“Il Cattivo Bambino”
Il Cattivo Bambino follows the life of Stumpy, a gay man in his mid-20s whose world is turned upside down by the arrival of a "naughty demon baby" from Italy. The introduction of the Bambino into Stumpy’s space sparks a cycle of chaos where nothing and no one is safe.
Our team, Bambini, consists of Miles Colubriale (Lead Artist), Vince Belcheff (Lead Writer), Eugenia Cynthiaputri (Animator), and myself. After winning the 2024 ACMI X + Ludo Studio Residency, we spent October 2024 through November 2025 developing a trailer under the mentorship of Ludo Studio. The project features a unique visual style: hand-built physical sets with animation layered on top.
Set design
THE SET: BAMBINO TRANSCENDS DIMENSIONS BY CARTOON POWER
I had several roles in the project. Firstly, I was the lead set designer for the physical set of Stumpy's living room.
One of the biggest inspirations for our set design was German Expressionism in films, a movement known for its distorted perspectives, angular shapes, and dramatic shadows. We were particularly inspired by the set design in the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). This distinct visual style helped us create an exaggerated, dream-like environment.
The living room's atmosphere was influenced by the David Lynch’s Red Room’s topsy-turvy nature, where speech and physics feel distorted. It reflects our vision of the living room as the control center of Stumpy’s apartment. It was crucial to establish an intense, surreal tone of this space.
The primary inspiration for the interior design came from the films of Pedro Almodóvar, particularly the vibrant primary-colored interiors created with set designer Antxón Gómez. Their eclectic yet carefully considered style perfectly captures the whimsy and eccentricity of the world inhabited by Bambino and company.
Animation (WIP scenes)
Moonhead TV ad
My role: background design, layout design, background animation
Character animation: Eugenia Cynthiaputri
Stumpy’s everyday routine
My role: animation, cleanup, colouring
Bambino’s crush
My role: FX animation, layout design, cleanup, colouring
Bambino’s appearance
My role: FX animation
Character animation: Miles Colubriale
Lotion TV Ad
My role: background design, layout design, animation, cleanup, colouring
Pizza TV Ad
My role: background design, layout design, animation, cleanup, colouring
Bambino pasta turn
My role: character animation, cleanup, colouring
Stumpy is landing on the sofa
My role: cleanup, colouring
Stumpy and Bambino. Fight
My role: in-between retake, cleanup, colouring (character Stumpy)
Keys: Eugenia Cynthiaputri
Visual development
Character: Angelo
Turnaround
Character: Angelo
Lip sync design
Character: Shrimpy
The potential love interest for Stumpy. A big beautiful juicy sexy prawn.
Turnaround and colour test
Prop design
Lotion bottle and remote control
