EMA Allie

Overview

EMA Allie was created as a friendly, informative character for Bryan County Emergency Management.
The goal: make emergency preparedness fun, approachable, and personal — transforming serious safety messaging into something people of all ages could connect with.
I led the entire creative process, from concept development and visual design to animation style and personality direction. The result is a warm, community-centered figure who helps make important information both accessible and memorable.

EMA Allie — A Friendly Face for Emergency Preparedness

The Challenge

Emergency management communication often leans serious — focused on crisis, not connection.
The challenge was to create a campaign that made preparedness feel approachable, not alarming — one that could speak equally to adults and children, and shift the tone from fear to empowerment.
Bryan County needed a voice that could bridge that gap — someone who could deliver life-saving information with warmth, confidence, and relatability.

The Solution

I developed Rally with Allie — a 3D animated character who embodies empathy, confidence, and calm.
Modeled after the real-life BEMA Director, Allie was designed to capture her professionalism and personality — her steady tone, reassuring mannerisms, and relatable presence on camera.
The design blends realistic and anime-inspired features, giving Allie a style that feels authentic yet friendly, fun, and engaging.
From her gestures to her speech patterns, every element was carefully developed to make her both trustworthy and human.

Design Process

1. Inspiration & Research

The real-life BEMA Director Allison Padgett inspired Allie’s design — her approach to leadership balances authority with empathy. I studied her speech cadence, expressions, and posture to reflect those qualities in a way that would resonate with the community.

2. Visual Development

I blended realism with anime-inspired styling to achieve an approachable yet professional aesthetic. Allie’s design needed to feel warm and lively enough for youth campaigns but credible enough for adult preparedness communications.

3. Animation & Expression

Subtle gestures — head nods, smiles, and posture shifts — mirror the Director’s real-life delivery style. These human touches, combined with smooth camera movements and cinematic lighting, help Allie connect naturally with audiences.

  Technical Workflow
  
        Stage
        Tools Used
        Focus
      
        Concept & Rendering
        ChatGPT (image generation, Sora integration)
        Initial ideation and base renderings for Allie’s look, tone, and environmental style.
      
        Color & Detailing
        Adobe Photoshop
        Refinement of color palettes, lighting, and textures to enhance realism while keeping a stylized feel.
      
        Character Animation
        Kaiber, Sora via ChatGPT, DaVinci Resolve
        Animation sequencing, scene refinement, and cinematic motion to bring Allie to life with natural pacing and emotional flow.
      
        Pose Development
        Adobe Photoshop
        Creation of multiple static poses and stance variations for social and web placement.
      
        Voice Design
        ElevenLabs
        Development and refinement of Allie’s voice to match tone, clarity, and personality of the real-life BEMA Director.
      
        Final Assembly & Output
        Canva, DaVinci Resolve
        Integration of visuals, sound, and motion into complete video reels optimized for social, digital signage, and web platforms.