Önetta
Lawrence, Kansas | Film Short
Animation, Romance
Based on Swedish folklore, Önetta is a dark romance about a sea spirit (or havsrå) who resists losing his lover as settlers arrive on their mysterious Baltic island to tear them apart. The film explores how we navigate change and how we as humans impact our environment through social development.
Önetta
Lawrence, Kansas | Film Short
Animation, Romance
1 Campaigns | Kansas, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,005 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
35 supporters | followers
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Based on Swedish folklore, Önetta is a dark romance about a sea spirit (or havsrå) who resists losing his lover as settlers arrive on their mysterious Baltic island to tear them apart. The film explores how we navigate change and how we as humans impact our environment through social development.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Join us as we embark on a new journey with Önetta, the first short film from Ghost View Studios, a Lawrence, KS animation studio founded by three professors at the University of Kansas!
Although based on a Scandinavian saga that tells the legendary history of a mysterious Baltic island, the story of Önetta is a personal one. When writer/director Joshua Miner encountered the 13th-century text Gutasagan and learned more about the emigration of his Swedish family from Gotland, he set out to adapt the story to the screen. Önetta is an animated short film that presents the origin story of Gotland as a tragic romance between a rå (or folk nature spirit) and the island that created him. As a settlement narrative, the film also explores the ethics of human society’s impacts on our environment. What does it mean to settle a new land, and what does it mean to lose one?
The story begins with our mischievous water spirit Havsman/Havsrå, who plays a unique role in maintaining life on the mysterious island of Önetta, which rises above the sea at night but sinks below during the day, to hide from the eyes of human sailors. But nothing can remain hidden forever...
Havsman's connection to Önetta is disrupted when settlers arrive and begin carving their stories into the island's distinct rauk stone formations – which seem to have some strange properties.
Nothing is certain in relationships but change. Havsman will learn that there are many ways to say goodbye.
The characters and world of the film draw on Swedish folk stories, historical texts, and the archaeology of Gotland, the Baltic island for which the Gutasaga is named. The Gotland picture stone tradition – from the 5th to the 13th century – plays an important role in the story.
As our first project, Önetta fits both the ethos and the tone and style of our animation studio. Stories that ask big questions, suitable for all audiences, but with a more adult tone reminiscent of animated films of an earlier era (...our childhood!). Comparable films for our tone and style are The Last Unicorn (1982) and The Secret of NIMH (1982), as well as Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014) and Wolfwalkers (2020), also based on cultural legends and myths, from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
We've also pre-released selected music that Joshua scored while developing the film to help the team immerse themselves in the world of Önetta:
Early development on the film began in late 2023, when Joshua brought his script to friends Matthew Cook (art director) and David Mai (animation director), and the three of them began storyboarding and visual development with a handful of film and illustration students. This spirit of collaboration and mentorship grew into a fledgling animation studio as more people joined the project. Ghost View blossomed as a family, a collaboration between three professors and their students whom are either striving to start their careers in animation or motivated to make films out of sheer passion.
With development fully behind us, we are now halfway through production on the film. In addition to a completed teaser trailer and a preliminary score by Joshua Miner (who is also serving as sound and music supervisor), the Ghost View team is at work on the final layouts and background painting, character animation and VFX, voiceover recording and foley effects, and early preparation for film festivals.
Budget
As an animation studio based at a university, we have access to excellent production facilities for our team to learn the ropes. And we have been paying them for their hard work. As part of continuing to compensate these young professionals fairly, we have set a budget for the home stretch. Our target goal is $11,500 to complete the final stages of production, plus a stretch goal of $5,500 to submit to national and international film festivals, negotiate with film distributors, and schedule a private premiere for supporters of the project!
Timeline
Remaining production will take approximately 6-7 months, with a festival release in fall 2026.
1. Pledge to the campaign! Any amount helps, and our team of talented artists has designed several campaign incentives to entice you. This will help us make it to the finish line – and 100% of all funding raised goes into our young interns' pockets.
2. Follow our Seed&Spark campaign (see that little heart up top?), and follow us on Instagram at @ghostviewstudios for more information on our production progress, festival selections, and the public release of Önetta! Over the next few weeks, we'll share sneak peeks at concept art and animation tests, and you'll hear from our interns as they continue their work with your generous support.
