Matt Braly Debuts Clara and the Below Footage at Animation Is Film
The creator of Amphibia showed still artwork, a color script and character turns for his dialogue-free gothic series at the 2026 Animation Is Film Festival.
Matt Braly presented the first work-in-progress footage of his independent animated series Clara and the Below at the 2026 Animation Is Film Festival in Hollywood, according to cartoonbrew.com.
The presentation included still artwork, backgrounds, a color script by art director Britney Thoreson and character turns by lead character designer Ken Basca. Basca said Clara's design builds on preliminary designs by Remus Buznea and Kyriaki Kyriakou.
Braly described the series as a dialogue-free gothic take on E. T. A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker short story. It follows Clara and her nutcracker friend Chompers into the Below beneath her family home, where she battles spirits while seeking a cure for her dying father.
TJ Hill is the composer, and the score will reinterpret and re-record Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet music.
From Amphibia to an independent production
Braly previously created the series Amphibia. Six months before this presentation, Clara and the Below was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter.
Quick answers
What is Clara and the Below about?
It follows Clara and her nutcracker friend Chompers into the Below beneath her family home, where she battles spirits while seeking a cure for her dying father.
Who is composing the music for Clara and the Below?
TJ Hill is the composer, and the score will reinterpret and re-record Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet music.