Back in the 2000's, I experimented with animation for the first time as a middle-schooler. I got a Nintendo DSi for Christmas (making me the coolest kid in school of course) and explored an application on the system called Flipnote Studio. The software let me create animations, add my own sounds and pictures, and let me upload them online!

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The application's online connection was through a site called Flipnote Hatena, which let me post my "flipnotes" and view other people's work. Users could leave comments, feedback, and show appreciation by leaving a digital currency called stars. The more stars obtained unlocked more themes and features online. Another neat element of the online component was that shared work could actually be downloaded and edited, to create collaborative pieces. Posted work could be sorted into various channels as well, pushing for organization on the sometimes clustered site.

 

Unfortunately, that service has been discontinued, but I did save my work and later exported them from the DSi as GIF's for this page. A few of the pieces I created weren't made as animations, but as something like storybooks, with each frame on the animation as a different page. Others are looped animations with simple designs. 

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Below  you will find the original works. They range from different stories, stick figure fights, some goofy movement, looped animations, and fan work of others. I even created some new pieces when exporting the old ones, just to compare the college years to the middle school years. It's been fascinating seeing this change in style over the years, and progress of work.