KD Cowie 2026

Abstract

This is a work-in-progress of an animatic short film about two young queer kids navigating the complexities of their developing identities and relationship with each other. HOLOSEA takes inspiration from 2000s-2010s internet fandom culture, which served as a safe haven for many queer kids looking for a way to safely explore their identity. I’m choosing to make an animatic to allow me to tell a full narrative from beginning to end – focusing on writing and expressive, clean drawings to tell a story. It also goes back to one of the main themes of my thesis: What do we expect something to look like? What are the expectations and boundaries of a friendship? Of a queer friendship? What is a “complete” animated story expected to look like? How do these expectations affect us mentally, and what happens when these boundaries blur? My goal is to authentically illustrate a common queer experience, in the hopes that those who resonate with it can find a bit of solace in the community that comes from storytelling.