Dana Yeva Petrov

Animation Showreel 2026

Animation Lead  ·  2024–2025  ·  PixelPec

Task Force Querlitz is an animated adult sitcom created by Simon Thummet, Arne Hain, and Sebastian Simon. The three 20-min episodes were produced at PixelPec studio and aired on ZDF mediathek in October 2025.

The show was made in a co-production with Piros Animation in Hungary.

As an animation lead, my goal was to define the workflow, set the tone for the animation, and manage the team while animating. Since the production took place simultaneously in two different countries, it was essential to have excellent documentation and clear communication.

Pre-production

• Test animation: Testing character rigs to ensure they are fully functional, while also trying different animation techniques.
• Creating style guides: Defining the animation technique in advance, as well as the characters' body language and quirks.
• Creating Moho manuals: Creating workflow manuals and collecting answers to frequently asked questions.

Goldie's walk cycle

Ellie's walk cycle tests

Ellie's style guide

Production

• Animation: Creating 6 seconds of animation per day.
• Team management: Leading the weekly team meetings, giving feedback to the animators.
• Coordination: Distributing work between the animation teams. Assigning scenes according to the animator's strengths and weaknesses. Keeping track of the work progress, so if an animator needs support, they can get it from someone who's free to help.
• Documentation of knowledge: Updating the manuals and guides throughout production.

FFM History Museum

Concept, Art Direction & Animation  ·  2025  ·  PixelPec

A series of three 90-second explainers, which were commissioned by the museum to serve as an intro to the exhibitions and evoke curiosity about the topics. Target audience: children 8–12 and their families.

My responsibilities

• Concept: Developing the initial story idea and visual style.
• Research and scriptwriting (English): Conveying information while maintaining a kid-friendly, casual tone. Adjusting the scripts according to feedback from the museum staff.
• Art direction: Developing the visual language and designing Beanie, the lead character.
• Character animation: Creating frame-by-frame Beanie animations and coordinating the movement with the motion designer.

Style guide & layouts

Briefly Explained (kurz erklärt)

Storyboard Artist  ·  2024–2025  ·  PixelPec

A series of seven explainers for the Anne Frank Educational Institute. The videos explore social topics such as antisemitism, diversity, conspiracy theories, and more.

Storyboarding challenges

This project's goal was to address socio-political topics, some of them divisive, in a way that would keep viewers interested and open to learning something new. The main challenges were the sensitivity of certain topics — in particular, the ability to visually portray stereotypes without perpetuating them.

For the Discrimination video, I chose to use many close-ups to help create a connection with the characters and evoke empathy for their experiences. In addition, I used abstract metaphors to depict discrimination and otherness without singling out specific groups.

Storyboards

In the video discussing microaggressions, it was important to me that the visuals tell something extra about the characters. The voiceover says “Julie is not necessarily into music” — but what is she into? Through her actions (reading manga, having ramen for lunch), we learn she likes Japanese culture — a fact the other characters in the film choose to ignore.

Martha's Guests

Script, Character Design & Storyboarding  ·  2025  ·  PixelPec

Martha's Guests is an animated short film, currently in pre-production. Martha (92) lives a cozy yet lonely life and spends her days trying to recreate her signature cookies. As she gets a surprise visit from two extraterrestrial beings, her lovely home becomes a battleground — and she has to use all of her grandmotherly instincts to find a peaceful solution.

The film had recently received a production grant from the Hessen Film Fund.

Visual development

Apocalypse Van

Independent  ·  2025–present

Work in progress

Apocalypse Van is a comics series set in a post-apocalyptic landscape following a group of misfits in their late 20s as they try to drive their van to safety — before they drive each other insane. Because in the apocalypse, you either make friends or die alone.

Apocalypse Van is my passion project. The first book in the series, a 32-page story titled “The Wedding”, will be published independently in summer 2026.