Meet Val Heartman, a self-employed free thinker with big ideas about commercialising Valentine’s Day; then there’s Bunny, a rising star caught up in his own hype; and lest we forget Seeyoo, a CEO with a vision so forward-thinking, the world isn’t ready for it. All are characters within 3D artist David Gelfand’s comedic animations, which are billed as cringe comedy with a hint of Greek tragedy.

The characters are inspired by the television Gelfand watched as a child, from Soviet animations to 2000s cartoon shows. Visually, he uses lighting and cinematography to replicate what he sees and feels from films he admires. “This combination of influences is what interests me, having these cartoonish characters act and exist in an arthouse cinema environment,” he says. “I think that in itself is already hilarious, so any other additional story or joke is a nice bonus.”

Gelfand started exploring his creativity as a child with doodles and comics before leaping into animation at Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021. “At the time, it felt like the only path into the professional world was to get that education, and partially, it was true,” he reflects. “I’ve learned a lot about the technical aspects of 3D pipelines, and this knowledge supports me every day.”