Why I Approved Some Off-Model Scenes: Perspective from DeeDee’s Animation Supervisor

In animation, "off-model" is often considered something that needs to be fixed. Character consistency is an essential part of maintaining visual quality throughout a film.

But during the production of Immortals, a fully hand-drawn animated short film, Animation Supervisor and Art Director Hoang Ha deliberately approved several off-model scenes. It wasn't the result of carelessness, it was a conscious artistic decision rooted in something deeply human.

What Does "Off-Model" Really Mean?

"Off-model" is a term used in animation and drawing when a character does not look the way they are supposed to. It happens when a drawing or frame changes the character's size, shape, or facial features so they no longer match the official model sheets.

In most productions, off-model drawings are corrected to ensure consistency across every scene. But does every off-model drawing automatically mean poor-quality animation?

A draw over scene from Immortals by DeeDee Animation Studio

Why Off-Model Isn't Always a Mistake

While directing Immortals - a short film created entirely through traditional hand-drawn animation - Hoang Ha chose not to be overly strict when reviewing certain off-model scenes.

As he explains:

"In the age of AI, this is a choice that I make deliberately as an artistic statement. This film is definitely, honestly, and absolutely made by human hands. Specifically hands that make very small 'mistakes' which come from the different people with different lives, opinions, and personalities who had a hand in making this film."

For him, the role of an Animation Supervisor isn't simply about fixing drawings. It is about protecting the artistic intention of the film. Sometimes, preserving a small human imperfection can serve that intention better than pursuing absolute visual consistency.

Hoang Ha - Animation Supervisor & Art Director at DeeDee Animation Studio

The Line Between Human Imperfection and Poor Draftsmanship

According to Hoang Ha, approving these scenes is never based on personal preference or emotion. There is a clear standard that separates intentional human variation from work that genuinely needs correction.

As he puts it:

"If the character looks too different and unrecognizable, it should be addressed and corrected. But if the differences are very small, as long as you can tell who it is within the art style and context of the film, then I as the director will keep it."

The goal is not to ignore quality, but to preserve subtle traces of the artists behind each drawing while ensuring the character remains recognizable within the visual language of the film.

Why This Philosophy Shaped 'Immortals'

Immortals was inspired by Hoang Ha's own childhood memories of growing up with his grandparents. However, the film is not simply a biographical story.

Immortals’ Concept Art

The emotional connection between children and their grandparents is a familiar part of many Vietnamese childhoods. That shared experience became the emotional foundation of the film.

As Hoang Ha shares:

"As the film's themes come from real human emotions, I want to channel that into every single line that our artists and animators make. Each of them has their own way of resonating with our film, and the drawings and paintings reflect that. This is exactly what I wanted the audience to feel."

Rather than treating every drawing as something that must be perfectly uniform, Immortals embraces the subtle individuality that each artist brings to the film - allowing those human emotions to exist not only in the story, but also in every frame.

A final character design in Immortals by DeeDee Animation Studio

In an era where technology is making animation faster and more consistent than ever, Immortals takes a different approach. The film embraces the small imperfections that naturally come from many artists working together by hand - not as flaws, but as evidence of genuine human creation.

For Hoang Ha, approving certain off-model scenes was never about lowering artistic standards. It was about preserving the humanity behind the work and protecting the emotional intention of the film.

After all, tiny human imperfections can remind us why a film was worth making in the first place.

Contact Us!