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Floor Thirteen

On his last night, a strict hotel lift operator meets a small girl with a red balloon who wants floor thirteen, the floor that isn't there.

Style 1950s UPA limited animation18 keyframes8 ghost framesModel Qwen-Image 2.1 · fast

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    Storyboard

    18 keyframes. 8 ghost frames — the one-change-per-edit steps between them — are hidden; switch them on at the bottom left.

    Inside the lift: Mr. Pell stands stiffly at his post, the doors shut; a portrait of an old operator hangs above the button panel.
    01

    Inside the lift: Mr. Pell stands stiffly at his post, the doors shut; a portrait of an old operator hangs above the button panel.

    Close on the panel: 11, 12, 14, and an empty socket where 13 should be; above it, the old operator's portrait, a small red balloon floating beside him.
    02

    Close on the panel: 11, 12, 14, and an empty socket where 13 should be; above it, the old operator's portrait, a small red balloon floating beside him.

    A small girl in a yellow coat steps in at the open doors, holding a red balloon.
    03

    A small girl in a yellow coat steps in at the open doors, holding a red balloon.

    Ada points up at the panel; Mr. Pell folds his arms.
    04

    Ada points up at the panel; Mr. Pell folds his arms.

    Ada presses the lower buttons; floors 2 to 8 light up.
    05

    Ada presses the lower buttons; floors 2 to 8 light up.

    Floor 4: a hotel laundry in chaos, sheets flying.
    06

    Floor 4: a hotel laundry in chaos, sheets flying.

    Mrs. Grange stands in the lift, jabbing a finger down at the floor; button 1 lit.
    07

    Mrs. Grange stands in the lift, jabbing a finger down at the floor; button 1 lit.

    Ada looks up at the portrait and opens her hand; the red balloon rises beside her.
    08

    Ada looks up at the portrait and opens her hand; the red balloon rises beside her.

    Close: a 13 button glows in the empty socket.
    09

    Close: a 13 button glows in the empty socket.

    The doors open onto a rooftop at night, an empty stool with a maroon cap on it. Mr. Pell stares, open-mouthed; Mrs. Grange puts a hand to her chest; Ada clasps her hands in delight.
    10

    The doors open onto a rooftop at night, an empty stool with a maroon cap on it. Mr. Pell stares, open-mouthed; Mrs. Grange puts a hand to her chest; Ada clasps her hands in delight.

    Mr. Pell holds his cap to his chest and looks up at the portrait of the old operator; Ada smiles up at it too; Mrs. Grange folds her hands.
    11

    Mr. Pell holds his cap to his chest and looks up at the portrait of the old operator; Ada smiles up at it too; Mrs. Grange folds her hands.

    Mr. Pell, his cap in one hand, holds the balloon out to Ada by its string; the balloon floats over her raised hand, the string at her fingertips.
    12

    Mr. Pell, his cap in one hand, holds the balloon out to Ada by its string; the balloon floats over her raised hand, the string at her fingertips.

    Mr. Pell and Ada step out onto the roof, hand in hand.
    13

    Mr. Pell and Ada step out onto the roof, hand in hand.

    On the roof: Ada rests her hand on the cap, the red balloon tied to the stool; Mr. Pell watches, his own cap behind his back.
    14

    On the roof: Ada rests her hand on the cap, the red balloon tied to the stool; Mr. Pell watches, his own cap behind his back.

    Mrs. Grange holds the door with a soft smile; out on the roof, Mr. Pell and Ada stand hand in hand by the stool, the red balloon tied to it.
    15

    Mrs. Grange holds the door with a soft smile; out on the roof, Mr. Pell and Ada stand hand in hand by the stool, the red balloon tied to it.

    Back at the lobby, Mrs. Grange walks Ada out to her waiting parents.
    16

    Back at the lobby, Mrs. Grange walks Ada out to her waiting parents.

    Mr. Pell alone at his post, the doors shut, smiling a small smile; on the panel, a 13 glows.
    17

    Mr. Pell alone at his post, the doors shut, smiling a small smile; on the panel, a 13 glows.

    Close on the panel: Mr. Pell's white glove rests beside the glowing 13, under the old operator's portrait.
    18

    Close on the panel: Mr. Pell's white glove rests beside the glowing 13, under the old operator's portrait.

    Cast, props & sets

    Mr. Pell
    Ada
    Mrs. Grange
    The red balloon
    The old operator (the portrait)
    The lift (the panel has no 13)
    Floor thirteen

    Thrown away (19)

    candidates/cel-grange-point_t1.png — no pointing finger: fists on hips (judge DOUBT right)
    candidates/cel-grange-point_t2.png — no pointing finger: fists on hips (judge DOUBT right)
    candidates/cel-grange-point_t4.png — no pointing finger: fists on hips (judge DOUBT right)
    candidates/cel-ada-point_t1.png — hair clipped flat at the mask box edge
    candidates/cel-ada-stand_t1.png — balloon fist on screen-LEFT (every other Ada pose holds it screen-right) + a model string hanging DOWN from the fist
    candidates/cel-ada-stand_t2.png — balloon fist on screen-LEFT (every other Ada pose holds it screen-right) + a model string hanging DOWN from the fist
    candidates/cel-ada-stand_t3.png — balloon fist on screen-LEFT (every other Ada pose holds it screen-right) + a model string hanging DOWN from the fist
    candidates/cel-ada-stand_t4.png — balloon fist on screen-LEFT (every other Ada pose holds it screen-right) + a model string hanging DOWN from the fist
    candidates/AF16-pair_t1.png — Pell frontal: long nose and moustache gone (identity drift)
    candidates/AF16-pair_t3.png — Pell frontal: long nose and moustache gone (identity drift)
    candidates/AF16-pair_t4.png — Pell frontal: long nose and moustache gone (identity drift)
    candidates/AF15-pell_t1.png — a cap ON his head 4/4 plus the cap in his hands = two caps (the sheet cap wins over "bareheaded")
    candidates/AF15-pell_t2.png — a cap ON his head 4/4 plus the cap in his hands = two caps (the sheet cap wins over "bareheaded")
    candidates/AF15-pell_t3.png — a cap ON his head 4/4 plus the cap in his hands = two caps (the sheet cap wins over "bareheaded")
    candidates/AF15-pell_t4.png — a cap ON his head 4/4 plus the cap in his hands = two caps (the sheet cap wins over "bareheaded")
    candidates/AF04a-hand_t1.png — no hand: a huge yellow sleeve blob fills the lower right 4/4 (the masked box was filled by the sleeve)
    candidates/AF04a-hand_t2.png — no hand: a huge yellow sleeve blob fills the lower right 4/4 (the masked box was filled by the sleeve)
    candidates/AF04a-hand_t3.png — no hand: a huge yellow sleeve blob fills the lower right 4/4 (the masked box was filled by the sleeve)
    candidates/AF04a-hand_t4.png — no hand: a huge yellow sleeve blob fills the lower right 4/4 (the masked box was filled by the sleeve)