Every scene in this film is based on an actual location in Oregon, such as Terwilliger Hot Springs, Neskowin Ghost Forest, and the Steens Mountain. But rather than just making a checklist of places to visit, we wanted to capture the feeling of visiting Oregon. So we used animation to help us make a stronger emotional connection with our audience while also standing out from other travel films.

We also landed on a truth that vacation pictures and videos rarely capture the grandeur of our mountains or lakes—or the memories attached to those places. So to better re-create those big feelings, we thought going over the top with fantastical animation would actually help us get closer to reality.

Our biggest challenge was trying to create the exact style and feel that we had in our heads. It needed to be sophisticated yet whimsical. This took a lot of trial and error, as we didn’t want it to look mainstream, cartoonish, or slapstick. It proved to be as much an exercise in craft as it was in concept, and we were thrilled with the final results.

Though digital, every frame was hand-drawn with detailed backgrounds done in the style of highly rendered watercolor paintings. We were incredibly meticulous with every frame, making sure that each could stand on its own. This technique helped us reach a level of craft that we feel is often lost in much modern animation.