Renai Dance Animation by Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: Renai Dance PRIMARY FUNCTION: Animation INSPIRATION: This film is dedicated to our grandfathers' generation. Beautiful traditional cultures experience significant impacts from new influences. The gap between generations is widening over time. Does the emergence of a new symbol necessarily lead to the fading of old cultures? Is the pursuit of dreams inherently divergent from our loved ones? We want to explore this point to see if we can find a vision that resonates with both our hearts and the future. The love of elevating the next generation's dreams would be the most supportive heritage and legacy. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “RenaiDance” is a 3D narrative emotional animation. The theme invigorates cultural inheritance and the integration of dreams, courage, and culture as transformation. By artistically interpreting a motif of inheritance and family support, integrating different cultures“inheritan OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: This film is suitable for all ages, and is kid-friendly. To get the best viewing experience, we recommend watching it in a dark room to enjoy the truest colors and most intense visuals. Also, using headphones or playing it in a place with stereo sound is a good idea because the movie has professionally mixed left and right channel audio effects, plus an original score you'll likely remember long after. There's a hidden Easter egg graphic after the end credits which provides a sneak peek into the possible future storyline extension, so don't forget to stay tuned for that extra treat. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: In 2019, the film project began in New York, completing its production in 2021. It was screened at events in several international locations, like New York, Aspen, Beloit, Nepal, Taiwan, etc. FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Movie, Video and Animation Design |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: For the pre-production stage, we utilized Adobe Photoshop and Storyboard Pro to create our concept art and storyboard, establishing the foundation for our film's narrative and visual direction. Moving into the production phase, we used Python to align with MAYA's coding language: MEL, and built our own pipeline tool to efficiently organize files. Then we adopted a Maya-centric workflow, where we applied Maya for modeling, rigging, layout, and animation. Substance Painter and Substance Designer for texturing and refining the style of half-PBR materials. We tried Marvelous Designer to make clothes for our characters, it created organic draped folds and complex pleated folds on dresses, which would take triple the time in traditional modeling process. Houdini gave us chances to explore visual effects that resonated with the scene's emotions. Subsequently, based on our research result and testing shots rendering, we leveraged Redshift Render Farm to generate high-quality renders with faster render speed compared to the Arnold rendering. After exporting multi-layered EXR image sequences from Maya, we brought all the CG render to Nuke and refined the final details with compositing techniques. In the post-production phase, we integrated After Effects and Premiere to edit the film, as well as compose the musical score and synchronize sound effects with the visuals. We created an originally developed embroidery tool to easily trans any input pattern to traditional hand-made embroidery assets in digital. Artists can customize the direction of embroidery, the range of stitch types, the density and orientation of the stitching, as well as the different materials used for threads in embroidery, like silk, linen, gold, etc. The traditional patterns on every fabric surface in the film, like on the dress, vest, and lion mask, all applied this technique. Our title logo and every word were re-designed. The design process began with initial sketches on paper, followed by digitization and refinement using Adobe Illustrator, then sending to Substance Designer, went through our embroidery tools to gain handmade thread details, gave the film unique texture. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: This film's standard resolution is 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels (Full HD). Its duration is 3 minutes and 47 seconds, with a frame rate of 23.9fps. TAGS: Animation, Love, Family, Culture inherit, Short film, Generation, Oriental, Kids, RESEARCH ABSTRACT: One of the most significant challenges encountered pertains to striking a balance between effectively conveying intense emotions to the audience while adhering to stringent temporal and financial constraints. Initially, our narrative blueprint envisioned an elaborate dance sequence to illustrate the protagonist's growth journey. However, subsequent research and production trials revealed that the intricate details such as the lion mask's fur and the character's real hair, coupled with the dimly lit environment, would necessitate twice the anticipated rendering time. Consequently, a crucial decision was reached to determine the equilibrium point between technical feasibility and artistic integrity. We opted to maintain the core story structure and instead allocate resources towards refining lighting and meticulously color-correcting keyframes to engage the audience. This strategic shift involved utilizing a series of carefully composed still frames to denote the passage of time, thus replacing the originally planned full dance sequence. In doing so, we aimed to ensure that viewers would embark on a complete emotional odyssey alongside our character, encapsulated by a cohesive soundscape and indelible visual imagery. Additionally, this approach leaves room for imaginative interpretation, potentially laying the groundwork for future sequels. CHALLENGE: It is a huge challenge the integrate productions with all of the talents through the global world. The unique original soundtrack was presented in harmony by Hollywood composer Zak McNeil, Asian Traditional Orchestra, and Russian professional sound designer Denis Nechipurenko. Mixing well with Western Ballet style and modern electric sound effects to balance the different cultures between Asian and Western, Tradition with Modern. With vivid voice-overs perform the characters by stacking emotions, we create an emotional atmosphere at every affecting moment. Our honor is to work with talented assistant directors, co-artists, technical assistants, composers, sound designers, and voice-over actors. We got through it together, challengingly under the budget and time limit finally during the difficult time. ADDED DATE: 2024-03-26 08:34:04 TEAM MEMBERS (3) : Zhike Yang, Wenjie Wu and Han Chen Chang IMAGE CREDITS: Video Credits: Creative Director Zhike Yang. Video Credits: Technical Director Wenjie Wu. Video Credits: Creative Producer Han Chen Chang. Video Credits: Sound Track Zak McNeil. Video Credits: Sound Design Denis Nechipurenko. |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://www.wenjie.art/thesis | |||||
| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: Boxon Media Studios PROFILE: Founded in 2018 by visionary Zhike Yang, Boxon Media excels in developing compelling narratives for various platforms, from the film industry to other media outlets. Based in China and collaborating with artists globally, the studio offers a wide range of services, from pre-production strategies to post-production design, serving clients around the world. Boxon Media is dedicated to telling stories that explore human vulnerability and societal pain points, making a significant impact across multiple storytelling mediums, like feature films and VR movies. This focus has positioned Boxon Media as a leader in innovative narrative creation, appealing to a diverse international audience and potential clients looking for cutting-edge storytelling solutions. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Renai Dance Animation by Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu is Winner in Movie, Video and Animation Design Category, 2023 - 2024.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu. · Click here to view the profile and other works by Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu. |
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