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Timothy Cole Burris
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Timothy Cole Burris
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Heart Of A Goon - Animated Short - Storyboard

Heart Of A Goon - Animated Short - Final Animation

Heart of a Goon — Animated Short Film

Heart of a Goon is a fully original 2D animated short film created to bring one of Goons' original songs to life through narrative storytelling and handcrafted animation. Produced with a budget of just $5,000, the project demonstrates how a small, multidisciplinary team can create cinematic work through clear creative direction, thoughtful collaboration, and efficient production.

As one of three Executive Producers, I helped lead the project from concept through final delivery, collaborating closely with the director and creative team to maintain a unified vision throughout production. Over a seven-month production schedule, our eight-person team—including two storyboard artists, one background artist, three animators, two editors, three executive producers, and one director—worked together to produce a polished 2½-minute animated film spanning more than 30 unique scenes.

Beyond executive production, I wrote the original song, produced the music, handled all recording, mixing, and mastering, and served as one of the film's editors. By contributing across both the visual and audio production pipelines, I helped ensure the storytelling, pacing, and emotional impact remained cohesive from the earliest concepts through the final edit.

The finished film showcases my ability to lead collaborative creative projects, unite artists across multiple disciplines, and deliver ambitious work while balancing artistic vision, production schedules, and budget constraints.

My Role

  • Executive Producer

  • Creative Leadership

  • Songwriter

  • Music Producer

  • Recording, Mixing & Mastering Engineer

  • Video Editor

Project Highlights

  • Original 2D animated short film

  • Produced with a $5,000 production budget

  • Led a multidisciplinary creative team from concept through completion

  • Coordinated storyboard, animation, background art, editing, and music production

  • Delivered an integrated visual and musical storytelling experience

Skills Demonstrated

Creative Leadership • Executive Production • Team Management • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Project Management • Story Development • Music Production • Audio Post-Production • Video Editing • Creative Problem Solving • Budget-Conscious Production


Goons Patreon Campaign

Goons needed a compelling launch video to introduce its Patreon platform and communicate the band's personality, vision, and value to its audience. Working with no production budget, I developed and executed the entire campaign from concept through final delivery, demonstrating how thoughtful creative direction and resourcefulness can produce polished, engaging content without relying on outside resources.

One of the project's biggest creative challenges was distilling a large amount of information into a concise, engaging video without overwhelming the audience. Every second needed to communicate value while maintaining a clear narrative. At the same time, the visuals had to reinforce the message without becoming distracting. This required carefully balancing pacing, animation, motion graphics, music, and editing so that every visual element supported the story and helped viewers better understand the information being presented.

I was responsible for every stage of the creative process, including concept development, scripting, creative direction, voice-over production, original music composition, animation, video editing, and final post-production. Every asset was created in-house, resulting in a cohesive campaign that reflected the brand's identity while maintaining a consistent creative vision from beginning to end.

The finished piece served as both a promotional tool and a proof of concept for the Goons brand, combining humor, animation, music, and visual storytelling into a polished campaign that demonstrated the power of clear communication, intentional design, and end-to-end creative ownership.

My Role

  • Creative Director

  • Writer & Script Developer

  • Animator

  • Video Editor

  • Music Composer & Producer

  • Voice Actor

  • Motion Graphics Designer

  • Post-Production Lead

Project Highlights

  • Complete campaign produced with no production budget

  • 100% original creative developed in-house

  • End-to-end ownership from concept through final delivery

  • Original scripting, animation, music, voice-over, and post-production

Skills Demonstrated

Creative Direction • Campaign Development • Brand Storytelling • Animation • Motion Graphics • Video Production • Video Editing • Scriptwriting • Music Production • Creative Problem Solving • End-to-End Project Management


Designing and Building a Custom Mobile Living Space

My wife and I set out to transform a retired school bus into a fully customized home, allowing us to significantly reduce our living expenses while creating a space intentionally designed around our lifestyle. What began as a practical financial decision quickly evolved into a comprehensive design, engineering, and fabrication project that demanded long-term planning, creative problem-solving, and continuous learning.

Before making a single cut, I designed more than 20 unique floor plans, exploring different layouts and priorities before settling on the final design. Every decision required balancing aesthetics, functionality, weight, storage, workflow, and the integration of electrical, plumbing, and structural systems into a cohesive living environment.

One of the most ambitious phases of the build was performing a 15-inch roof raise, which required cutting the entire roof off the bus, fabricating new structural supports, welding the new framework into place, and rebuilding the vehicle while maintaining its structural integrity. Throughout the project, I learned and applied welding, metal fabrication, woodworking, cabinetry, electrical, plumbing, mechanical repair, insulation, and systems planning—leading every stage of construction alongside my wife.

Like any complex creative project, the greatest challenges weren't always technical—they were adapting to constantly changing circumstances. Unexpected problems emerged throughout the build, budgets proved tighter than anticipated, and every milestone required reevaluating priorities. Midway through construction, we learned we were expecting our first child, accelerating our timeline by nearly four months. That shift forced us to rethink the project entirely, making intentional decisions about what was essential for a safe, functional home versus what could wait for a later phase. The experience reinforced the importance of flexibility, decisive leadership, and maintaining momentum even when the original plan no longer fit reality.

Looking back, the project taught me that successful leadership isn't about avoiding problems—it's about navigating them with clarity, adapting when circumstances change, and keeping a team focused on the larger vision. More than a custom vehicle, this project became a lesson in systems thinking, resilience, and leading ambitious work from concept to completion.

Project Highlights

  • Complete custom mobile home designed and built from a retired school bus

  • Led the project from concept through final completion

  • Completed alongside one additional builder (my wife)

  • Designed and executed a 15-inch roof raise

  • Designed and installed complete electrical and plumbing systems

  • Learned welding, metal fabrication, woodworking, mechanical repair, and systems integration throughout the project

  • Coordinated structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and interior design into one cohesive build

My Role

  • Project Lead

  • Designer

  • Fabricator

  • Systems Planner

  • Structural Modification Lead

  • Electrical & Plumbing Installer

  • Welder & Metal Fabricator

  • Woodworker & Cabinet Builder

  • Mechanical Repair

  • Project Manager

Skills Demonstrated

Creative Leadership • Systems Thinking • Project Management • Design Strategy • Fabrication • Structural Problem Solving • Electrical Systems • Plumbing Systems • Welding • Woodworking • Mechanical Troubleshooting • Blueprint Development • Rapid Skill Acquisition • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration


Fun Social Media Projects

Truth Troopers (Parts 1 & 2)

This two-part stop-motion series was created as an exploration of miniature storytelling and handcrafted animation for social media. I developed the project from concept through final delivery, writing the scripts, designing and building each set, photographing every frame, editing the animation, creating the sound design, and completing all post-production.

Working in stop motion demanded an entirely different creative discipline, where even the smallest movement between frames could affect the fluidity of the final animation. One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was designing detailed miniature environments using everyday household objects—from microphones to video game consoles—and experimenting with small-scale lighting techniques to create cinematic depth and atmosphere within a confined space.

Stop Motion Loops

This two-part stop-motion series was created as an exploration of miniature storytelling and handcrafted animation for social media. I developed the project from concept through final delivery, writing the scripts, designing and building each set, photographing every frame, editing the animation, creating the sound design, and completing all post-production.

Working in stop motion demanded an entirely different creative discipline, where even the smallest movement between frames could affect the fluidity of the final animation. One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was designing detailed miniature environments using everyday household objects—from microphones to video game consoles—and experimenting with small-scale lighting techniques to create cinematic depth and atmosphere within a confined space.