Michelle Ellerman on Frog With Nipples and not being afraid to be weird

Frog With Nipples is a surreal short film from Michelle Ellerman, a 2D and 3D designer and freelance animator who graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design in 2020. This sweet story follows the daily routine of an amphibian friend, but underneath you may find an ambitious statement on conformity, society, and fitting in.

The short is a snappy showcase of Michelle’s personal animation style and visual look, influenced in part by the visual style of 90s-era cartoons. In our interview below, she shares details about these techniques, as well as tips covering perspective, animating with music in mind, and how she cel-shades her characters.

An excerpt of this ambitious animated amphibian can also be found in our Toon Boom education showreel. In the full interview below, Michelle shares insights from the course, as well as valuable Toon Boom Harmony workflow tips and encouraging final words for animators. To hear the tale of how and why Michelle came up with her unforgettable character of Frog, read on!

Congratulations on your fantastic and surreal short. Please introduce yourself and your short film…

My name is Michelle Ellerman. I graduated from CCAD with a BA in Animation in 2020 and I currently work as a 2D/3D designer and freelance animator. Frog with Nipples was my thesis film in college.

What inspired you to base an animated short around the morning routine of a frog?

The journey I took to decide on my thesis film was kind of a wild ride. The original idea was something really heartfelt with deep meaning. But after a semester of planning and pre-production, I realized it was also too ambitious. I knew I couldn't achieve what I was envisioning in the time I had. 

I took a semester break between pre-production and post-production for my thesis. And I had to design a character for a completely unrelated class during that time. I came up with the idea with the help of some friends. Then, one day, someone jokingly said I should do this as my thesis instead. So I did.

How would you describe the visual style of Frog with Nipples?

I would describe the visual style as paying homage to classic 90's cartoon methods of rendering, but using more modern animation styles, with smooth animation and shot language. The backgrounds are more rendered and stylized, while the character contrasts by being more graphic and cel-shaded.

It's an interesting moment, when the frog removes the nipples from a contact lens case. Are the nipples symbolic?

The nipples aren't necessarily symbolic of anything; although you could very easily find symbolism in them. I initially just thought that an amphibian having nipples was funny. And then the design, thanks to friends and a lack of sleep, morphed to removable nipples. The story became increasingly crazier from there. 

The story does kind of tell of Frog's life trying to fit into a human world as a giant amphibian, but my intentions were always to just make others laugh with his antics.

What was the character design process for the Frog?

The character design process is quite a story. I felt like drawing frogs the day I was coming up with designs. I had the basis of Frog down on paper but I felt like he was missing something; so I asked a friend nearby if it would be weird to put nipples on the frog since he's an amphibian. Technically, he shouldn't have nipples. My friend thought it was hilarious, so Frog ended up with nipples.

How did you create perspective in the short film? Such as the blurring effect applied to the background at times…

I used 3D software to rough out the shapes of the rooms and furniture. I was able to cut down on the amount of time spent framing shots that way, and then I could just take a screengrab of the perspective that I liked; then use that as reference for the background drawing. I did all the backgrounds and animation myself. It helped cut down on the amount of time I would have otherwise spent trying to frame my shots and plot perspective just in a drawing program. The effects, like the blurring, were all done in Procreate on the actual background file.

Which features in Harmony did you find useful when making the short?

I love onion skinning and shift and trace. I personally have heard a lot of people say how much they hate in-betweening animation, but I love it. Onion skinning and especially shift and trace make the process easier and it's almost relaxing for me.

Music plays a large part in capturing the vibe in your short. What is your approach or advice for animating to a musical score?

With music, you have to think about the feeling you're trying to put upon the audience, and find music that evokes that feeling. You can take a single scene and produce a drastically different effect depending on what music you lay over it. It's also helpful to look out for hits or impact points in the music and line up your animation with those spots, so that it feels more seamless. This was something that I had already known about before creating Frog, but didn't entirely comprehend how big of a difference it can make until I had finished. Looking back, there are a few spots that I wish I timed differently.

At the end, we see the Frog on a train to work surrounded by humans. Is this a message about conformity?

In a way, it is. Frog is trying to conform to a society run by humans but ultimately, he just stands out even more. Sometimes when you try to change yourself to fit into something you aren't, you may end up feeling out of place.

On the same note, though, Frog looks ridiculous but doesn't have the awareness to realize it or care what other people think. I think what can be taken away from the short is to be true to yourself and not care what anyone thinks of you.

What has it been like learning Harmony and participating in Toon Boom's education showreel?

It's been a blast! It's really an honor for my short film to be included in the education showreel. Toon Boom Harmony is so versatile. I wouldn't believe some of the things that are possible in the programs if I didn't see people online showing all sorts of tips and tricks. It's very user friendly as well which makes the learning process a lot easier when you don't have to search through a thousand menus for everything.

Can you tell us about your wider ambitions in the animation industry?

Once upon a time, I aspired to work in a studio doing animation for television and entertainment. As I've gotten older, and since graduating, my ambitions have widened some in the sense that I don't feel the need to constrict myself to solely working in a studio. Though I still welcome the idea. I just want to make things that'll make others and myself laugh, regardless of the circumstances. I want to make content that will have an effect on the people who view it the same way that so many of the shows I watched growing up affected me. 

Any last words?

Don't be afraid to be weird and create what makes you happy.

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• Frog With Nipples was featured in the 2022 Toon Boom Education Showreel, which you can watch here.
• Interested in seeing more work from Michelle Ellerman? Be sure to visit her portfolio.
• Considering Harmony and Storyboard Pro for your thesis film? Learn about Toon Boom’s student licenses.