2D Motion Designer / Limited Animator for Atmospheric Horror Shorts

We are looking for a talented **2D Motion Designer / Limited Animator** to help develop the next visual style for an established short-form horror channel. Our videos are approximately 60–75 seconds long and are published primarily on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. I have attached one of our existing videos as a reference. This video represents our current visual style and also includes our upgraded professional music and sound design. We are **not looking to completely replace the current identity**. Instead, we want to evolve it into a darker, more atmospheric and more polished 2D style. A major part of the new direction will be: * Strong shading * Dramatic use of light and darkness * Silhouettes * Deep shadows * Negative space * Atmospheric environments * Better depth and perspective * Subtle movement throughout scenes We especially like the **mood, contrast, silhouettes, and atmospheric shading found in games such as LIMBO**, but we are not looking to copy another game's art style. The final look should remain original and recognizable as our own brand. ### The Animation Style We are **not looking for expensive full frame-by-frame animation**. We are interested in limited 2D animation and motion design where specific elements of a scene move. Examples could include: * A character slowly turning their head * Someone walking through a hallway * A door opening or closing * A shadow moving in the background * A phone screen lighting up * Curtains moving * Lights flickering * A hand reaching toward an object * Slow camera push-ins * Parallax between foreground and background * Subtle character movement Some scenes may involve more movement than others. The goal is for the video to constantly feel visually alive without becoming overly complicated or cartoon-like. ### How Our Workflow Would Work We handle the concept, writing, voiceover, editing, captions, music, and sound design. For each video, you would receive: * The completed script * The final voiceover for timing and pacing * Scene direction * Existing character/style references * Examples of previous videos * Additional creative direction when necessary Your responsibility would be to turn the script into the illustrated and animated visual scenes. We will assemble the final video ourselves in CapCut. ### Deliverables For each video, we would ideally receive: * Individual numbered animated scenes * 1080 × 1920 vertical format * MP4 format * Approximately 30 fps * No captions * No narration * No music or sound effects baked into the clips * Static PNG/JPG artwork when appropriate For example: Scene_01.mp4 Scene_02.mp4 Scene_03.png Scene_04.mp4 This allows us to assemble and adjust the final pacing ourselves. Editable/source files such as After Effects, Photoshop, or Illustrator files are a plus, particularly if we begin developing reusable characters, environments, and visual assets together, but they are not required for the initial paid test. ### Opening Video Footage Our videos will often begin with a short real-video or realistic-video hook before transitioning into the illustrated/animated portion. We will generally handle this opening separately unless we specifically discuss otherwise. Your primary responsibility will be the illustrated and animated portion of the video. ### What We Care About Most We are looking for someone who is particularly strong at: * 2D illustration * Shading * Lighting * Atmospheric composition * Limited character animation * Motion graphics * Visual storytelling * Horror or suspense atmosphere We care more about **strong composition, shading, and atmosphere** than extremely complex animation. A simple scene with excellent lighting and subtle movement is much more valuable to us than a heavily animated scene that does not fit the brand. ### Paid Test This job begins with a **$200 paid test**. The purpose of the test is to find someone who could potentially become a long-term visual collaborator for the channel. If the test is successful, we currently expect to produce approximately **10–13 videos per month**. For ongoing production, we are targeting approximately **$150–$200 per completed video**, depending on the quality, complexity, workflow, and amount of reusable artwork we are able to develop together. We understand that pricing may evolve based on the final workflow and are interested in hearing how you would approach the project. ### When Applying Please send: 1. Your strongest 2D illustration work 2. Examples of 2D animation or motion design 3. Work demonstrating strong shading, shadows, or atmospheric lighting 4. Any dark, suspenseful, cinematic, horror, or game-inspired artwork 5. Examples of character animation if available 6. The software you normally use 7. Your typical price for this type of 60–75 second project 8. Your estimated turnaround time 9. Whether you would be interested in ongoing work of approximately 10–13 videos per month Please begin your proposal with **DON'T PANIC** so we know you read the entire description. We are especially interested in finding someone who can help us develop a consistent visual system over time rather than simply completing one isolated animation project.