Cyber Hermit
Pedro Ramos Ferretti
Duration: 04m 37s
Medium: 2D Digital Animation
Genre: Action
Role: Director, Animator
Trailer
Film Synopsis
After having his place of refuge destroyed, The Cyber Hermit seeks vengeance on those he lost trying to keep him safe. High-stakes combat ensues.
Artist Statement
“Cyber Hermit” was a concept that came during the pandemic. Without socialization, my only outlook to the world was through my computer and thought one day: ‘what would it be like inside a digital world?’. I was inspired by the action-comedy animation I grew up watching in the early 2000s that I do not see succeeded nowadays; cute rounded characters capable of holding up in intense fights. I wanted an emphasis on combat and decided to opt out of dialogue, letting the action speak for itself. I want this film to spark the imagination of others as to what more this mysterious world may contain but most important of all: entertain.
Film Production Stills
Character Designs
Originally based on the look of a Hermit Crab, This was the original ‘cute’ iteration that later changed into the ‘cooler’ design seen in-film that adapts to the more serious tone the film gained during production.
Mid-production, The Hermit Kid was redesigned into the new “Cyber Hermit”. This design is loosely based on the Hermit of a tarot card rather than the Hermit Crab.
Environments
All environments were first created in Maya and then drawn over digitally in Photoshop.
Hermit’s Origins
In early 2021, amidst the pandemic, I was in a place where any kind of social interaction was hindered and kept to a minimum. As teachers tried to adapt to learning exclusively online, one of them in my 2nd year had the idea of setting up an online drawing board before class and during breaks. As others doodled, I tried to do the same with my very shaky mouse and playfully drew a cartoon version of myself with a Hermit Crab shell. What was then a thoughtless doodle soon unknowingly became my 4th year project 2 years later, as ideas surrounding him and his world slowly began to occur soon afterwards.
