Private Project

Fish Out of Water

Six-year-old Emmett comes face-to-face with his worst fear: hundreds of eyes staring at him and tons of cameras pointed at him. After trying to escape his role in the Mary Lake Elementary "Fish Friends" school play, he finds himself trapped in a paper craft fishbowl world. In this short film, Emmett learns to overcome his fears with the help from his friends, Ruthie, Charlie, Tina, and Gus.

  • Jessica Lee
    Director
  • Anna Lin
    Producer
  • Calvin Dix
    Animation Director
  • Lara Heermance
    Art Director
  • Jessica Lee
    Lead Character Designer
  • Lara Heermance
    Lead Prop Designer
  • Jessica Lee
    Visual Development Artist
  • Anna Lin
    Visual Development Artist
  • Nicole Fichtner Garcia
    Visual Development Artist
  • Sydney Harris
    Visual Development Artist
  • Lara Heermance
    Visual Development Artist
  • Jessica Lee
    Layout Artist
  • Lara Heermance
    Layout Artist
  • Anna Lin
    Layout Artist
  • Sydney Harris
    Layout Artist
  • Nicole Fichtner Garcia
    Layout Artist
  • Jessica Lee
    Lead Storyboard Artist
  • Anna Lin
    Storyboard Artist
  • Piper Enriquez
    Storyboard Artist
  • Calvin Dix
    Rough Animator
  • Piper Enriquez
    Rough Animator
  • Nina Gonzalez
    Rough Animator
  • Emma Thompson
    Rough Animator
  • Maurice Wright
    Rough Animator
  • Catherine Oliver
    Rough Animator
  • Hailey Mos
    Rough Animator
  • Lara Hayes
    Rough Animator
  • Molly Howard
    Rough Animator
  • Tal Najman
    Rough Animator
  • Calvin Dix
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Piper Enriquez
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Nina Gonzalez
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Emma Thompson
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Maurice Wright
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Anna Lin
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Sydney Harris
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Nicole Fichtner Garcia
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Gina Zhu
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Grace D'arcy
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Hailey Mos
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Lara Hayes
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Lia Gonzalez
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Olivia Hill
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Samantha Jackson
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Sofia Gyger
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Thea Arellano
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Yoonji Park
    Clean-Up Animator
  • Calvin Dix
    Compositor
  • Piper Enriquez
    Compositor
  • Lara Heermance
    Compositor
  • Samuel Demakos
    Sound Supervisor
  • Samuel Demakos
    Composer
  • Eleanor Taylor
    Assistant Composer
  • Eugenio Mira
    Foley Artist
  • Eugenio Mira
    Sound Effects Editor
  • Sam Reid
    Lead Re-recording Mixer
  • Lilian Correa
    Re-recording mixer
  • Lilian Correa
    Sound Editor
  • Rielle Yap Ong
    "Emmett"
  • Rielle Yap Ong
    "Crowds"
  • Eugenio Mira
    "Crowds"
  • Anna Lin
    "Crowds"
  • Calvin Dix
    "Crowds"
  • Jessica Lee
    "Crowds"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Family, Heartfelt, Feel-good
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 27, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Director Biography - Jessica Lee

Jessica Lee is the creator and director of the SCAD senior student film, "Fish Out of Water." In addition to creator and director, Jessica is also the lead character designer, lead storyboard artist, visual development artist, and layout artist for this project. Jessica is from Rockwall, Texas, and got her B.F.A in animation with a concentration in storytelling and concept at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2023. Her goal as an artist in the animation industry is to create characters that are someone's favorite stuffed animal--something that they can cherish as they grow up and for the rest of their lives. She wants to create stories characters and worlds that are someone's comfort movie or show; a story that they can connect with.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The message I wanted to convey through "Fish Out of Water" is overcoming your fears with support from your friends or family, and knowing it is ok to ask for help from others. It is hard to feel like you have no control over your issues, and at times people think that asking for help is a sign of weakness. However, this is the exact opposite. I want my story to show that asking for help and forming a support group shows how strong someone is in facing their inner issues.
"Fish Out of Water" is inspired by my support group of family and friends through my toughest times and how they helped me overcome my fears and worries. The theme of the school play was inspired by my little sister's pre-k performance of the song "Let's Go Swimming," where she and her classmates sang and dance in fish costumes. Unlike Emmett, she stole the spotlight immediately.