Chippewa Valley Times

A group of animation and digital media students from the University of Wisconsin-Stout has partnered with the Dunn County Humane Society (DCHS) to produce a public service announcement. The project, part of the university's Animation Production junior capstone class, aims to promote pet adoption through a 72-second 2D animated film titled "Stray." The film highlights Bow, a stray orange tabby cat rescued in the harsh Wisconsin winter, and is meant to illustrate the adoption process at the humane society.

Assistant Professor Jesse Woodward emphasized the freedom given to students, allowing them to create various forms of animation, including PSAs, commercials, and music videos. “They find each other’s strengths, and each member plays an important role within the team," Woodward noted. The student team, known as PuppyChow Productions, is composed of Kaylee Sevcik, Hannah Brown, Callie Kraemer, Lee Rupp, and Gale Eidam.

In preparation for the project, the team learned about the DCHS adoption process by meeting with the organization's managers. They decided to focus the PSA on steps for finding and preparing stray cats for adoption. Kraemer shared her motivation as a former humane society volunteer, stating, “‘Stray’ is a lighthearted, informative narrative to show how the rescue and adoption process at DCHS is meant to be stress-free for the animals.”

The students used Toon Boom Harmony, an industry-standard 2D animation software, to create the film. Although the software was new to most team members, they developed the necessary skills by collaborating with Woodward, attending tutorials, and seeking advice from senior students.

The initiative fulfills the students' field experience requirement and supports their volunteer work at DCHS. Shelley Pecha, the design department chair, encouraged the collaboration, stating, “They are a great organization full of extremely hardworking people. I wanted to find a way to help them with marketing and advertising.”

The project is more than just an academic exercise; it aims to benefit the community and foster ongoing volunteerism among students. The film will premiere at the SOAD Senior Show on May 9.

Animation Career Review has ranked UW-Stout’s animation program 16th among top animation schools in the Midwest and 35th among top public animation schools in the U.S. The program is part of UW-Stout's School of Art and Design, the largest public art school in the Midwest, offering several art and design-related degrees.

Collaborations with external partners are encouraged for those interested in utilizing the university's state-of-the-art Vicon Motion Capture Studio. As Woodward explained, the studio supports a wide range of projects, including live virtual performances and motion capture, and offers potential for future enhancements like facial capture and camera tracking.