Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- A personal tale of early parenthood transformed into an eerie animated short blending 2D and 3D art.
- A creative journey fueled by anxiety, independent spirit, and a desire to make something uniquely fulfilling.
- An innovative use of free tools and a reimagined ending reflecting real-world events and deeper empathy.
Michael Berardini, a seasoned animator and director with credits from Disney, Warner Bros. Animation, and DreamWorks, brings his latest passion project Monitor to FilmQuest 2025.
This independent short film, blending hand-drawn 2D characters within 3D environments, is a haunting exploration of new-parent fears.
Collaborating with composer Batu Sener and sound designer Jérémy Ben Ammar, Berardini’s Monitor offers a fresh voice in animated horror, spotlighted by one of the world’s top genre film festivals.
What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?
I actually never intended to make this short! It started as just a quick thumbnailing exercise I gave myself. I wanted to see if I could make something creepy as efficiently as possible. Inspired by watching my daughter in the baby monitor, I boarded out the idea quickly and showed it to my wife. It made the hair on her neck stand up so I thought I might be onto something!
The next day, I randomly started modeling the set and laying out the cameras and before I knew it, I was teaching myself Blender and animating the dang thing over the course of a year and change.
It's rooted in my anxieties as a parent. I think all first-time parents stress about the silliest stuff and what happens in this short is exactly something I consistently thought of when looking down at my kids in the monitor.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
It used to have a darker, edgier, more ambiguous ending... but the ongoing war in Gaza and the awful imagery from it made me seriously rethink if this was a short I even wanted to make anymore. The world doesn't need more children in danger.
I ended up reworking the last third of the film to end on a happier (though still creepy) ending. I'm much happier with the film now—depending on the audience, some think it's funny, some think it's awful. I'm happy to have made something people have an opinion on.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
I'm very proud of the look of this film. It's 3D animation but also 2D animation, and it looks like one of my illustrations brought to life. Every object in the film was hand drawn by me.
The house is an approximation of our own home as well. Those close to our family who have seen the short always say, "Oh that's just you guys. That's your house!"
I'm particularly fond of the shot as the parents run down the hallway. That was a very technical shot, but also the most fulfilling. I had that shot in my head from the start and to see it take shape close to my original vision was awesome.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
Reworking the ending was definitely the toughest nut to crack. As I said, I started this process by trying to make something efficient (and actually produceable by myself) and every idea was adding more shots or more complexity.
I owe the ending to my wife, my partner in children-raising. I knew the new ending would involve the “Mommy” monster taking care of the baby herself. I already had the shot of the hand grabbing the penguin stuffy, but it still felt like the baby was in danger. Said as a joke, my wife suggested having her grab a bottle instead of the stuffy. Immediately everything clicked for me. I had the callback shot I was looking for and the implication that the monster was in it for the long haul. It seems so obvious in hindsight, but that’s filmmaking!
"It's rooted in my anxieties as a parent. I think all first-time parents stress about the silliest stuff and what happens in this short is exactly something I consistently thought of when looking down at my kids in the monitor."
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
"Animation is not a genre, it's a medium."
Also... raising kids is hard and exhausting. I made this short for all the new parents out there. My kids are a bit more grown up now, and it's easy to forget how difficult those first few months are. We see you! You're doing a great job! There's not a monster watching and judging the way you parent!
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
I have long dreamed of making an animated horror but always told myself there wasn’t an audience for it. Finally biting the bullet and just making something that I wanted to see was extremely creatively fulfilling. Now that audiences have started to embrace it, I feel confident there is an audience for more animated horror. It has fueled me to continue pursuing my dream of a feature done in a similar style as Monitor.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
I made the entire short with mostly free software. It was animated, lit, and composited in Blender and edited with DaVinci Resolve. In a world becoming filled with AI slop, I can't overstate how important it is to keep real creativity alive. Having such powerful tools that are completely free means anyone can make something if they're willing to put in the work.
I had never touched Blender before this short. I learned it as I went. Countless tutorials and YouTube videos saved me when I was lost. Each shot was a new challenge with a unique problem to solve. By the end of production, I had created a very solid workflow and pipeline—so much so, I ended up going back to earlier shots to set them up in a more efficient way.
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project?
Not a lot of studios would invest in a small animated horror short, but I was desperate to see one. So I made it. It certainly would've been easier with a budget and a full crew—we could've knocked it out in a month. But with studios and money come notes, expectations, and extra cooks in the kitchen. So I spent over a year making it myself in whatever spare time I could find. The short is exactly what I set out to make from the beginning. No compromises. That's the true power of independent filmmaking—the end product is closer to the artist's intent.
"The short is exactly what I set out to make from the beginning. No compromises. That's the true power of independent filmmaking."
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
It's an absolute honor! Genre films are near and dear to my heart and I'm thrilled to have something sitting next to some of the best of the year. So many amazing-looking projects!
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
Monitor is the tip of the iceberg I hope to climb. Animated horror is such a rarity, but that’s what puts it in a unique position. It's different for the animation world and it's different for the horror world. I believe there's an audience for it and I hope to add my voice to the small chorus of what's come before.
Where do you see this film going next?
A few more festivals and then online! I didn't make it to hide it—I want all the parents out there to be anxious with me!
“At the core of all my work is a desire to create. Plain and simple. The act of making something is one of the most gratifying, all-consuming, engrossing things one can do. I derive so much joy in the process. If the end result is good, that's the cherry on top."
Cast & Crew
- Michael Berardini — Director / Animator; 15 years in animation, worked with Disney, Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks. Passion projects include "Monitor."
- Batu Sener — Composer; protégé of John Powell, credits include "How to Train Your Dragon," "Star Wars," and "Bourne." Collaborated previously with Berardini on Disney+’s "Ice Age: Scrat Tales."
- Jérémy Ben Ammar — Sound Designer; background in drawing, cinema, and music; specializes in animated films with credits like "Uncanny Alley" and "The Shyness of Trees."
