Barsik & Pupa: The Tuna Thief
Two friends. One empty tuna can. Thirty seconds of trouble. We created Barsik and Pupa from scratch, then brought them to life in an AI-animated comedy. From character design to the final scene, we built a story around their personalities, with playful humor and a warm ending.
- Year
- 2026
- Discipline
- AI video
- Type
- Concept project
An original concept project featuring two characters created by our team: Barsik the cat and Pupa the hamster.
The challenge
Create a 30-second animated comedy with English dialogue, expressive 3D characters and a story that feels complete. The challenge was to introduce both personalities, land the jokes and end on a warm note — all in half a minute.
What we did
We started with two contrasting personalities: Barsik, a dramatic ginger cat in a blue bow, and Pupa, a sincere little hamster with very full cheeks. We designed their appearances, poses and expressions to keep them recognizable from every angle.
Then we built a complete story around an empty tuna can: suspicion, an investigation, a dramatic faint and a reunion. The humor grew naturally from how the two characters react to the same situation.
Lighting, voices and music gave each moment its mood. The fridge’s glow set the scene, an awkward silence made room for a joke, and a warm melody brought the friends back together.
The result
A finished animated short and two original characters with distinct personalities and a consistent visual identity. Their designs and character references provide a foundation for more episodes, social media content or brand mascots.
Want characters of your own?
We create characters people remember and stories people watch to the end. Tell us about your idea, and we will turn it into animation you can't look away from.