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I first decided that my 10-second trailer would follow a clear emotional arc — from a low point to a high.

That’s why I chose to begin with the protagonist in tears, and end with her regaining confidence.

The story is simple, but I wanted the shift in feeling to be bold and clear.

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I got injured that time, which means I haven’t been able to draw for short periods of time.

At first, it was frustrating，I am so worried about Deadline.

However，this stillness made me reflect on the emotional tone of my 10-second animation.

Strangely enough, I got injured while reaching out to pick a flower.

And somehow, that moment stayed with me.

It made me realize:

Before my character can make peace with herself,

she needs to go through pain —only then can she see the beauty.

So I’ve decided to shift the opening tone of the animation.

It will start in a more melancholic, aching mood.

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Got injured, so I hit pause on drawing for the week.I Went out, touched some grass, and remembered I’m a human being too.

I went to budapest and Disneyland Paris，and I got some special from that travel.

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“A 10-second animation battle. A journey of rhythm, detail, and patience.”

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“A 10-second animation battle. A journey of rhythm, detail, and patience.”

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Hey, I’m Jessica, and this is my progress wall for this semester’s animation module!

All the character design is already done — now it’s time to dive into the real animation work. From loop warm-ups to final exports, I’ll be documenting every step: the experiments, the reflections, and maybe even a few breakdowns (oops).

Perfection isn’t required — but flow, honesty, and impact are.

Welcome to the space where every frame shows a little bit of growth.

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First Walk Cycle Test: Honestly? It Was a piece of shit.

I was way too focused on whether the walking looked correct —but what I didn’t realize was this:

Walking is something that happens naturally.

In real life, we can just get up and walk anytime.But the moment you have to perform in front of a camera for reference,you suddenly forget how to walk.

When I did my first walk cycle, I tried to reconstruct every pose of walking, step by step.But once I finished, I realized… it looked a bit too stiff.

Too “correct”. Too straight. Too dead.

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Week 2️⃣：Budapest-A wonderful visual moodboard

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Week 2️⃣：Budapest-A wonderful visual moodboard

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I was surprised by how much the colours of Budapest matched the visual world I had in mind — rich, vivid, and a little over-the-top in the best way.

All the gold, the saturated tones, the dramatic contrasts… it somehow echoed my project’s mood perfectly.

It felt like stepping into a palette I didn’t know I’d already chosen.

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I’ve always loved watching films — especially foreign ones — but for the first time, I found myself stepping into the role of an actress in my own creative process.

And unexpectedly, that brought me so much joy.

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I didn’t expect to learn something about animation while screaming on a roller coaster — but here we are，the Animation Studio turned out to be a real learning moment.

The exhibit gave me a closer look at character animation, especially how emotion is built through exaggeration and rhythm.I have to say，it was really useful！

I also experienced one of the dark rides where animation and physical space blend seamlessly — it made me think more about movement, timing, and how animation can guide the audience’s focus in real time.

Turns out, even a theme park can teach you a few things… if you’re paying attention.

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I helped my friend Chloe with her stop-motion project —

specifically, by making a lot of tiny cute clothes for her characters.

I realized: I just like live in Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale.

But beyond the sparkle and scissors, this experience actually leveled up my hands-on skills.

It was like a soft, accidental training arc —

and I know it’s going to help me a lot in next semester’s stop-motion project.

Plus, tiny clothes are seriously addictive.

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After coming back from my trip, I finally settled down and started drawing again.

The journey gave me a lot of new visual ideas — especially in terms of how to express emotion through imagery.

I began with the scene where the protagonist is crying.

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To be honest, I was really anxious about this semester’s project.

I’ve never made a full 2D animation before — not even close.

My past works have mostly been collage animations, simple stop-motion experiments, character designs, and production design. So when I found out that this time, I had to actually make my character move…

I was honestly terrified.

This Padlet is where I try anyway. One step at a time.

Let’s see what happens when fear meets frame-by-frame—I may not know what I’m doing — but I know I’m doing it anyway.

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For the first time, I got to direct others — and it was surprisingly fun.

Telling people what to do? Kind of addictive.

Also, seeing ideas come alive through someone else’s performance felt… magical.

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I really hate running.

So maybe that’s why my run cycle ended up looking… kind of annoyed too.

I didn’t even realize it at first —but somehow, I animated the whole thing as if the character was hopping on one foot.

