Sandstorm Steel

Zoren Kozaki is a young mechanic seeking revenge against the man who killed his father. However, it quickly dawns on him that it is not revenge he needs, but companionship and support from those who are close to him. Sandstorm Steel is a 2D/3D mecha western film inspired by films such as Promare and Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. Our aim is to seamlessly meld 2D and 3D for a unique look and to show the versatility of mecha as a genre. The 2D elements include the characters, backgrounds, and effects, while the 3D elements consist of the mechs and cars. To bring these two together, our 3D animators experimented with animating in a stepped style to emulate 2D animation. For a final touch, we created shaders with an outline on the 3D models to appear similar to our 2D animation outlines and mimic the texture of our backgrounds. From the small idea the director had for a solo film to becoming a film created by a core team of ten students, we truly hope you enjoy it. See y’all, space cowboys!