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April 25, 2026
Toronto motion studio Escafandra, co-founded by Julieta Tobon and Luis Mejia, make their Stash debut with these playful, tactile, and “human-made” titles that opened the 25th anniversary edition of FITC Toronto earlier today.
Julieta and Luis: “When we initially talked with FITC founder Shawn Pucknell about this year’s titles, we went through many concepts but kept circling ideas like ‘From the Ground Up’, ‘Back to Basics’, and finally landed on one word that tied all these together: Rebirth.
“Knowing the titles for the last couple of years had been fully realized 3D masterpieces, and with the constant reminder that AI is just around the corner, we wanted to do something different, go back to basics, using traditional tools and techniques.
“We both have a very distinct skill set, so this was the perfect scenario to marry the two and create a piece that evolves from 2D to 3D using the principles of form and design as our guide.
“With the constant reminder that AI is just around the corner, we wanted to do something different, go back to basics, using traditional tools and techniques.”
“The biggest obstacle in a project like this, without a doubt, is staring at a blank canvas. But once we settled on the story and the concept, and with a killer team of close friends and collaborators, we started production – a very collaborative process in which we constantly shared ideas, inspired each other, and shaped the final look of our video together.
“Rebirth is not just the theme for the titles; it’s also something we are constantly pursuing as a studio. We’re seeing a resurgence of analog techniques and tactile, handmade designs that feel human. This was key to developing our style for this piece.
“We stepped away from our computers and went back to paper to create textures with markers, pencils, and brushes. We wanted a look that felt rough and playful with a lot of personality. Furthermore, we paid homage to early animation techniques, incorporating elements such as the zoetrope.
“This sequence was an opportunity to collaborate, explore, and let curiosity lead the way as we merged texture, color, and different forms of animation all into one video in a style that’s distinctly human-made.”
Client: FITC
Founder: Shawn Pucknell
Production: Escafandra
Team: Julieta Tobon, Luis Mejia, Erin Prysiazny, John Flores, James Johnson
Music/Sound Design: Jeff Moberg
