#MOREPROJECT - RANTAU
Rantau is a collaborative final-year project that explores this emotional journey through character-driven animation and an accompanying app concept. It tells the story of a student learning to navigate life away from home, discovering connection with others who share similar experiences, and finding the courage to embrace a new environment.
MY ROLE
Character Design, Visual Development & Animation
TEAM
Collaborative Project
(University Final Project)
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects
RECOGNITION
Best Project
in the Multimedia & Cinematic Arts Category at MMU Career Fair 2024
#1 - PAIN POINTS
The Story Behind Rantau
In Indonesian, rantau evokes the experience of leaving familiar surroundings to pursue new opportunities. But beyond the excitement of a new beginning lies another side of the journey: loneliness, uncertainty, and the challenge of finding a place to belong.
Moving to an unfamiliar place can be both exciting and overwhelming. Questions about making friends, communicating across language barriers, and adapting to life without family nearby can make the journey feel lonely.
Through animation, Rantau follows a student experiencing these uncertainties before gradually realizing that others are navigating similar challenges. The story encourages students living away from home to take their first steps toward connection, exploration, and belonging.
The animation concludes by introducing the Rantau app concept, envisioned as a companion to help students navigate their new surroundings.
My Contribution
I brought Rantau's story to life through character design, mascot development, art direction, and animation. My focus was on expressing the emotional transition from loneliness and uncertainty to connection and confidence through visual storytelling.
I also participated in discussions about the app concept, helping connect the animation's narrative with the project's broader purpose. The app's UI/UX design was developed by my teammate.
Reflection
Rantau taught me how visual storytelling can make unfamiliar experiences feel understood and relatable. It also showed me how different design disciplines can work together toward a shared purpose: helping people feel less alone as they navigate change.
Recognition
Rantau received Best Project in the Multimedia & Cinematic Arts Category at MMU Career Fair 2024, recognizing the project within its category.