3. Share this Seed&Spark page and our social media updates with anyone who loves dark fantasy, Swedish culture and history, or loves a good romance or horror film.
Thank you sharing in our studio story! It means everything to us. We would love to see you when we announce our first festival screenings and start development on our next production!
Instagram: @ghostviewstudios // www.instagram.com/ghostviewstudios
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Art Department Intern Funds
Costs $4,000
This funds our Art interns for character design and turnaround sheets, animatic, layout drawings, and background paintings for Önetta.
Animation Department Intern Funds
Costs $4,500
This funds our Animation interns for character puppet building, rigging and animation, compositing and all visual effects for the film.
STRETCH GOAL: Film Festivals + Distribution
Costs $1
We estimate $5,500 to get Önetta into award-qualifying film festivals and onto streaming platforms, plus a premiere screening for our fans!
Sound Department Intern Funds
Costs $3,000
This funds our Sound interns for recording and editing foley effects, sound effects and dialogue.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Ghost View is an animation studio based in the Lawrence, Kansas area, a stone's throw away from the Kansas City birthplace of Disney animation. Founded by three professors at the University of Kansas, our studio has worked with more than 25 former students – of all kinds of backgrounds – with more young artists, animators and sound assistants joining us all the time.
Watch our studio spotlight video to learn more about Ghost View!
Studio Structure
Our Founders
Matthew Cook (art director, production designer)
Matthew teaches Illustration and Animation at the University of Kansas, and he works as a visual development artist, creating concept art, character design, props, and backgrounds for games and animation. Matthew is also a freelance illustrator, creating original illustrations for books and games.
David Mai (animation director, vfx supervisor)
David is a filmmaker and professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Kansas. His creative works encompass narrative films, animations, and videographic criticism. In his collaborative filmmaking, he works as an editor, animator, and visual effects artist.
Joshua Miner (sound and music supervisor, composer)
Joshua is a professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Kansas. In addition to his work as an educator, filmmaker and film scholar, his instrumental music releases under the alias American Night, named for the nuit américaine filmmaking technique popular in B-movie production.
Our Interns
Here are what some of our interns have to say about the work we've been doing!
"I joined Ghost View studios relatively early on in its creation so I got the unique experience of watching it grow with people joining on and workflows changing. It’s been a great experience for me to grow as an animator alongside the studio and I look forward to more along the way."
– Isaac Fowler
"Ghost View has provided me the freedom and opportunity to explore creatively and find out what my interests and passions are in animation!"
– Bee West
"It's been great working with a very talented group of artists at Ghost View. Watching each scene I helped work on come to life is an incredibly special experience."
– Erin Williams
"My time at Ghost View has had me researching and exploring all different kinds of animation styles, along with various approaches to marketing. Doing this in a fresh environment means that nothing is off the table, so I’m excited to see where it leads."
– Matej Babic
"Ghost View has been great to work at! The whole team is really passionate about the quality of the work, and that focus has really been a boon for me in these stressful times."
– Cormac Palmer
"I'm a storyboard artist and animator with a passion for giving life to beloved characters and stories. As a lifelong KU fan and Lawrence native, the opportunity to work for Ghost View Studios is incredibly exciting, doing work that is meaningful to me in a place that is meaningful to me. In addition to my work with Ghost View Studios, I am also an animator with Kansas Athletics, and am pursuing a career as a storyboard artist within the larger animation industry."
– Jacob Hood
"I have been at GhostView for about 7 months now, and I have really gotten to grow my visual development skills while being here and learned so much from the directors. It's really fun to be with a group of people who have different backgrounds and different levels of experience. The environment here is great, and really fosters room for learning and growth, which is something I have been really enjoying during my time here!"
– Ava Black
"I've been enjoying my time with Ghost View as a background artist intern! This is my first professional artist experience and I've learned so much in such a short amount of time. It's an honor to be able to do art as my job and work alongside people who share common interests. Learning the steps of getting a thumbnail to final and having to match the style of the film has been a welcomed challenge. I appreciate all the feedback and motivation I get from the people I work alongside. Can't wait to see what the future of Ghost View has to offer!"
