Week 10 was the final class of the first half of Unit 2. This week, the tutor mainly explained the tasks we needed to complete during the spring break. One important assignment was the Professional Artist Interview. This task required us to interview an artist who is currently working in the industry, so that we could learn about their career experience, daily workflow, industry expectations, and advice for students.

I chose to interview my senior, Harry. He is currently working at Framestore in Montreal, Canada, as a Senior Environment / VFX Artist, and he has more than ten years of experience in the VFX industry. I am very grateful that he agreed to accept my interview and answered my questions carefully. This interview helped me gain a more realistic understanding of the industry.

During the interview, Harry shared his experience of moving from 3D animation into VFX. He mentioned that these two areas use similar software and basic skills, but VFX focuses more on realism and detail. This made me realise that studying 3D animation does not mean my future direction has to be fixed. Different areas are connected in many ways. The key is to find the direction I am truly interested in and continue improving the related skills.

Harry also talked about the difference between university study and industry work. At university, we have more freedom to create our own ideas. However, in a real studio, artists need to work according to the director’s vision, client feedback, and the team pipeline. This made me understand that after entering the industry, technical skills are not the only important thing. Communication, teamwork, and the ability to adapt to feedback are also very important.

The most impressive part of the interview for me was his advice about portfolio. Harry said that students should not put all of their work into their portfolio. Instead, they should prepare more focused work based on the role they want to apply for. This advice was very helpful for me because it made me start thinking about the direction of my future portfolio, rather than only focusing on completing course assignments.

Overall, this was a useful experience. It helped me understand the industry more clearly and made me think about my future direction. I realised that I need to keep improving my basic skills, pay more attention to industry standards, and start planning my portfolio more carefully.

During Week 8 and Week 9, I mainly focused on preparing and presenting my Project 1 formative assessment. In Week 8, I created a PowerPoint presentation to explain my current project idea, research direction and visual tests. In Week 9, I presented my work to the class.

For this Project 1, my main focus is on creating a stylized look through 2D–3D hybrid techniques. I want to explore how different animation styles can be combined in one project, including 3D animation, stop-motion paper-cut style, 2D visual effects, and comic-style visuals. This project is still in development, but I used this presentation to show my current direction and the visual possibilities I want to test.

My research included films such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I was interested in how the film combines different visual styles, such as 3D animation, comic style, pop-art elements and creative transitions. This helped me think about how different styles can exist in the same animation without feeling too disconnected.

In my project, I created a basic story idea about a girl who enjoys fantasy and adventure. She often imagines herself travelling through different parallel universes. In each universe, she could become a different person, such as an FBI agent or a doctor. This setting allows me to connect different imagined worlds together, and each world can have its own visual style.

For the visual direction, I also looked at Turning Red as a reference for stylized 3D character design. I may use a similar approach for the character proportions and base style, but I want to adjust it further to fit my own project. Another important direction is a 3D paper-cut-like stop-motion style. I am interested in creating a visual feeling that looks flat and handmade, but still keeps some 3D depth, lighting and space.

I also considered using layer rendering in the final production. This would allow me to adjust atmosphere, lighting and special effects more freely in Nuke. It may also help me combine 3D elements with 2D visual effects in a more flexible way.

Presentation Reflection

The presentation also helped me think about what I need to test next. I need to continue developing the world-building and storyline, and I also need to do more visual tests to see whether the 2D–3D hybrid style can work well. Overall, Week 8 and Week 9 helped me prepare my Project 1 direction and gave me a clearer starting point for further development.

Facial Animation II – Eyes Animation

This lesson mainly focused on eyes animation. Compared with the previous facial pose lesson, this week focused more on the movement and transition between expressions. The tutor emphasised that the eyes do not move alone. They are connected with the character’s thoughts, attention, head movement and body reaction.

Eye Blink: Do not blink for the sake of blinking

In the lesson, we learned that blinking can be related to attitude changes, changes of eye direction, changes of thoughts, head movements and staring. The tutor also reminded us not to blink only for the sake of blinking. This means a blink should have a reason, instead of being randomly placed in the animation.

In terms of timing, a normal blink can close quickly, stay closed briefly, and then open slowly.