Seriously. One. Foot.

Maybe my character didn’t want to run either.

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I sincerely apologize for what I’ve done to my character.

I think I might’ve… accidentally broken her legs.

My friend Sayori kindly pointed out that when humans walk,there’s a natural up-and-down motion in the head.

So this time, I did try to add that bounce.

I gave the head some nice movement!

But… the body? Still painfully stiff.

So what did I end up animating?

A disabled girl heroically relearning how to walk.

Like, one determined step at a time.

I’m so sorry to my girl🤦

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Dancers Can Dance — But Can They Animate It?

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Dancers Can Dance — But Can They Animate It?

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As someone who loves dancing, I ambitiously set out to create a wave dance cycle.

But let’s be real — if I haven’t even fully figured out walk cycles or run cycles yet,what made me think I could animate a smooth, flowing wave?

I thought I drew every pose.But it didn’t feel connected.

It didn’t flow.It honestly left me feeling a bit defeated.

Turns out, dancing with your body and dancing with your pencil are…two very different beasts.

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These are not part of the module, but they’re part of me.

Sometimes I just need to draw something with no deadline, no pressure — just to breathe.

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Sometimes, I just need to stop drawing and start arranging.

These collages are small acts of play, instinct, and visual noise—-No plan. No pressure. Just me, my scissors, and too many textures.

I like turning my daily objects into little canvases.

Making cases for my phone or iPad isn’t just decorating —

it’s carrying a part of myself wherever I go.

Every collage, every sticker, every piece I cut and paste —says something I don’t always know how to say in words.

These are my personal relics, portable stories, and yes… sometimes they match my mood.

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I love superhero movies，sometimes, I draw superheroes doing everyday things.

Not saving the world. Just… living in it.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with The Flash.

Maybe it’s because he can control time —

and honestly, I wish I could slow it down too.（No deadline please）

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A Quick Escape — Into Tim Burton’s Brain

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A Quick Escape — Into Tim Burton’s Brain

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During a break between classes, I went to see the Tim Burton exhibition.

I only had a short time, but wow — it was like stepping into someone’s dream. Or nightmare. Or both.

There was something oddly comforting about all the sharp teeth, hollow eyes, and twisted smiles.

Like the characters weren’t trying to be scary — they were just honest.

Weird, lonely, vulnerable.

And maybe that’s why I liked them so much.

Sometimes you need to leave class for a moment and remember why you love pictures in the first place.

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I did a few weeks of internship at Cook Building.

Think tiny props, flexible characters, and an infinite supply of patience.

I didn’t animate anything big (yet), but I watched, learned, and helped out —

I am sure I will make some great things in next semester

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Outside of animation, I also love drawing my own original characters —mostly girls with different personalities, moods, and small stories.

They’re not part of this module, but they’re definitely part of me.

Creating them helps me explore style, shape, and feeling —

without pressure, just joy.

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Sometimes I draw my favorite idols.

Not for an assignment. Not for anyone else. Just because I like them, and drawing them makes me happy.

These pieces aren’t polished or perfect,

but they’re soft, and they’re mine.

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Before diving into the actual animation, I created a production schedule and a 10s storyboard to help me stay on track.

The schedule breaks the module into weekly tasks, allowing me to follow a structured but flexible timeline.

The storyboard helps me visualise each scene, understand the pacing, and catch any potential issues early on.

I’m not always good at sticking to plans (who is?),

but having this structure gave me something to come back to whenever I felt lost.

(And yes, some changes were made along the way — but that’s part of the process too.)

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I realized that focusing too much on whether each individual pose is “correct” was actually limiting me.

What really matters is how the body moves as a whole —

how one action flows into the next,how weight shifts,

how rhythm breathes through the movement.

So instead of over-analyzing every frame,I chose to watch some well-animated

examples first — to feel the rhythm before I try to recreate it.

Here are some of my favorite walk and run references I found.

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After several tragic attempts where my character looked like she was hopping on one foot (with attitude), I decided to go back, rewatch my references, and fix it.

Here’s what I changed:

• I added some head movement — subtle side-to-side sway, not frozen stiff anymore

• I let the upper body move more, to make it feel less robotic

• And I made the steps bigger, so she actually feels like she’s running instead of… protesting

She’s not sprinting just yet,

but at least she’s not doing angry bunny hops anymore.

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After some stiff, slightly tragic early walk cycles, I took a deep breath and decided to try again.

