Degree Name
MFA (Master of Fine Arts)
Program
Digital Media
Date of Award
5-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Gregory Marlow
Committee Members
Marty Fitzgerald, Chris Wilson
Abstract
This capstone explores the creative development of Peter Pumpkin, a character-driven animated world built from the ground up through storytelling, design, and 3D modeling. The project focuses on how characters can shape the foundation of a larger universe—guiding everything from tone and theme to environment and visual style. At its core is the pilot episode, which introduces a whimsical, yet emotionally grounded world made up of holiday-themed realms. Through narrative breakdowns, storyboards, and evolving character arcs, the story explores ideas of identity, transformation, and finding one’s place. Stylized 2D concept art served as the starting point, later translated into 3D using tools like ZBrush and Maya to explore how these designs live and breathe in a dimensional space. Along the way, the process became a deep dive into how storytelling and design feed into each other, creating a world that feels both playful and lived in.
Selected Images
Document Type
Culminating Experience
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Recommended Citation
Lawson, Andrew, "Worldbuilding through Character-Centered Narrative: The Development of Peter Pumpkin" (2025). Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience. Paper 14. https://dc.etsu.edu/digitalmedia-culminating-experience/14