– Michaela Schmol
"I'm an illustrator and animator originally from Topeka, Kansas! At Ghost View, I work as a background development Intern, helping bring stories to life through compelling compositions. My favorite part of interning at Ghost View is working with a team that is extremely passionate about animation. My love for stories, movies, and illustration fuels her goals of becoming a concept artist in the animation industry."
– Bella LaJuerrne
"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as an intern at Ghost View. The real world experience on a production and with a team of artists has really opened my eyes into all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of that."
– Briley Bolen
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Join us as we embark on a new journey with Önetta, the first short film from Ghost View Studios, a Lawrence, KS animation studio founded by three professors at the University of Kansas!
Although based on a Scandinavian saga that tells the legendary history of a mysterious Baltic island, the story of Önetta is a personal one. When writer/director Joshua Miner encountered the 13th-century text Gutasagan and learned more about the emigration of his Swedish family from Gotland, he set out to adapt the story to the screen. Önetta is an animated short film that presents the origin story of Gotland as a tragic romance between a rå (or folk nature spirit) and the island that created him. As a settlement narrative, the film also explores the ethics of human society’s impacts on our environment. What does it mean to settle a new land, and what does it mean to lose one?
The story begins with our mischievous water spirit Havsman/Havsrå, who plays a unique role in maintaining life on the mysterious island of Önetta, which rises above the sea at night but sinks below during the day, to hide from the eyes of human sailors. But nothing can remain hidden forever...
Havsman's connection to Önetta is disrupted when settlers arrive and begin carving their stories into the island's distinct rauk stone formations – which seem to have some strange properties.
Nothing is certain in relationships but change. Havsman will learn that there are many ways to say goodbye.
The characters and world of the film draw on Swedish folk stories, historical texts, and the archaeology of Gotland, the Baltic island for which the Gutasaga is named. The Gotland picture stone tradition – from the 5th to the 13th century – plays an important role in the story.
As our first project, Önetta fits both the ethos and the tone and style of our animation studio. Stories that ask big questions, suitable for all audiences, but with a more adult tone reminiscent of animated films of an earlier era (...our childhood!). Comparable films for our tone and style are The Last Unicorn (1982) and The Secret of NIMH (1982), as well as Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014) and Wolfwalkers (2020), also based on cultural legends and myths, from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
We've also pre-released selected music that Joshua scored while developing the film to help the team immerse themselves in the world of Önetta:
Early development on the film began in late 2023, when Joshua brought his script to friends Matthew Cook (art director) and David Mai (animation director), and the three of them began storyboarding and visual development with a handful of film and illustration students. This spirit of collaboration and mentorship grew into a fledgling animation studio as more people joined the project. Ghost View blossomed as a family, a collaboration between three professors and their students whom are either striving to start their careers in animation or motivated to make films out of sheer passion.
With development fully behind us, we are now halfway through production on the film. In addition to a completed teaser trailer and a preliminary score by Joshua Miner (who is also serving as sound and music supervisor), the Ghost View team is at work on the final layouts and background painting, character animation and VFX, voiceover recording and foley effects, and early preparation for film festivals.
Budget
As an animation studio based at a university, we have access to excellent production facilities for our team to learn the ropes. And we have been paying them for their hard work. As part of continuing to compensate these young professionals fairly, we have set a budget for the home stretch. Our target goal is $11,500 to complete the final stages of production, plus a stretch goal of $5,500 to submit to national and international film festivals, negotiate with film distributors, and schedule a private premiere for supporters of the project!
Timeline
Remaining production will take approximately 6-7 months, with a festival release in fall 2026.
1. Pledge to the campaign! Any amount helps, and our team of talented artists has designed several campaign incentives to entice you. This will help us make it to the finish line – and 100% of all funding raised goes into our young interns' pockets.
2. Follow our Seed&Spark campaign (see that little heart up top?), and follow us on Instagram at @ghostviewstudios for more information on our production progress, festival selections, and the public release of Önetta! Over the next few weeks, we'll share sneak peeks at concept art and animation tests, and you'll hear from our interns as they continue their work with your generous support.
3. Share this Seed&Spark page and our social media updates with anyone who loves dark fantasy, Swedish culture and history, or loves a good romance or horror film.
Thank you sharing in our studio story! It means everything to us. We would love to see you when we announce our first festival screenings and start development on our next production!
