The Last Winged Puppy | Thesis Film 2024

A forest that was once a sanctuary for winged dogs is now in ruin after all of the winged dogs have mysteriously disappeared. All except one, a winged puppy who lives alone until he encounters a group of forest sprites.
My thesis film I did at LCAD! A special thank you to my professors, friends and family for all of the support, and to my classmates for cheering me on and making this short such a fun experience to work on!!
CREDITS:
Film by: Paula Moraga
/ paulaissleepy
moragapaula.weebly.com
Composer: Kion Heidari
/ kkeeeennioo
kionheidari.bandcamp.com/trac...
kionheidari.com

[@lazchurchyard1229]

Someone watched Ringing Bell and Unico as a kid. Lovely job.

[@Radioactive-Braincell88]

Absolutely, yes😍

[@cool_beam_jr]

Ringing bell…omg it was too much for me 💧

[@lilhedgehog8576]

Right? When I saw the thumbnail at first glance, I thought it was the sheep from ringing bell.

[@SpringBross]

Correct!

[@thisisastrobbery363]

And Kimba

[@fleffychickendog]

Oh my god this was fantastic I love the ghibli vibes and how fluid all the motions were and the beautifully painted backgrounds really sucked me into the world of the film!

[@shadrok163]

It kinda had some pokemon vibes as well with how the character is designed as such I almost mistaken this character for shaymin

[@louixie.]

it turned out so marvelous!! phenomenally animated and the backgrounds, little critters and composition all looks so beautiful and fun as well!!

[@PlushKaiju]

This is just GORGEOUS, like actual full length film quality

[@azazellon]

no shit. it's a thesis film.

[@PlushKaiju]

there's a huge difference in the workflow of something put out by disney vs a small team of college students. you're being rude and downplaying the effort put in.

[@azazellon]

@@PlushKaiju No, you're missing my point. Of COURSE it's going to try and look "quality", it's a fucking COLLEGE THESIS FILM and that's their fucking JOB to make it look good.

[@AuntBibby]

ITS A FLYIN PUPP

[@SpringBross]

Correct!

[@alexk8792]

That pup is so adorable, I bet anybody would really to pet it :3

[@drago-maro]

This legit has a Ghibli and chirin's bell vibe and i'm here for it ! - the fact that you made it all on your own is twice as impressive, absolutely stunning job, i'm waiting for the million views :)

[@RebeccaLynnMusic]

Paula! It's me! I almost teared up. I'm so proud of you. Oh my goodness. This is beautiful. Beautiful! And I love the music. And the nuance of the other sounds. ❤

[@Xenoraniumwolf]

This is adorable as it is also very sad. Imagine just waking up one day and you become the very last of your kind.

[@RLane-xz5cj]

Feels like a spiritual successor to Unico! The little character is so cute, and the animation is so smooth! Ah, and the backgrounds! Everything really!

[@AbnusXD]

I love how the sounds of the ghosts (?) travel from the left side to the right side along with the video. It’s a very nice touch and really helps the video be more immersive.

[@rtype2816]

It looks so much like a Tezuka film mixed with Studio Ghibli and a bit of Ringing Bell, a work of art

[@pozitiveshokkk]

Oh.My.Goodness!This looks like the old Kimba the white Lion!So fluid animation and so sweet color palet!Amaizing!❤

[@aurathewolf6737]

I got this recommended to me, and I absolutely love this. The art style and design, the fluid animation, everything made this so pretty. I love the puppy's design, and the way the eyes were drawn. It looks like it would be an official show or movie, and one that I would watch. It's so incredibly underrated as well.

[@kagome1000o]

There’s no way this wasn’t inspired by unicorn but it’s soo unique in itself I just love it

[@Bl4ckC4tsH3ll]

Give me a load of 2000s kids anime movies, the style reminds of Osamu Tezuka media in the 2000s (after he passed away in 1989 sadly, but still most films based off his work were amazing from that time,) the backgrounds are wonderfully drawn, detailed, the animation is fluid, even smooth, the character designs are pretty well done too, the music fits the film really nicely as well, Honestly this film give me some childhood giddy I hadn't had in years, reminded me of so much Japanese related stuff from my past, so that's another reason I loved this film very much, the inspiration is obvious, almost a love latter to those pieces of media, honestly hope you got a good grade, or something for this film, I hope the people you showed it, and/or yourself are happy to see it come to life, Great job all around, hopefully this gets more views, and appreciation, it deserves such, stay safe, take you're time, and keep up the talent!

