Client: flowcreativelab
Design & Storyboard: Tomas Giuseppe Petruccello
Animation: Tomas Giuseppe Petruccello
Tools used: Krita, Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro
As part of the graduation project of my client, I created a short animated film designed to support discussions around ethical decision-making in psychiatric care. The story follows a patient who repeatedly wishes to spend time with his family, seeking freedom, connection, and a sense of normalcy outside the clinical environment. Yet each visit results in setbacks that negatively impact his recovery, placing healthcare professionals in a difficult position between respecting autonomy and preventing harm.
I developed the concept, visual language, and animation with the goal of making the dilemma emotionally relatable while remaining accessible and open to interpretation. Rather than depicting clinical details directly, I focused on visual metaphors and symbolic storytelling to convey themes of belonging, vulnerability, freedom, and responsibility. This approach allowed the audience to connect with the emotional core of the situation while reflecting on the broader ethical questions it raises.
The main challenge was communicating a nuanced moral conflict within a short runtime without presenting a clear solution. The project was developed within an exceptionally tight production schedule of just one week, requiring the entire process—from concept development and storyboarding to animation and final delivery—to be completed in a condensed timeframe. While this is not a timeline I would typically consider ideal for a narrative-driven animation, I was deeply invested in the subject matter and committed to doing it justice. By carefully prioritizing the emotional core of the story and focusing on clear visual storytelling, I created an animation that encourages viewers to consider multiple perspectives and engage in meaningful discussion about the difficult choices faced in healthcare settings.
