BERNEBURG
A medieval kingdom enslaved by dark magic. Its people live under the tyranny of Kembrak, a ruler who governs through fear.

AVAILABILITY: OPEN FOR COLLABORATIONS
Panayotis Vasdaris - Artist / Animator
I am an artist with a background in painting and digital arts, with a focus on 2D & 3D animation, concept art, and sound design. My work focuses on creating cinematic scenes, character moments, and personal projects, while also exploring comic/manga as a form of visual storytelling. I am particularly interested in creating atmosphere, worlds, and stories through the combination of image, motion, and sound. My goal is to continue developing as a creative artist and collaborate with artists and animation studios on projects that embrace creativity, storytelling, and experimentation.
I am currently seeking opportunities to collaborate with animation studios and creative teams.
TOOLS
Clip Studio Paint
DaVinci Resolve
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN MACEDONIA
EXPERIENCE
Independent work
Animation, concept art, sound design.
Personal project
Concept, animation, direction, sound design — 2D/3D short film.
CASE STUDY
THE AWE OF HUMANITY — 2026 — 2D/3D HYBRID ANIMATED SHORT
THE REEL / FRAME BY FRAME
56 FRAMES / ARROWS ← → OR CLICK
THE STORY / BEHIND THE FILM
The film constitutes a narrative that explores themes of friendship, redemption, and the struggle with the human nature. The work serves as a canvas where different artistic approaches and philosophical inquiries converge. It reflects themes of the contemporary world while drawing upon elements of medieval culture and the representation of war. Animation becomes the primary form through which these ideas, emotions, and visual narratives are expressed.
A medieval kingdom enslaved by dark magic. Its people live under the tyranny of Kembrak, a ruler who governs through fear.
Kembrak’s former childhood friend and a survivor of a bloody uprising. Wounded and scarred by the past, he becomes the people’s last hope.
The rebel is called upon to confront the tyrant — his former childhood friend. A struggle between personal bonds and duty.
“A man becomes a monster when fear becomes power.”
KEMBRAK — FROM THE FILM
DIRECTORIAL VISION / REFERENCES
The directorial approach draws inspiration from three distinct worlds — bringing them together to create something uniquely its own.
Narrative Restraint
Withholding information to heighten suspense. Nature is not merely a backdrop — it is an autonomous character that observes and shapes the action.
Geometry & Light
Geometric, static compositions and natural lighting emphasize the characters’ psychological isolation within the space.
Memory in Black and White
A visual transition into stylized black-and-white imagery during the flashbacks — capturing the subjective and traumatic nature of memory.

TECHNICAL EXECUTION / PIPELINE
The project is a technical exploration of how two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital art can be combined into a cohesive visual language.
Clip Studio Paint
Character design based on Japanese artistic aesthetics. Expressiveness, anatomy, and fight choreography developed through the study of live-action footage.
Depth · Camera · Light
3D objects and environments are used to create depth, dynamic camera movements, and realistic lighting — seamlessly integrated with the 2D animation into a cohesive visual result.
Flute · Natural Sound
A composition built from natural field recordings. The absence of music in introspective scenes enhances the atmosphere, while a traditional flute, recorded on location, adds an organic sonic layer.
DaVinci Resolve
Editing, compositing, and color grading bring together thousands of frames and layers into one continuous narrative.
BERNEBURG — THE CITY AS A SET
CHARACTER DESIGN
The rebel and the tyrant — designed as counterparts to one another. Character sheets developed on the light table, alongside their confrontation brought to life through movement.
UTIO VS KEMBRAK
CHARACTER SHEETA survivor of a bloody uprising. Wounded, he carries the people’s last hope — and the weight of a friendship from the past.
CHARACTER SHEETThe ruler of Berneburg, who governs through fear. Utio’s former childhood friend — the man who became a monster.
THE FIGHT
4 FRAMES IN MOTION
STATS / PROJECT BREAKDOWN
The actual scale of the production — what it took to bring the world of Berneburg to life.
SNAPSHOTS / SELECTED FRAMES
Frames from the final cut, arranged like prints across the light table.












WORK
The trailer and the full film. Every frame you saw above — now with sound, rhythm, and time.
POSTER + TRAILER + FULL FILM

THE AWE OF HUMANITY — OFFICIAL ONE-SHEET
ANIMATED SHORT FILM — 2D/3D ANIMATION
FULL FILMOPENS ON YOUTUBE →MOTION / THE CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR
Short loops and studies from the same world — running silent here, like gifs. Open any of them to watch it with sound.
07 LOOPS + 01 SHOWREEL