[@memedaddy3794]

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU PAULA!!!!!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@GhostCatRes]

This is beautiful and the movement is so fluid. also love the designs reminds me of Unico

[@Vsuvi]

The painted backgrounds are so pretty! I loved the artstyle of the film, so cuteee I really really liked the spirits and how they reminded him to fly by turning into butterflies! My favorite parts: 0:22 the little sigh awww 0:56 The facial expressions on the pup was so well done omg 1:20 I got chills!!

[@DonutToast]

this is the cutest thing I've ever seen. I wish it was just a tiny snippet of a whole movie or a comic of some kind! I'm already so invested in the world and characters :oD

[@emilycotterell7391]

This is so cute. The art style is giving me unico vibes

[@kevinlee7678]

Same here!

[@williamglenn777]

This is fantastic! I love the dog, the dragonflies, the butterflies… the whole thing. It’s magiik. Toki the cat must be very proud of you.

[@DamnBruv]

The algorithm has blessed me once again!! This animation is so fluid and the colour palette has such a warm and wonderful feel to it. Honeslty deserves lots more recognition because the quality is ethereal!! Bravo :o❤

[@Kahvinporo]

This is so adorable! Amazing work!

[@cnmnnaturalist]

Very nice! Such nostalgic feelings from the style and character. It brought a smile to my face to imagine either the spirits or the spirits of the pup's ancestors were helping them fly to boost their esteem until their wings became stronger.

[@eglol]

I know!! This was so beautiful, I enjoyed every second of it! It was so interesting

[@shibumi8]

Very impressive, this is giving me Ghibli/ Unico vibes. Worthy of a 80s era feature.

[@Yghir]

This was amazing! Beautiful! Magical! I'd watch a full movie with this adorable puppy and the spirits and what adventures they might have together!

[@HoshiNeko]

This is beautiful!! 💖

[@JuanAuribus]

Brilliant work!! Everything from the animation to the sound design is absolutely immaculate. Couldn't be more impressed, thanks putting this out for the world to see!

[@koy5902]

Absolutely breathtaking.

[@Scaredy_balloon]

I love how the sprites turn into butterflies so the pup learns how to fly, this is so cute 🥹🥹

[@dragongirl4110]

It reminds me of a beautiful combination of Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon! Two of my top favorite animation companies!❤

[@JaySeraphon]

THAT WAS AMAZING! Just ... Yes! I hope we see more from you in the future!

[@cannibalbunny]

OMG the animation and backgrounds are amazing and the Osamu Tezuka vibes with the art style…beautiful

[@Dracomasterthefirst]

I love the cheering of the spirits in the end

[@hannahlps2857]

The tezuka esc vibes from this film is incredible! Utterly love this!!

[@pajaropajaroslosexitosos]

Omg this is incredibly beautiful!

[@eikonokitsune]

Ma'am this is so beautiful, is like studio ghibli level of quality and fluidity. I glad youtube recommended me this. 😍

[@PixylMawthz]

HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS SOONER OMGGG. This is such a beautiful amazing animation, the vibes are so magical and you captured the feeling of flight so well in this!

[@Opaline.]

This is so beautiful! Oh my gosh, the atmosphere and the little drop with the puppy flies is so adorable. So smooth aaah

[@soda.2003]

no wonder paula is sleepy... must've taken so much out of you. what a dreamy film.

[@lpsjewel]

The face is very human, not sure if you where going for that or not but still cute.

[@orangesodaslug-gj2vs]

Dude omg this is amazing! The animation is so fluid and pretty and the backgrounds are gorgeous

[@coolbeansplushievidsbruh1904]

That dog and the Spirits are so Cute :)

[@Jon_REDACTED]

That was unbelievably cute

[@cascor770]

I love whimsical Ghiblian films like these and I love the reference to the fu Dog statues

[@trevinasolyman9295]

HOW DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 5k VIEWS?!?! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!

[@a.s.raiyan2003-4]

They better give you that freaking A Paula. I'm rioting if you don't

[@JAVOTI]

I have no words, yet I must comment how wonderful this is!

