The Concert

I wrote “The Concert” after recalling a video where a group of women spoke about the double standards they faced compared to men in most traditional households. Since I am the older sibling in a culturally traditional family and wanted to tell a story from a younger sibling’s point of view, I based this story on some of the conversations I had with my younger sister, a few friends, and some family members who had older brothers.

I had also always wanted to tell a story that incorporated some of my experience as the daughter of Iranian immigrants since I never saw that culture in any of the animated shows or movies I watched growing up.

Color Script Sample

Boards To Final Composite

Character Designs

For the characters, I took inspiration from the people in my own life, like my parents and family friends, but also myself. While Sara and I share the same interests and some of the frustrations of having overprotective parents, I feel that I am also like Amir since I have had older sibling privilege, such as being able to do more things growing up than my younger sister had been allowed to do.

Living Room Designs

For the living room, I took inspiration from my own living room and other Persian interior decor. I wanted to make it feel as if you were looking into the lifestyle of an Iranian household (the big couch, the traditional Persian paintings, and of course, the giant Persian rug). One of my favorite things to hear was my family and friends say “Oh, that’s your house!” whenever it was the scene of Amir and Sara’s parents.

Sara's Room Designs

For Sara’s room, I took inspiration from a lot of teenage punk-rock bedrooms, but I also wanted to make it very pink. The posters in her room were inspired by my favorite 90’s J-rock band, Siam Shade. I have been a huge fan of their music for the past 2 years, and I even had one of the composers take inspiration from their music for the opening and closing credits of the film.