CASE STUDY
GRAPH YOUR
STORY
OVERVIEW
"Graph Your Story" is a richly layered short film that traces the journey of a lifelong dream, nurtured from childhood's humble beginnings with basic toys and parental encouragement, through college, to the forefront of innovation with groundbreaking technologies and NASA-supported collaborations. The interconnected graphs represent the fusion of ideas, people, and experiences, showing how, when effectively linked, they can take us from a paper plane to landing a rover on Mars.
SCOPE
Graph Your Story is an animated short film that captures the evolution of a dream, spanning from childhood curiosity to advanced technological achievements. The narrative draws on themes of connection, collaboration, and innovation, with a visual metaphor of interlinking graphs representing the journey from simple beginnings to monumental accomplishments, such as placing a rover on Mars.
CHALLENGE
One of the primary challenges was to visually represent the abstract concept of interconnected experiences and ideas in a meaningful way. Translating a complex, multi-stage journey into a cohesive animated story required blending personal storytelling with universal themes of perseverance and discovery, all while maintaining a seamless narrative flow.
APPROACH
Co-directed by Riccardo Vecchio and Richard Koscher, the film utilized a fully animated format to bring this intricate story to life. Through creative direction, the team employed cutting-edge animation techniques and compelling storytelling to symbolize the journey from childhood dreams to real-world achievements, further enhanced by the original score from Icelandic artist Rakel Sigurðardóttir.
IMPACT
Graph Your Story resonated deeply with audiences, illustrating the power of perseverance, collaboration, and the human drive to achieve the seemingly impossible. The film’s metaphor of connected graphs emphasized how every experience and relationship can contribute to groundbreaking accomplishments, leaving viewers inspired to pursue their own dreams, no matter the obstacles.
STEP 1
The journey of Graph Your Story began in the ideation phase, where Riccardo Vecchio and Richard Koscher crafted a compelling narrative about a young girl's exploration of life's highs and lows, ultimately discovering her purpose beyond Earth. The concept evolved into a visual metaphor, weaving the interconnectedness of ideas, relationships, and experiences. From this foundation, the storyboards were meticulously developed, mapping out each key moment and ensuring the emotional arc resonated through powerful imagery and symbolic graphs.
STEP 2:
Next, the team dove into the hands-on stop-motion design phase, where the challenge was to bring abstract concepts to life through intricate animation. Each scene was carefully constructed, blending traditional stop-motion techniques with modern animation to create fluid transitions between the girl's childhood dreams and her journey into space. The tactile nature of stop-motion added a layer of depth and authenticity, emphasizing the themes of persistence and interconnectedness.
STEP 3:
In the final stages, editing and music played a crucial role in bringing the project to completion. The editing process refined the pacing and flow of the film, ensuring each moment connected seamlessly to the next. Icelandic superstar Rakel Sigurðardóttir’s original song was then added, amplifying the emotional tone and giving the film its final, cohesive voice. Her music, a perfect fit for the film's journey, elevated the narrative and left a lasting impression on the audience.
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STEP 4: DO
Graph Your Story made its highly anticipated premiere at GraphConnect, captivating an audience of innovators and storytellers alike with its unique blend of stop-motion animation and heartfelt narrative. Since its debut, the film has gained international recognition, winning the prestigious AI-AP International Motion Award for its groundbreaking animation. Its powerful message and artistic execution have resonated worldwide, earning selections at esteemed festivals such as the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah, the Portland Film Festival, and the Austrian Film Festival.
These accolades highlight not only the technical achievements of the film but also its universal appeal. The story of a young girl’s journey from childhood dreams to a destiny beyond Earth has touched diverse audiences, showcasing the power of visual storytelling to transcend boundaries. The film continues to inspire and move viewers, gaining momentum across the global film circuit.
The recognition from these prestigious platforms underscores Graph Your Story's status as a standout piece in the world of animation and short films, solidifying its place among celebrated cinematic works.
Those animated ads were featured on social media channels
What they said
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Honestly l love it It's such a beautiful production, visually, and it's tasteful and elegant.
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Just joined Neo4j about a month, responsible for marketing in EMEA. Saw your post with the animated video and I just have one word WOW. Love it and so talented. Great job!
Audrey Wang, Head of Marketing, Nordics
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Outstanding Richard and something I'm gonna do and save to rewatch when I have a bad day at work. A good reminder that we're doing something cool here. Thank you.
Michael Simons, Senior Staff Software Engineer
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I just shared the video with my friend and she was sooooo inspired and said it made her feel something warm in her heart and a part of the neo4j family.
Nikita Patwari, Associate Art Director
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Your video was a tremendous hit
Angela Zimmerman, Content Lead/ Team Director
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I love the video!
Andreas (ABK) Kollegger, Lead for GenAI Innovation
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So proud of the Neo4j team led by the amazingly talented Richard Koscher who reminds us that it's always about the connections. Bravo my friends!
Leena Mukhey Bengani, Corporate Marketing, Communications, Messaging.
Enjoy the film
CREDITS:
Directed & Produced: Richard Koscher 🇦🇹
Co-Direction, Animation & Art: Riccardo Vecchio 🇮🇹
Music & Lyrics: Rakel Sigurðardóttir, Hafsteinn Þráinsson 🇮🇸
Storyboard: Richard Koscher, Riccardo Vecchio
Film & Sound Edit: Jon Bettinger
Assistant Editor: Dave Malloure
Animation: Nitin Rane
Jr. Art Director: Nikita Patwari
Additional Animation, Compositing and Clean Up:
Sakshi Jain, Jiayu Joy Shen, Vincenzo Lodigiani, Qiyue Zhang, Rong Xu, Arif Qazi, Anagh Banerjee
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