[@averychaco8831]

That was absolutely lovely! The tippy taps of the paws were so satisfying to listen to and I adored the sound of the bell 💛

[@Amenti-Aardwolf]

This is legitimately one of the most beautiful thesis film animations I've ever seen. Flawless execution, fun idea, perfect soundtrack. Just all around awesome. EXTREMELY underrated work.

[@QuasiiiNominall]

Wild how it typically takes a whole team to make stuff this magical and high quality. I notice a lot of the best artists are the ones who take wonderful works that existed prior and seek to bring that same magic into the modern day. Uninspired art is just filler, this is a true work of art. I could only wish to see this concept brought into a full length film.

[@LemonSpice-vo4es]

A bowl of strawberries can get more views than an amazing animation? This needs WAY more attention! Literally some of the best animation I’ve seen!

[@retroprogamer7009]

People on Social Media are usually only liking real shit. They dont even know what is good anymore.

[@MonsterRPG91]

gives me ghibli vibes with a Osamu Tezuka inspiration for the character, looks really good!

[@nuppanuppa2559]

The cuteness, the enviorement, the quality, this is all amazing!

[@DezAmmySel]

He looks like a cross between Kimba the white lion and Kaiba!! Absolutely adorable style, fantastic art and scenery, and GORGEOUS animation!!! Well done!!! :D

[@DezAmmySel]

(and no i don't mean kaiba from yugioh lol)

[@kevinlee7678]

And what about Unico?

[@jellycore1316]

This is SO hecking cool! This is so beautiful, the character is so hecking cute, too ;w; Thanks a ton for sharing, and I wish you all the best for the future, you're an awesome animator!

[@amberestie6605]

I absolutely love this, from that first emotional nuzzle to the statue, to the gorgeous backgrounds and the pretty background music. If it's possible to go further with this, this would make a great comic, great mini cartoon, or even an amazing idea for a video game Spyro style

[@SnowFox_VR]

This needs to be a movie

[@f15hed]

this is honestly one of the most charming thesis films ive watched like EVER even though theres no dialogue theres still so much personality put into everything and the environment just feels so real almost like youre actually there theres such a calming feeling that comes with watching this and it makes me want to learn more about the story of this little critter and just the world theyre in in general!! im absolutely in love with this film and im really looking forward to seeing if you post anything else in the future! if you do, im sure itll be amazing

[@dawid035]

Great thesis film! I really like the choice of the color pallete here, wouldn't be alone to probably compare it a bit to Ghibli movies. Also i gotta express how I adore the details you did put into body language and facial expressions. Melancholy, curiosity, doubt, motivation, astonishment and then finally happiness. Even sprites themselves have a lot of going on, which makes the scene in 1:24 - 1:33 even more impactful. Makes the whole story feel even more charming. Body language and facial expressions are great story telling tool. They tell you a lot about the character, how they feel in regards of their surroundings and how they break from being afraid to leave a safe space of theirs to push their boundaries to explore something completely new. All movements are also very fluid, lots of work was put into making the animation feel alive. So again, great animation. Big thanks to you, the composer and everyone else that supported you along the way - all of that lead to this fantastic piece of art that I am sure many will appreciate. Wish you lots of luck for future endeavours!

[@Kankan_Mahadi]

The puppy's design is so adorable!! The animations were so fluid & graceful, too.

[@floppsiemates]

this looks AMAZING! its so peaceful and professional looking. like oh my word. you deserve so much attention

[@LavenderHumbugs]

I know the adorable puppy character deserves a lot of praise, but the forest sprite designs are so creative!! I love how they shift into all kinds of animal forms, and even shift into butterflies to remind the pup how to fly. Soooo good and fun to watch.

[@lacerationally]

this is stunning!! the animation is so lively and smooth, the backgrounds are so pretty (they remind me of studio ghibli or the legend of louxiaohei), and the puppy is adorable. highly rewatchable!

[@yukiiasakii9758]

those little spirits remind me of the ones found in Never Alone! These is a masterpiece, beautifully done!

[@crys8886]

I love this so much, the animation and the visuals, If this ever becomes a film in the far future, I'd definitely watch!

[@DragonMaiden77]

This gave me goosebumps, made me feel like a child watching Studio Ghibli films for the first time again

[@HyperSoundJocie]

Glad this was in my recommendations! The animation is so smooth and captures that magical old school era while still being modern, the style and palette were so nice to look at, and the music was absolutely delightful! It also hooked me in really quick and said so much even without dialogue, the emotions were so clear and vivid from the scenery to the expressions. This was very well-made and reminds me of why I love 2D animation so much!

