Cole Ellis

3D Artist

Lighting

Lighting is my favorite part of the animation pipeline and it’s what I aim to do professionally. I began in high school, designing the lighting for multiple plays and musicals. I brought this love of lighting to college and transferred my knowledge and skills to my animated work.

The Encroachment (2026)

During my last year and a half at CU Denver, I worked on eight minute horror comedy film with six other students. Among other tasks, I was responsible for all of the lighting in the film. I based some of the designs off of concept art drawn by another student, Elora Dodrill.

Six drawings illustrating different kinds of stylized lighting.
Initial lighting concept art by Elora Dodrill

The lighting was designed to follow the story’s progression, growing more dramatic and stylized as the film departs from reality. Much of the lighting is dynamic and animates along with the characters, quite literally following them from one scene to the next. I created a system of organized references that allowed me to work efficiently and ensure continuity between shots.

Featured below are a selection of frames from The Encroachment. These frames were all rendered from Maya and are not edited.

Papers on a table with a small fan, keys, and empty cans. The papers read "Renew today! Cheap! Affordable! You literally cannot afford anythign else so just sign already!" and "Please please please"
A light skinned woman with red hair and glasses looks directly at the camera.
A light skinned woman with red hair peers into a bedroom with piles of cardboard moving boxes.
A light skinned woman with red hair stands next to a large balance scale. She is slightly weighing down one side with her finger.
A written checklist on top of a table. All items are checked except for the last, which read "turn in keys!"
A light skinned woman with red hair looks down in horror.
A light skinned woman with black hair looks under a bed. She is wearing a shirt in the style of ACDC's logo that says "ABCD"
A light skinned woman with red hair and glasses stares down in horror with her hands in front of her.
A light skinned woman with red hair kneels and extends a finger to poke at an upside down cockroach on the floor.
A light skinned woman with red hair stands in a hallway and stares in horror at something in the room in front of her. The room is glowing green.
A light skinned woman with red hair looks cautiously at something off screen. Her bedroom is seen on the left and is covered in purple light. there is red light coming from the right of the scene.
A light skinned woman with red hair stares in shock at the viewer from the end of the hallway that is bathed in red light. Behind her, a broken glass jar glows green. The camera is tilted.
Two women run into a room at the end of a hallway. The hallways is covered in red light. A set of dropped keys lays on the floor and a small spotlight highlights it.
A giant cockroach with glowing red eyes stands silhouetted against red lights.
Two women run away from a giant cockroach. The room is lit with red light and the edges of the characters are highlighted with green-blue light.
Two women stand facing each other. The one with red hair is bracing against the door and looks scared. The one with black hair looks suspicious. The room is purple but red light comes from under the door.
A light skinned woman with black hair frowns at an orange can of bug spray she's holding. Behind her, a red haired woman stands blocking the door and looks surprised.
Two women argue. On the left, the one with black hair speaks angrily. On the right, the one with red hair looks uncertain. They are in a very dark room with blue light.
The camera is tilted to show two women in a bedroom. One is bracing against the door while the other stands near the desk holding bug spray. Red light comes from under the door and light shining through the blinds can be seen on the wall.
The camera is tilted to show two women in a bedroom. One is standing against the door looking defeated while the other sits on the bed with bug spray in hand. There is pink light coming from under the door and the light shining through the blinds hits the wall behind the desk.
The camera is tilted to show two women in a bedroom. One is sitting on the ground in front of the door while the other is standing in front of the window with bug spray. There is purple light coming from under the door and the light shining through the blinds hits the wall behind the bed.
A light skinned hand reaches out into the darkness.
A giant cockroach looms over two women. The black haired woman is pulling the red haired woman behind her. The room is dark and the characters are highlighted by red light.
Two women run away from a giant cockroach. The red haired woman looks scared while the black haired woman looks determined. The hallway is dark with blue and red light and the characters are highlighted in red light.
A giant cockroach stands in a living room looking shy.
A light skinned woman with red hair and glasses looks at the camera with shock.
Two women are in the corner of a room behind a coffee table that is on its side. The black haired woman sits on the ground and reaches up toward the other woman, who is walking away from her.
A giant cockroach and a red haired woman stand face to face in early morning light. The cockroach has a set of keys on one of its antennae. The woman is holding her hands up in a placating gesture. Behind them, a black haired woman crouches behind a coffee table on its side.
Two women leave a building through a large hole in the wall. The black haired one looks up at the red haired one, who is walking confidently.
Two women embrace while standing in front of a large roach-shaped hole in the wall. They have nervous smiles on their faces.