Private Project

Back to Normal

Two little blobs named Red and Orange make their way through a global pandemic that completely upends their lives. The isolation of lockdown takes a heavy toll on Red whose mental health deteriorates as Orange tries to find ways to show her love and support. This heartfelt animated short was created through the 2022 LatinX in Animation Spark Animation Grant and sponsored by Netflix.

  • Cecilia De Jesus
    Director
    The Hate U Give, Sonic the Hedgehog, Smallfoot, Phantom Thread
  • Cecilia De Jesus
    Writer
  • Jaena Sta. Ana
    Producer
    Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
  • Donnie McCormick
    Producer
    Dragons: Race to the Edge, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
  • Angel Stafford
    Key Cast
  • Pablo Leon
    Background and Design
    Hamster & Gretel, DC Super Hero Girls, Muppet Babies
  • Lindsey TerLaan Shaw
    Background and Design
  • Jane Jingyu Zhang
    Background and Design
  • Jordan Prieto
    Visual Effects and Post Production
    The Man in the High Castle, The Good Wife, You
  • Cecilia De Jesus
    Visual Effects and Post Production
  • Samuel Jones
    Music
    Animal Kingdom, Next Gen
  • James Miller
    Sound Designer/Mixer & Sound Supervisor
  • Amanda Julina Gonzalez
    Animator
  • Allyanna Laurel
    Animator
  • Gwen Gunyung Lee
    Animator
  • Lark Larena Ortiz
    Animator
  • Renata Pinheiro
    Animator
  • Isabel Poon
    Animator
  • Noel Quintero
    Animator
  • Marc "Give Me Mas" Sanchez
    Animator
  • Jacob Saucedo
    Animator
  • Kayla VanProoyen
    Animator
  • Ziyan Zhou
    Animator
  • Cecilia De Jesus
    Animator
  • Andre Herrera
    Final Colorist
  • Alexis Rodriguez
    Final Colorist
  • Cynthia Nunez
    Final Colorist
  • Kayla VanProoyen
    Final Colorist
  • Maria Azellea Sanchez Ordonez
    Final Colorist
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Cecilia De Jesus

Cecilia De Jesus is a Filipina/Mexican-American designer, animator and filmmaker born and raised in Texas and resides in Los Angeles, California. She has worked as a designer and art director on several title sequences for film and television, including Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie, Smallfoot, Motherland: Fort Salem, Phantom Thread and The Hate U Give. She currently is a motion graphics artist at Trailer Park Group, where she designs and animates trailers for film, television and social content. Additionally, she works on independent films, both creating her own and collaborating with various indie filmmakers with screenings at Cannes Film Festival, Denver Film Festival, LALIFF and the LA Film Festival. She also contributes her animation skills towards projects for non-profit organizations such as Feeding America, the LA Regional Food Bank and WWF.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Back to Normal" is a story that means a great deal to me. Though the characters are simple abstract blobs, the story reflects a lot of my own experiences during the pandemic. My husband and I did lose our jobs for several months and the heaviness and chaos of the outside world felt like such a weight on my shoulders. Being isolated and feeling like a failure in my personal life was also very overwhelming to me. I created this short film with the hope that it can help others and let them know they aren’t alone. I hope it can be inspirational and encourage people to seek help when they need it and to accept the support from those who love them.

I chose to have the characters very simple because I want them to be universal and relatable to all audiences. One of the main aspects of this short is showing how depression takes an incredible physical, mental, emotional toll on a person. I’m hoping to convey this not only through the storyline, but by showing how the character’s color fades as they fall deeper and deeper into isolation and depression.

Ultimately, this story is about resilience and love. Though it is Orange who encourages Red to find help, Red has to be able to accept that fact and make the decision to talk with someone. The pandemic has pushed so many to the breaking point because of all these traumatic, life-altering events converging. Though many people feel that they are alone, there is always someone who can help and support you through your darkest times.

Though the title of this short is "Back to Normal", that phrase in my mind is one of extreme irony, since there is no going back before this experience we have all collectively gone through. We can only move forward and that’s why in the end we see Red making that first step towards reconnecting with the world.