In between projects at Pixvalue, we like to explore stories that truly resonate with us. Sometimes we create a teaser, other times we develop an entire project, either to pitch to the IP owner or to build up our portfolio. For this one, Franklin discovered the incredible book I Am Enough by Grace Byers, which teaches kids they are enough, no matter who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances life has dealt them. When he shared this vision with our team, we all fell in love with it, and everyone had all hands on deck.

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It’s important to note that Grace did not hire or pay us for this project. We developed it entirely on our own, driven by passion for the story. Franklin’s brilliant idea was to have the main character communicate using sign language. To be authentic and respectful to the community, we reached out to experts like Cassandra Jones and CJ Jones, who played important roles in the Avatar movie franchise. Their guidance shaped the project and ensured we approached it thoughtfully and accurately.

This project also presented technical challenges, particularly with her hair. We had to develop a new pipeline for handling XGen interactive versus core. We found that the most productive approach was not to make the XGen live and fully responsive. Instead, we created guides that the XGen followed, built a scalp containing all the XGen, and parented it to her head. Rendering was another challenge, as every movement introduced noise that caused flickering. We solved this issue by carefully adjusting attribute settings.

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After we pitched the project to Grace, her response was as simple as it was meaningful: a love emoji and a positive comment on our post. That alone was enough for us. By the time the project was complete, we all enjoyed the process immensely. It was a rewarding experience, and it reminded us that at Pixvalue, we are enough.