This Animation Perfectly Sums Up What It's Like to Meet People in a New City

Meeting people in a new city is hard. Meeting people at an art exhibition’s private view? Doubly so. Animator and illustrator Steph Hope explores this particular social anxiety in the new short animation New Friends, getting the job done in 30 seconds in a style reminiscent of underground comix.

“I recently moved to a different country and in the beginning I started introducing myself to strangers at private views in the hopes that they would become my friends, with mixed reactions,” Hope tells The Creators Prouect. “That really inspired this animation.”

Hope says she hand-drew the frames on paper on an LED light pad. She then scanned and digitally colored them, and even added his voice to the characters.

Even if one doesn’t frequent private views, with the often calculated and robotically aesthetic language, viewers will find the short’s city talk, ambient noise, and DJ spinning electronic tunes to be very familiar.

New Friends from Steph Hope on Vimeo.

Click here to see more of Steph Hope’s work.

Related:

Brilliant Text Animation Pits Bunny Against Robot

Magical Drawings Put Women in Conversation With Their Demons

A Musician Animated His Own Music Video And It's Amazing