POP!

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  POP! by Ercole Zaccaria

Inspiration

The project is inspired by pop-horror cartoons, blending bright colors, playful shapes, and unsettling dark humor. Classic retro animation meets a surreal, exaggerated horror concept, creating a contrast between cuteness and chaos.

What it does

The short film follows a giant, smiling balloon drifting through a cartoonish world. As it floats closer to the characters, its cheerful “pop” causes their heads to burst into confetti-like explosions, emphasizing humor and exaggeration rather than realism. The tone stays light, colorful, and absurd — a playful nightmare disguised as a children’s cartoon.

How we built it

Midjourney to design the characters, the oversized balloon, and the pop-horror aesthetic Kling to animate the movement and reactions Hailuo to polish transitions, timing, and the comedic “pop” effects The workflow focused on preserving a vibrant, cohesive cartoon style throughout.

Challenges we ran into

Ensuring stylistic consistency across scenes — especially the balloon’s scale, facial expressions, and cartoon physics — required careful prompting and animation control.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Winner at the NYC GenArt Hackathon — Hailuo, Oink (Best Narrative)

What we learned

The project explores the idea of horror filtered through pop imagery, showing how bright, playful visuals can make dark humor feel both surreal and strangely entertaining.

What's next for POP!

MINI HORROR SERIES

Built With

• elevenlab
• hailuo
• kling