Eye Dart: Showing that the character is thinking and observing

Eye dart can show that the character is thinking or gathering information. It can also make the character feel more alive. The PDF mentioned that the eyes should lock onto something step by step, rather than floating randomly. Eye movement is usually in a straight line, and the eyelid shape should also change with the eye direction.

Eyebrows and Natural Facial Movement

Practice

Heavy Object & Change of Mind Polish

The second part of this week was to continue improving last week’s Heavy Object & Change of Mind animation. My animation is about a character walking forward in strong wind and rain while holding an umbrella. Last week I mainly finished the blocking. This week I started moving towards polish, making the sense of weight, rhythm and centre of gravity clearer.

Overview

This week’s class mainly had two parts. In the first part, the teacher briefly explained the Project 1 formative task for the end of the first half of the semester. It asked us to start thinking about one core element that may continue to develop in the Final Major Project. The second part was to continue revising the Heavy Object & Change of Mind blocking exercise. This time, I made an animation about strong wind and rain, where the umbrella is pushed by the wind and shows a sense of weight.

Project 1 Formative

I understand this task as more like a small test. At this stage, we do not need to fully decide the whole graduation project. Instead, we first choose a more specific direction that we are interested in, do some research, and create a relatively complete small outcome for presentation. This can help us judge whether this direction is possible, and it can also help us find technical or time problems earlier.

The examples given by the teacher showed different ways of preparing. For example, some students can test a visual style, some students can test character design and the rigging process, and some students can plan their FMP as a 3D animator portfolio. For me, these examples show that the focus of Project 1 is not to “make a lot of content”, but to choose a clear direction and use a small-scale finished outcome to prove that this direction can continue to develop.

Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Blocking)

The second part of this week was mainly to continue revising the Heavy Object & Change of Mind blocking. My exercise is about a character walking forward with an umbrella in the wind and rain. Because the wind is very strong, the umbrella keeps being blown around, and the character needs to use body strength to control it.

In this animation, I wanted to focus on showing that the umbrella is not just an easy prop to hold, but an object affected by an outside force. At the beginning, the character wants to keep walking forward, but the wind becomes stronger and stronger. The umbrella is blown to the side, so the character’s body also has to change its centre of gravity. This process can show the sense of weight in a heavy object, and it can also show the character’s change of mind: from wanting to walk forward directly, to having to stop, adjust the pose, and even fight against the wind.

The first session introduced the basics of Facial Animation. The focus of the class was not to make a complete facial animation, but to understand how a facial pose should work first. A good expression should not only be made by pushing one controller to the maximum. The whole face should look like a living organic whole.

Asymmetry: Avoid Too Much Symmetry

In class, we learned that a perfectly symmetrical face can often make a character look stiff, mechanical or unnatural. Real facial expressions are usually not exactly the same on both sides, so animated expressions should also have some bias. By making one eyebrow higher or one corner of the mouth stronger, the character’s emotion can feel more alive.

Line of Action in Face

The slides mentioned that the face can also have a line of action. I found this idea interesting because I used to think about line of action more in body movement. But in facial expression, the eyebrows, eyes, mouth and head direction can also create a directional line.

If a character is scared, the eyebrows and eyes may be pulled upward, and the mouth may form a downward or open shape. If a character is suspicious or smiling in a mischievous way, the face may form a “<” or “>” shape that favours one side. This can make the expression feel more graphic.

Connectivity and Volume

Connectivity means the connected movement between facial muscles. A change in one area should not happen in isolation. For example, when the corner of the mouth moves upward, the cheek, lower eyelid and the area around the nose will also be affected. If only the mouth is moving and the other areas do not change, the expression will look fake.

Shape, Eyebrows and Lids

In the shape section, the teacher reminded us to think about the shape of the eyes and mouth in a graphic way, and to avoid making all eyes and mouths into a normal “football shape”. The expression should have clear angles, changes in size and a sense of direction.

Eyebrows are not two separate lines either. They should have a relationship with the shape of the eyes. For example, when the eyebrows raise, the outer side can lead first. When the eyebrows lower, the inner side can be more obvious. This can make the expression more detailed.

The relationship between the eyelids and pupils can affect the character’s energy level. Very wide eyes can show surprise or tension. Lowered eyelids can show tiredness, suspicion or indifference. This was very useful when I did my facial expression practice.

