Ravi: rebel light

"Ravi: Rebel Light" is an original concept created by me, born from the inspiration of a photograph I took in Jaipur, India.

This project served as the ideal testing ground for experimenting with and refining my skills in creative writing, character creation, and the use of Harmony to improve my rigging and animation techniques.

Ravi's story is rich in meaning and filled with challenge: it questions the idea that a person's identity and destiny must be defined from childhood, asserting the right to grow, choose, and self-determine beyond the boundaries imposed by tradition.

"Ravi: Rebel Light" represents not only an exercise in artistic and technical exploration, but also the beginning of a story brimming with potential, ready to be further developed and, maybe, produced.

Procreate, Photoshop, Toon Boom Harmony

The concept of Ravi was born from a brainstorming based on three key words: India, Historical, Kids. I wanted to create a story rooted in an authentic cultural context, set in 1990s India, but narrated through the eyes of a child, with spontaneity, rebellion, and adaptability.

To ensure historical and cultural accuracy, I relied on notes from my 2015 trip to India, immersing myself in the details of my experiences and observations. My former local guide was an invaluable resource, helping me understand customs, traditions, and cultural nuances that are difficult to grasp from the outside.

This approach allowed me to bring to life an authentic setting who embodies the contradictions and wonders of a time and place rich in history, creating an engaging narrative that stimulates awareness and critical thinking.

Born as Raveena and promised in marriage at just 11 years old, in a time and place where traditions rule, her life seemed already written: A caste marriage, arranged by her family of tailors, with an elderly textile merchant.
Her rebellious spirit could not accept this betrayal: in a burst of courage, she flees from the ceremony, cuts her long hair and is reborn as Ravi, severing with that gesture the imposed destiny of wife and mother, finally choosing for herself an identity free from boundaries.

Ravi, whose name in Sanskrit evokes the strength of the sun and the warmth of a new dawn, embodies the courage, lightness, and determination of those who dare to change their future.

With this new spirit, her mission becomes fighting an unjust system and restoring dignity and hope to the many oppressed children in the streets of Jaipur, saving them from the fates that await them.
Thanks to a tomboyish appearance and creativity in crafting costumes, Ravi manages to outsmart enemies and represent both boys and girls with cunning and spirit, embodying an antihero who can adapt to any situation and escape danger.

Ravi thus founds the Rashmi, a group of young rebels who live day by day, pulling off small thefts and playing tricks on the wicked and the old defenders of a cruel tradition.
In every adventure, through daring disguises and playful missions, Ravi tells a story of emancipation and freedom, inspiring the group and protecting the youngest, under the favor of the god Ganesha and the guidance of his magical helper, Kuber, while speeding through the streets aboard a stolen Tuktuk—their trusty vehicle for wild escapades.

It looks like a simple coin purse, but it is actually a lively and cheeky companion, born from Ravi’s hands on a night of despair. Sewn from fabric scraps and featuring a zipper that opens like a mouth, it speaks with a cheerful and sarcastic voice, revealing itself as the avatar of the Hindu god of wealth, guardian of treasures and justice. Fond of coins and shiny objects, Kuber becomes a precious confidant for Ravi, offering advice and ingenious ideas in moments of difficulty. For the Rashmi, it’s a lucky charm; for Ravi, it’s proof that even in the darkest moments, a touch of magic can light the way.

The restyling of Ravi was a crucial step in preparing the characters for 2D animation, transforming the original design—with its intricate details and complex lines that were potentially difficult to manage in animation—into a more clean and functional version for movement.
The main changes included:

• Softer and more uniform outlines, reducing unnecessary details to facilitate rigging and animation.
• Improved readability of expressions, with larger eyes and a clearer facial structure.
• Simpler palette and textures, retaining only the essential decorative motifs to avoid visual overload.
• More balanced arms and legs, for greater versatility in poses and movements.
• Optimization of Kuber's design, harmoniously integrated with the new aesthetic.

The result is a cohesive and dynamic look, featuring a distinctive color palette, ready for the rigging phase while preserving the original identity.

Each part of Ravi's body was divided into distinct elements, allowing each element to move independently and establishing a node hierarchy in Harmony that connected the various parts for fluid animation.

In constructing the rig, special attention was paid to the masking of textures, which remain fixed on the screen by stylistic choice, creating a unique visual effect. Additionally, deformers were used to ensure that the body and face parts bent realistically, maintaining consistent proportions throughout the animation.

Kuber's rig, with a non-humanoid body, presented several problem-solving challenges. The greatest difficulty was simulating the rotation of the asymmetric patchwork like a sphere, a complex dynamic that needed to integrate perfectly with the facial expressions and the movement of the zipper.

From the storyboard stage, the animation of Ravi and Kuber was designed to highlight their personalities and relationship. The body language and interactions between the characters, immediately convey who they are: Ravi is energetic and confident, while Kuber stands out for the comic expressiveness of the helper who affectionately tolerates pranks. Each movement is carefully constructed to emphasize the complicity between the two with dynamic poses and make the narrative fun and engaging.

In the final version, the 2-step cut-out animation ensures a balance between fluidity and style, making the movement both clear and lively. Ravi's movements are coherent with the character, with an effective use of anticipation and follow-through. Kuber, on the other hand, is animated through the smooth rotation of the lines that form the fabric and the zipper that opens and closes in sync with the facial expressions. The background music, inspired by the traditional Indian sitar, enhances the atmosphere and strengthens the playful tone of the scene.