Alfy Returns Home

He's out of this world

The Why:

We wanted to challenge ourselves with a character-driven story that pushed beyond our usual comfort zone. Alfy became the chance to experiment with 2D, 3D, frame-by-frame, and motion capture all in one short film.

We’ve come a long way since our first character focused animations and we decided to show that off with a movie style teaser trailer.

Frame-by-frame animation was only a dream

At your start, have you ever dreamed of receiving a Behance award, learning 3D design, or collaborating with a major brand?

I set a goal! Four years ago, I wanted to have frame-by-frame animation in one of my projects. To make this happen, I had to do two things: put a budget together and find the talent to make this dream a reality.

Although the team and I didn’t know where to start, we were willing to learn and grow. We found the right partner to deliver the look and quality for the frame-by-frame animation, and we were on our way.

Alfy is my dream realized, and I am proud to share it with you! We dedicated our time, funds, and energy to the project. Was it worth it? Absolutely! We created lifelong relationships and gained more experience than any video or online course could ever teach.

-Robert Cordova

We even made a poster!

On your left: a poster made to build up anticipation towards the release of the short film.

The How

During the illustration phase, our artist hit a creative block transitioning from Alfy gazing over the landscape to the girl running in the background. We didn’t have the solution right away, but after some experimentation, Tristen had the breakthrough—using the monkey’s cane crystal as a reflection portal to warp into the next scene. A quick sketch sold the idea, and Pasquale updated the drawing.

Animating it came with its own challenges, especially aligning the 3D crystal with the 2D cane. Tristen locked the cane’s motion in 2D, exported it as a PNG sequence, and matched the crystal angles in Cinema 4D. A few manual tweaks later, everything clicked, and the transition became one of the project’s most memorable moments.

We caught motion

This was the first Optious project to incorporate motion capture technology into our character animations.

3D Model Development

Illustration and Development

During the illustration phase, the team pushed for visuals that were as engaging as the animation itself. Once sketched and approved, Pasquale updated the artwork, setting the stage for the entire project.

The original sketches

These were the drawings the artist did before the final vision was solidified.

Sound Design Breakdown

For Alfy, we wanted the audio to match the project’s ambitious visuals, which meant breaking away from overused “whooshes” and leaning into more inventive sound choices. Aliens needed to sound alien, whales still sounded like whales, and the AI monkey got playful, cartoony cues. To handle the huge volume of effects, we overhauled our process. Sourcing sounds early in the animatic stage so the final design could be more creative and deliberate.

We also played with timing, staggering layered effects to create richer textures instead of stacking everything at once. The mix brought its own challenges, balancing VO, music, and SFX through ducking so each had its moment. Even the outro needed improvisation when the track ended early, so we blended understated music with effects for a government-reel vibe. The result: a mix we’re proud of, and a sharper toolkit for future projects.