Class Practice: Facial Expression Pose

After the class, I made several facial expression practices. My practice was mainly based on reference images, and I adjusted the character’s eyebrows, eyes, mouth and head angle.

Key Concepts: Parenting, Constraints and Locators

Parenting is a hierarchy relationship. For example, after an object becomes the child of a hand controller, it will keep following the hand. It is suitable for a more fixed relationship, but if the character needs to pass an object from one hand to another, simple parenting is not flexible enough.

Constraints are more suitable for relationships that need to switch. For example, a character first holds a cup, then puts the cup on the table, and then picks it up again. In this process, the cup needs to switch between “following the hand”, “staying on the table”, and “following the hand again”.

Locators can help us connect a prop to an intermediate control point, instead of connecting it directly to the hand model or skeleton. This can make the animation channels clearer and easier to modify later.

The teacher also provided a self-study tutorial for us to continue learning hierarchy parent, constraints parent and using locators. These materials can help us understand the rigging exercise in class.

Class Practice: Stitch Tea Party

Weekly Summary

Through Week 4, I learned about both facial expression design and Maya prop rigging. The first session helped me understand that facial expressions need to feel organic. They cannot only depend on symmetrical facial features or a single expression controller. Asymmetry, shape, connectivity and volume all affect whether a character’s expression feels believable.

The second session helped me understand that the interaction between a character and a prop needs clear technical logic. Constraints, parenting and locators can help us manage the relationship between objects. They are especially important in actions such as picking up, putting down, pouring tea and drinking tea.

Overview

This week was important for me because I not only learned new story structures, but also revised the ending of my previous Hunter to Prey assignment based on the feedback from the tutor. The tutor pointed out that my original ending did not fully match the brief. The requirement was that the prey should become the hunter, but in my first version, the prey experienced the loop and failed to escape, while still remaining in the position of the prey.

Film Narrative Hierarchy

The film narrative hierarchy diagram in the PDF shows how a story can be divided from large to small parts. A story can be divided into acts, then sequences and scenes, and finally into shots and beats. This structure is very useful for 3D animation and previs because it reminds me that a shot should not exist by itself. Each shot should support a scene, each scene should push the sequence forward, and the sequence should serve the whole story.

Three-Act Structure

The three-act structure divides a story into Setup, Confrontation and Resolution. In Act One, the story introduces the character and the world. In Act Two, the conflict becomes stronger and the character faces more obstacles. In Act Three, the story moves towards the result.

Hero’s Journey

Five-Act Structure and Freytag’s Pyramid

Dan Harmon’s Story Circle

My revised Hunter to Prey story is closer to this structure. At the beginning, the prey is in a passive position and only wants to escape. He enters the corridor and keeps searching for an exit. He then finds that he cannot truly leave. The price he pays is his mental stability, because the loop keeps breaking him down. Finally, he returns to the same space, but he is no longer the same prey. He becomes a character who actively fights back.

Kishōtenketsu

The class also introduced Kishōtenketsu. This structure focuses more on a change of perspective and a twist, rather than only depending on strong conflict. Its four stages are Ki, Shō, Ten and Ketsu. For my story, the Ten stage is very inspiring because my original idea also focused on a final twist.

This week we also received feedback on the previous Hunter to Prey assignment. The tutor said that my earlier ending moved a little away from the assignment theme. The brief was about Hunter to Prey, which means there should be a power shift between the prey and the pursuer. In some way, the prey should become the hunter.

In my original version, the prey was trapped in a looping corridor. The audience would discover at the end that he did not really escape. However, he was still being chased and controlled. In other words, the old ending was more about “the prey can never escape”, rather than “the prey becomes the hunter”.

Revised Ending

Based on the feedback, I changed the ending. In the new version, after many loops, the prey slowly goes mad. He repeats the same process: running, failing, and returning to the starting point. After this repetition, his mental state breaks down.

Week 2 was mainly divided into two parts. The first session focused on the lecture about Story Basic and a group storyboard exercise. The second session focused on the Previs assignment, “Hunter to Prey”, including group storyboard planning and video production. Compared with Week 1, which focused more on camera language, this week focused more on story structure, causal logic, character motivation, and how to develop an idea into a story that can be shown through shots.

