{"id":404606,"date":"2026-04-22T05:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/404606\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T05:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:22:10","slug":"bts-and-an-exclusive-clip-from-the-indie-short","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/404606\/","title":{"rendered":"BTS And An Exclusive Clip From The Indie Short"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Axolodyssey is a hand-drawn animated short from Studio Fresco Animation, an independent collective of artists working across studios and countries. Animated entirely in TVPaint, the film brings together contributors with backgrounds ranging from major U.S. studios to smaller outfits in Europe and Asia, all collaborating on a project that began as a personal idea during the pandemic and gradually expanded into a full production.<\/p>\n

Directed by Jon Densk, the film follows Jojo, a young axolotl left alone in a fantasy-inspired version of Mexico\u2019s lakeside ecosystems. As he sets out to find his lost family, the story unfolds as a journey through unfamiliar environments populated by strange creatures, fleeting companions, and looming threats. Alongside its adventure framework, the film draws on real-world inspiration from the endangered status of axolotls and their native habitat, grounding its fantasy in an ecological context.<\/p>\n

We recently caught up with Desnk to talk about his film, and the filmmaker gave us exclusive access to a short clip, which we\u2019ve linked below.<\/p>\n

Pandemic Origins<\/p>\n

The project began, like many pandemic-era works, as a personal experiment. \u201cIt started off as just something that I was making\u2026 I had not made a film before\u2026 There was just nothing else to do at the time,\u201d Densk recalls. What followed was a slow evolution from exploratory storyboards into a full production, funded partially through Kickstarter.<\/p>\n

Even then, the economics were unconventional. \u201cAll the money that I got from Kickstarter went to everybody else\u2026 they were already starting to do it just for free because they just liked the project, and I felt horrible.\u201d The result is a film powered largely by goodwill and shared enthusiasm, with artists, some carrying credits at major studios, contributing time and effort to a shared vision.<\/p>\n

A Short And Maybe More<\/p>\n

Axolodyssey clocks in at around 12 minutes, but was almost something far larger. Early versions were significantly longer until a blunt piece of advice from a colleague who works at Pixar reshaped the project: \u201cShe was like, you need to cut this in half.\u201d<\/p>\n

That editorial discipline paid off. The finished short now functions as what Densk describes as \u201ca good test pilot for what could be for a larger story.\u201d Plans are already underway for a graphic novel adaptation and a feature-length version, suggesting that Jojo\u2019s journey is far from over.<\/p>\n

\"'Axolodyssey'\u2018Axolodyssey\u2019 Graphic Novel Cover in Progress
\nEast Meets West<\/p>\n

Visually, Axolodyssey borrows from multiple animation traditions. Densk, trained in what he calls \u201cthe Disney way,\u201d having trained under Nashville-based Disney vet Tom Bancroft, set out to merge that foundation with the sensibilities of Studio Ghibli. \u201cMy intention was to take inspiration from my favorite studio, Studio Ghibli, and take everything I\u2019d learned on Western animation and bring them together,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s that exclusive clip we mentioned earlier to give a closer look at the film\u2019s charming aesthetic in motion:<\/p>\n

That creative choice made the project a perfect fit for producer Usman Riaz, the filmmaker behind the standout Ghibli-inspired Pakistani feature The Glassworker.<\/p>\n

In Densk\u2019s film, characters move with a restrained naturalism, deliberately reducing the exaggerated squash-and-stretch associated with American animation. The environments lean into saturated color and childlike perspective. As Densk describes it, the goal was \u201cmore like how a child would see this little world instead of it being like an illustrator\u2019s world.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yes, there is a cooking scene. \u201cYou have to,\u201d he jokes.<\/p>\n

Monsters, Humans, and the Shape of Threat<\/p>\n

One of the film\u2019s more striking design choices is its depiction of humans. Rather than clearly defined figures, they appear amorphous and looming, more like environmental hazards than traditional characters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was so much that I had learned about how humans affect axolotls in real life. I wanted them to be kind of gelatinous and amorphous\u2026 almost like grime,\u201d Densk says. Their glowing yellow eyes reinforce a predatory ambiguity. They are not outright villains, but they feel dangerous.<\/p>\n

\"Axolodyssey\u2018Axolodyssey\u2019 Character Lineup
\nFrog\u2019s Eyes<\/p>\n

Character design across Axolodyssey leans toward simplicity, with dot eyes and graphic silhouettes, except for one notable outlier: a frog named Francis, who has fully rendered pupils.<\/p>\n

The distinction was not heavily planned. \u201cI just drew him that way one day\u2026 and I was like, oh yeah, this design looks really good,\u201d Densk admits. It still serves a narrative function, subtly elevating the character\u2019s presence. \u201cHe\u2019s like a little bit more of a star compared to the others\u2026 it was a happy accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building the Plane While Flying It<\/p>\n

The production process behind Axolodyssey was far from conventional. Densk wrote the story directly through his storyboards, a choice he regrets and does not plan to replicate on future films. \u201cI did a crazy thing where I wrote it with storyboards,\u201d he says, crediting his background in comics for the confidence to try.<\/p>\n

\"Axolodyssey\u2018Axolodyssey\u2019 Storyboard
\n\"Axolodyssey\u2018Axolodyssey\u2019 Storyboard
\n\"Axolodyssey\u2018Axolodyssey\u2019 Storyboard<\/p>\n

That approach came with trade-offs. \u201cWhat I didn\u2019t realize much later is [Miyazaki] most definitely has at least like an outline\u2026 that was my mistake,\u201d he explains with a nod to his idol\u2019s story-crafting preferences. The learning curve stretched the timeline to roughly two years of solo development followed by two years of production.<\/p>\n

Even once the team expanded, Densk remained deeply involved in layout, animation, and direction. \u201cIt just was faster for me to do them\u2026 people have jobs, and if I don\u2019t for a month, I\u2019m just going to go nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n

National Geographic<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s premise stems from a surprisingly recent discovery. \u201cI just learned about [axolotls] in one National Geographic video in 2020,\u201d Densk says. What began as curiosity about an endangered species evolved into something more personal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, I had not seen my family for a year and a half\u2026 I was isolated. And it was almost like\u2026 kindred spirits with these little lizards.\u201d That emotional throughline anchors the film\u2019s fantasy elements in lived experience.<\/p>\n

Festival Circuit and Beyond<\/p>\n

Currently, Axolodyssey is prepping for its festival run, having submitted to several summer and fall events. \u201cWe\u2019re basically just waiting,\u201d Densk says. A public release is planned for Thanksgiving weekend, though the team is keeping options open depending on what happens on the fest front.<\/p>\n

Long term, Densk envisions the film extending beyond the screen. One goal is to bring it back to the axolotl\u2019s real-world home. \u201cI want to give it to like a zoo in Mexico and just have the film play for free for children. Like, this is yours, use it how you see fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a project born in isolation and built through collective effort, that sense of giving back feels central to what Axolodyssey is trying to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Axolodyssey is a hand-drawn animated short from Studio Fresco Animation, an independent collective of artists working across studios…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[146,85,46,397],"class_list":{"0":"post-404606","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-movies"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/404607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}