Instagram: @ghostviewstudios // www.instagram.com/ghostviewstudios
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Art Department Intern Funds
Costs $4,000
This funds our Art interns for character design and turnaround sheets, animatic, layout drawings, and background paintings for Önetta.
Animation Department Intern Funds
Costs $4,500
This funds our Animation interns for character puppet building, rigging and animation, compositing and all visual effects for the film.
STRETCH GOAL: Film Festivals + Distribution
Costs $1
We estimate $5,500 to get Önetta into award-qualifying film festivals and onto streaming platforms, plus a premiere screening for our fans!
Sound Department Intern Funds
Costs $3,000
This funds our Sound interns for recording and editing foley effects, sound effects and dialogue.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Ghost View is an animation studio based in the Lawrence, Kansas area, a stone's throw away from the Kansas City birthplace of Disney animation. Founded by three professors at the University of Kansas, our studio has worked with more than 25 former students – of all kinds of backgrounds – with more young artists, animators and sound assistants joining us all the time.
Watch our studio spotlight video to learn more about Ghost View!
Studio Structure
Our Founders
Matthew Cook (art director, production designer)
Matthew teaches Illustration and Animation at the University of Kansas, and he works as a visual development artist, creating concept art, character design, props, and backgrounds for games and animation. Matthew is also a freelance illustrator, creating original illustrations for books and games.
David Mai (animation director, vfx supervisor)
David is a filmmaker and professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Kansas. His creative works encompass narrative films, animations, and videographic criticism. In his collaborative filmmaking, he works as an editor, animator, and visual effects artist.
Joshua Miner (sound and music supervisor, composer)
Joshua is a professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Kansas. In addition to his work as an educator, filmmaker and film scholar, his instrumental music releases under the alias American Night, named for the nuit américaine filmmaking technique popular in B-movie production.
Our Interns
Here are what some of our interns have to say about the work we've been doing!
"I joined Ghost View studios relatively early on in its creation so I got the unique experience of watching it grow with people joining on and workflows changing. It’s been a great experience for me to grow as an animator alongside the studio and I look forward to more along the way."
– Isaac Fowler
"Ghost View has provided me the freedom and opportunity to explore creatively and find out what my interests and passions are in animation!"
– Bee West
"It's been great working with a very talented group of artists at Ghost View. Watching each scene I helped work on come to life is an incredibly special experience."
– Erin Williams
"My time at Ghost View has had me researching and exploring all different kinds of animation styles, along with various approaches to marketing. Doing this in a fresh environment means that nothing is off the table, so I’m excited to see where it leads."
– Matej Babic
"Ghost View has been great to work at! The whole team is really passionate about the quality of the work, and that focus has really been a boon for me in these stressful times."
– Cormac Palmer
"I'm a storyboard artist and animator with a passion for giving life to beloved characters and stories. As a lifelong KU fan and Lawrence native, the opportunity to work for Ghost View Studios is incredibly exciting, doing work that is meaningful to me in a place that is meaningful to me. In addition to my work with Ghost View Studios, I am also an animator with Kansas Athletics, and am pursuing a career as a storyboard artist within the larger animation industry."
– Jacob Hood
"I have been at GhostView for about 7 months now, and I have really gotten to grow my visual development skills while being here and learned so much from the directors. It's really fun to be with a group of people who have different backgrounds and different levels of experience. The environment here is great, and really fosters room for learning and growth, which is something I have been really enjoying during my time here!"
– Ava Black
"I've been enjoying my time with Ghost View as a background artist intern! This is my first professional artist experience and I've learned so much in such a short amount of time. It's an honor to be able to do art as my job and work alongside people who share common interests. Learning the steps of getting a thumbnail to final and having to match the style of the film has been a welcomed challenge. I appreciate all the feedback and motivation I get from the people I work alongside. Can't wait to see what the future of Ghost View has to offer!"
– Michaela Schmol
"I'm an illustrator and animator originally from Topeka, Kansas! At Ghost View, I work as a background development Intern, helping bring stories to life through compelling compositions. My favorite part of interning at Ghost View is working with a team that is extremely passionate about animation. My love for stories, movies, and illustration fuels her goals of becoming a concept artist in the animation industry."
– Bella LaJuerrne
"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as an intern at Ghost View. The real world experience on a production and with a team of artists has really opened my eyes into all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of that."
– Briley Bolen