The Causal Chain of “Therefore / But”

The tutor explained that the beats in a story should not only be connected by “and then”. They should be connected more by “therefore” or “but”. In this way, the story feels like the result of the character’s own desire, weakness and choices, rather than something pushed by random external events.

This helped me understand character agency more clearly. Even in a very short story, the character should still have their own goal and choice. The audience does not only want to know “what happens next”. They also want to know why the character makes a choice and what consequence this choice will bring.

Conflict, Drama and Story

The class also introduced the idea that Conflict = Drama = Story. A story begins when a character’s expectation or desire meets an obstacle in reality, and this creates conflict. The conflict can be external, such as a chase, danger or an environmental obstacle. It can also be internal, such as fear, hesitation, obsession or a wrong judgement.

The lecture gave us three useful questions: Who is it about? What do they want? Why can’t they have it? These questions can help me quickly define the main character, the goal and the obstacle at the early stage of story development. They also help prevent the story from becoming only a random collection of events.

The SWBST Story Structure

The class also introduced the SWBST structure: Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then. This structure helps me turn a simple idea into a complete story. It asks: Who is the main character? What do they want? What obstacle do they meet? What choice do they make? What result happens at the end?

This method is very useful for the early stage of storyboard and previs planning, because it helps me check whether the story works before designing the shots. If the “wanted” and “but” are not clear, even if the shots look good, the audience may still not understand why the character is acting.

Class Exercise: Ladder, Flooding and Disappearing

In the first session’s class activity, we worked in pairs to develop a storyboard idea. Based on the three keywords “ladder”, “flooding” and “disappearing”, I came up with a story about a bubble.

In this exercise, I was mainly responsible for the story concept and the overall storyboard design. I tried to make the three keywords have a real connection, instead of simply placing them separately into the story. I also wanted the ending to give the audience a clear twist. My idea was that the bubble first uses the ladder to struggle against the flood, but it still fails and disappears into the water. However, at the end, there is a reversal: the bubble is blown out from a fish’s mouth and is reborn.

This week’s course focuses on Cinematography: Layout, Composition, and Camera Language. The lesson primarily explores camera language in 3D animation and film shots, covering topics such as shot composition, focus, focal length, spatial geometry, and camera movement. At the beginning of the class, a crucial question was raised: “Where do you put the camera?” This emphasizes that before designing a shot, we must first consider what the scene truly aims to convey and what message we want the audience to receive.

This made me realize that the camera is not merely recording characters or scenes, but is an integral part of storytelling. The position, angle, and composition of shots all influence how audiences interpret the narrative. In 3D animation production, camera choices are equally important, as they determine what the audience sees, what they don’t see, and when they see it.

The session divided camera language into several main areas: focus, focal length, geometry and movement. These elements work together to control the visual information

Focal length decides how much space is included in the frame. It can also affect the visual relationship between the character and the environment. The examples in the lecture showed how different focal lengths can change the appearance of a face and the sense of space.

Focal length is not just a technical setting. It can also influence the feeling of the scene. A wide-angle lens can make the space feel more exaggerated and may create a sense of instability or pressure. A longer lens can compress the space and make the frame feel more focused.

Geometry in Frame

Frame geometry is about the structure inside the image. Through lines, symmetry, triangular composition, framing and perspective, the image can become more organised and can also express the character’s situation.

Camera Movement

In the camera movement section, the class introduced several common camera movements and effects. Handheld camera can create a feeling of realism, tension or chaos. Whip pan can show a direct connection between two spaces or actions. Arc shot can move around a character and make the character feel like the centre of the scene. Establishing shot can help the audience understand the space and environment.

Through these examples, I understood that camera movement should not only be used to make a shot look more complex. It should support the story and the emotion of the scene.

5 + 5 Challenge Storyboard

The assignment for this week was the 5 + 5 Challenge Storyboard. The purpose of this task was to practise telling a clear story within a very limited time. Since there are only five shots, every shot needs to have a clear function. Each shot may need to show who the character is, where the scene takes place, what is happening, how the emotion changes, and what the final result is.

Storyboard 5+5