[@flames1752]

Really cute, lots of emotion, and a surprising amount of world building. My one critique would be that the dog moved more like a horse than a dog at times

[@ABlueStitchInTime]

This made me smile :) So heartwarming and the puppy is ADORABLE I'd love a whole series of this little character and a plushie too! 😍

[@pizzapixie5053]

PAULAISSLEEPY!!! CONTINUE TO POST CONTENT EVEN IF ONLY YEARLY, AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!!!!!

[@ulamuuui]

I want a full length series of this✨✨✨

[@mariclements]

This randomly popped up on my KZbin feed and I'm so happy it did! This is so cute, and expressive! Lovely work 💕💕

[@lucid2957]

This is so incredibly well animated, and with such beautiful backgrounds as well!

[@jawmew]

THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL HOLY SHIT!!!!! THIS NEEDS MORE ATTENTION ITS SO PRETTY!!!!!

[@karlhnedkovsky5214]

This is the most adorable and wholesome thing I've ever seen!

[@karatecorgi7685]

the animation is so gorgeously fluid! not to mention that is one cute style

[@SakuraStardust]

I love how similar the art style is to Unico! and Tezuka in general!!

[@sabiksphinx]

This is the greatest thing to ever exist

[@pixiebii]

the greens in your backgrounds are so vibrant and gorgeous it makes me tear up!!!! Wonderful film 🥲

[@6754bettkitty]

That was a great short film. Very well animated. Good job and keep up the good work!

[@waylanddee7211]

THIS IS SOOOO CUTE ARE YOU KIDDING ME

[@meganfisher831]

I loved this tremendously. Pitch it as a feature film and make concept art for the future artists working on it.

[@meganfisher831]

Also as one artist to another, be prepared for your work to be 'torn apart' by educational faculty whose job it is to be judgy, and achieving any measure of success- from anyone jealous. My personal mantras is "Art is good if it makes you feel something." Rather it's out of jelly beans or paint or digitally combined keyframes. Keep spiritin' on.

[@cessatiolux6250]

This is unbelievably fantastic.

[@GoingSwimmingly]

The style is just so charming, and the different designs of the spirots too!! Gj!

[@kanitedzie]

THE STYLE AND EVERYTHING I LOVE SM shoving it in my inpo folder its so well made, the little details and everything!

[@Triplecharmfan770]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, YOU’RE UNDERRATED 😭

[@MichaelStephenFreitag]

Well this is just lovely. The art style and animation are a treat to watch, and major kudos to the composer, too!

[@AlessandraAlarcon-n3t]

Gorgeous!!!!! Congrats, Paula. So so proud of you.

[@MelonTartVA]

This was lovely to watch. I hope you get to make a fully animated movie out of this one day

[@magnusm4]

So sad it's the last one. After them, the world won't be as happy anymore!

[@goldentortoisebeetle]

this is so wonderful, what a bright future you have ahead of you!!!

[@silververity]

This is absolutely gorgeous, really beautiful artstyle, I love the puppys design so much.

[@itmightbeamanda]

Paula your film is so gorgeous, and your animation is amazing as always!!! Love your film!!!

[@dragonluvver975]

This is so great! The colors are awesome and it's so fluid. I love the character designs and the story makes me want to learn more

[@neole0-y2k]

amazing to see this again! this is just so beautiful, paula, and it was a blast to see it take shape. you are truly going places 💗💗 congratulations to you and your adorable puppy!

[@aliciawatt4984]

The animation is amazing and the expressions are so cute, you did great!

[@YuzuFruiit]

Criminally underated!

[@Adam.ace.]

She looks as if Lily from pokemon was a puppy. The backgrounds are very nice well done.

[@kevinlee7678]

You mean Lillie?

[@Adam.ace.]

@kevinlee7678 yes, thankyou.

[@cranberrythecat4555]

Paulaaaaa!!!!!! Congrats on finishing your film, it's absolutely phenomenal! Watching this again, I'm not only impressed by the quality and expressiveness of your animation and background design, but the pacing as well! The story flows so well from shot to shot, keeping the energy up and synchronized with the music - a very underrated skill that reminds me of Bambi (one my favorite films, lol) as much as the works of Ghibli. It's been wonderful watching it come together, and I can't wait to see what you make in the future! You should be super proud of yourself :DDD