Synopsis
Do Clay Fish Dream of Wool Cats?  is a stop-motion animation about a clumsy cat who dreams of being a great chef, causing hilarious cooking disasters until it wakes up and realizes it was all just a dream.

Inspiration
It was inspired by the anxiety and chaos I experienced during my first semester in the United States while learning to cook on my own, and the feeling of wishing it was all just a dream.

Context
This project was created as my final project. 
I built my puppet in a puppet fabrication course and independently completed all props, filming, and post-production, including compositing, editing, and sound design, within the final week.

Fabrication
Armature constructed with wire, Propoxy, hard foam, and soft foam.
The puppet surface is made of needle-felted wool, and the costume was hand-sewn.

From initial design to final fabrication, this project was a process full of new experiences for me. It was my first time working with professional puppet-making materials such as ProPoxy, cohesive wrap, as well as a variety of adhesives and foam. I also learned how to sew for the first time, transforming a simple piece of fabric into a small set of loungewear for the puppet. Seeing the costume come together and fit the character was especially rewarding.

             


    

Props were constructed using cardboard, air-dry clay, wooden pieces, plastic sheets, and foam board, and painted with acrylic.

The ending sequence features clay animation, shot using the downshooter for precise top-down control.

   

Fire and smoke effects were achieved through cut-out animation, filmed independently, and developed into seamless loops in After Effects.

After organizing and grouping the shots by sequence, I was able to complete all filming within three days.