For this project, I created a moveset for the character Skathi. I wanted her to feel snappy and full of personality, so I went for exaggerated, stylized animations. The moveset includes an idle, walk, run, jump, and one where she kicks her weapon up onto her shoulder, all being keyframed animation.My process was pretty standard I believe. I worked on them all simultaniously. First doing a blocking pass to get the key poses and timing right, then reworking until I felt they were all at a good standard. In the end I added all the nice little details like ear and finger movements. I knew I wanted to use physics on the hair, cloth and staff details, so for them I just made sure they were not clipping, and pointed in the correct direction.

I wanted to become more comfortable with implementation, so after exporting the animations, I brought Skathi into Unreal Engine.
I also added some extra polish using the Kawaii Physics plugin—which was totally new to me—to give her some secondary motion. It was a really fun challenge and helped push the character's expressiveness even further.

For this project, I keyframe animated a bat takeoff, flying and landing sequence. My goal was to explore how winged creatures move and how weight impacts a character’s flight and motion.To prepare, I studied a lot of slow-motion videos of real bats flying to understand how their wings move and how they use their whole body during flight. Bats have amazing control and precision when they fly. I kept that reference in mind while animating, but also made adjustments to fit the fantasy setting. This creature is much larger and heavier than a real bat, so I tweaked the timing and motion to reflect that added weight and presence.

I worked with the mindset that I was animating for a game, so I divided it up into parts. A takeoff animation, a flycycle and a landing. In the long run this created another challenge for me, as I needed to create nice transitions between them all. Approaching it more like a cinematic sequence would possibly have been more beneficial in this context.It was a fun challenge to find that balance between realism and stylized movement. To further improve I would animate his face and claws to add some extra personality.

For this project I wanted to expand upon a previous animation I have worked on.
As dragons sadly do not exist in real life, I had to find references elsewere. The movement of this character was inspired by my love for dogs, and especially my sweet Samoyed Elsa, who is a particularly goofy and happy girl.I of course had to look up plenty of references of cute and happy puppies!If I were to continue working on this animation, I would definately try to push it further to make the emotions pop more.

Øya
Classical animation holds a special place in my heart, and this project was where I was able to focus completely on this.
A scene from a short film project about a young girl looking for her father. The hand drawn animation and backgrounds in this clip is made by me. Using TVPaint.Others who worked on this project are animators Jens Villa and Liliana Mintcheva.

The Witch
A clip from a short film project about a witch who is not wery good at her craft. Puppet and animation are created by me.

Dovrefjell
A clip from a short film about a man who unvillingly gets pulled into an adventure. Cut-out animation in this clip is made by me using After Effects.Others who worked on this project are animators Jens Villa and Mads Nødtvedt.

Tanuki Tales

This was the first game project I worked on while studying at The Game Assembly, where I rigged and animated an adorable Tanuki for a runner game.

In this mobile puzzle game, you play as a mischievous imp making his way through a cathedral to perform a ritual to reanimate his lost rabbit. I had a blast rigging and animating the nun and monk enemies.
This game was even nominated for Best Mobile Game at the Swedish Game Awards 2023!

Once blessed by the gods, a small town is now overrun by demons from the underworld. As a brave cleric, your mission is to fight back, help those in need, and restore light to the darkness. In this soulslike game I animated the hero character, focusing on bringing their movements to life.

Sub Umbra - WIP

• Heart

About me

I’m Sandra Sandal ✧˖° a game dev student at The Game Assembly in Malmö, Sweden, with a strong work ethic and a passion for bringing characters and creatures to life through animation.
During my years at TGA I have gained a lot of experience collaborating with other diciplines to develop games.
Right now, I’m on the lookout for an internship at a studio where I can grow, collaborate, and help create amazing gaming experiences. While I am based in Malmö, I am willing to relocate for the right opportunity.

Before diving into gameplay animation, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in animation at Volda University College. There I gained experience in hand drawn animation, stop motion and cut-out. I’ve built a strong foundation in storytelling and movement. Now, I focus on creating dynamic, responsive animations that don’t just look great—they feel great to play.

When I’m not animating, I’m probably chasing after my one-year-old daughter, going on long walks with my partner and our playful Samoyed dog, or getting creative with painting, drawing or sewing. I love exploring and finding new ways to stay inspired.Let’s connect and create something incredible together!