both characters watch a disaster unfold on TV, observing the event closely. The word “DISASTER” appears on the screen, breaking apart and scattering across the TV frame, an idea inspired by my background in graphic design.
As the disaster unfolds, people begin to gather, placing flowers, letters, and personal objects. I included figures of all ages, backgrounds and skin tones. For example a child standing next to an old lady to show different generation coming together at this memorial.
Resolution (Act III)
The child makes a difficult choice: she gives away her most precious object, the teddy bear. Her parents gently support her (we see them placing their hands on the child’s back), symbolising unity and emotional guidance. I wanted to evoke emotion and reflection so I created a tight, heartfelt hug between the child and the teddy bear. In the child’s imagination, the teddy bear is alive, we can see it in the bear’s eyes, only to return to its normal form when later handled by the archivist.
Through the archivist’s perspective, we see someone grappling with how to preserve the spontaneous memorial, in particular this teddy bear, and she begins to search on Google for “spontaneous memorial.”
Narrative Focus
Spontaneous Memorial
I created a dark canvas where, one by one, the objects from the memorial begin to light up, candles, balloons, letters. Each item tells its own story, helping to highlight the narrative focus on the spontaneous memorial.
Using Live-Action References
To bring life to all the characters, I used live-action references, my partner helped act out postures so I could animate gestures with accuracy.
Sketching Process
For sketching, I always start by drawing on paper and then trace the sketches in Procreate. These are some examples of my initial drawings on paper:
Removed Sketches
These are some sketches that show what archivists can do to preserve memorial objects. They were removed from the final project, as Robert and Kostas asked me to not be be too specific about preservation methods.
Final Thoughts
This project was more than just an animation, it was an opportunity to honour memory, kindness, and community. Many thanks to Robert and Kostas for giving me an opportunity to work on this project.
Got a story to tell? I’d love to bring it to life!
Reach me at: fifii.yousefi@gmail.com
Explore my work: https://fifiyousefian.myportfolio.com
About Me
I’m Fateme (Fifi), a visual storyteller. I’ve realised this has been my passion since childhood, arranging dolls to tell stories, photographing them, crafting, and drawing with my head tilted to get it just right. I studied mathematics in school, but during the final exam period, the one for getting into university, found myself drawing instead of studying. When classmates asked why I didn’t pursue art, something clicked. I studied art for just two months and got accepted into a BA Graphic Design program. During my course, I fell in love with Illustration subject. My work in that subject was often praised by lecturers and classmates, which gave me confidence and pushed me forward.
After graduation, I worked on pattern illustrations and graphics for social media content. Then I worked as a children’s book sales specialist, which made me love storytelling and illustration even more. I believe children’s books say strong things in very simple ways. Then I came to the UK and completed my MA in Illustration, which really helped me develop my creative thinking. Now, I’m excited to contribute to the projects that are emotional, meaningful, and impactful.