This time, I paid attention to:

• The natural sway of the head — not too bouncy, not frozen

• Body movement — letting the torso lean and shift weight between steps

• A bit of bounce — subtle up and down motion to make her feel grounded but light

I also made the stride slightly longer,

so it doesn’t feel like she’s tiptoeing through emotional damage anymore.

Still not perfect, but she walks with purpose now.

And maybe even with a little bit of attitude.

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After the first walk cycle where my character looked like she was learning to walk again after an injury (bless her soul), I knew I had to fix it.

So I went back, and here’s what changed:

• The body is finally less stiff — I let the spine do some actual work

• The head has natural bounce, not that “I’m frozen in fear” look

• The legs? Longer strides, more confident, less like shuffling through pain

This time, she actually walks.

Not stumbles. Not limps. Not survives — walks.

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After several tragic attempts where my character looked like she was hopping on one foot (with attitude), I decided to go back, rewatch my references, and fix it.

Here’s what I changed:

• I added some head movement — subtle side-to-side sway, not frozen stiff anymore

• I let the upper body move more, to make it feel less robotic

• And I made the steps bigger, so she actually feels like she’s running instead of… protesting

She’s not sprinting just yet,

but at least she’s not doing angry bunny hops anymore.

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I tried doing a full dance loop… but it was just too hard right now.

So instead, I made a new wave cycle — this time focusing on hair blowing in the wind.

I gave the wave cycle another try — this time focusing on hair blowing in the wind.

It’s not bad for a first attempt. The rhythm feels okay, and the motion loops cleanly.

But… the movement still feels a bit tight.

Like the hair is trying to move, but it’s holding back.

I think the arcs need to be bigger, looser — like it’s really catching the wind.

Next version:

More sway. More softness. Less hesitation.

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I found a hair movement reference that I really liked.

Even though my character has her hair tied up, I studied the flow and direction of the loose hair in the reference to help guide the motion in my own animation.

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This is my second version of the hair wave cycle —

and it already feels so much better.

After some helpful feedback from my tutor,

I made a few important changes:

• I revealed the eyes slightly, which instantly gave the character more presence

• I increased the speed of the movement to feel more natural and responsive

• And overall, I loosened the motion to make the hair feel less restricted

Now the wind doesn’t just pass through —

it dances with her.

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Smoother and Softer-the final（1） version

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Smoother and Softer-the final（1） version

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I added more frames based on version 2 to make the motion feel smoother and more natural.

The movement now flows more gently, and the timing feels more balanced.

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Took in some feedback from my tutor and reworked the animation — sped things up a bit and added more frames.

It finally feels smoother now, and the motion flows a lot better. Still a bit rough around the edges, but I think it’s starting to breathe on its own.

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I’ve finished my walk, run, and hair wave cycles.

They’re not perfect, and I know there’s still room to grow —

but after going through this process, I finally feel confident enough to move on.

These exercises helped me a lot, both technically and mentally.

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Inspired by the environmental storytelling in WALL·E (2008, Pixar)

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Week 3️⃣（Scene 1）：WALL·E doesn’t talk, but he sure feels

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Week 3️⃣（Scene 1）：WALL·E doesn’t talk, but he sure feels

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To reflect the protagonist’s emotional arc, I wanted to creat a sequence of environmental.

While looking into reference animations, I revisited WALL·E and noticed how the protagonist doesn’t speak — instead, his emotions are shown through changes in the environment and weather.

Although the mood I’m trying to express is somewhat different, I still found it a really valuable reference for how to convey feeling without dialogue.

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：environment reference

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：environment reference

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I want to show the protagonist’s emotions through changes in the environment, so I need to find environmental references.

There’s something about British sunsets — soft, surreal, and quietly sad — that fit perfectly with the feeling I wanted for the character.

The houses in Middlesbrough added a grounded touch to that atmosphere.

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I didn’t end up using the recorded sound, but my classmates and I definitely went all in — let’s just say a lot of strange objects were involved.

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I started learning Adobe Premiere Pro this term and tried out some editing basics in class — cutting, sequencing, adding transitions.

I didn’t manage to save any of the edits I worked on (note to self: export before closing the file…) .However，outside of class, I used Premiere to put together a short video clip I really love.

It’s not related to my animation project, but it helped me explore rhythm and mood in a different way — and reminded me how much I enjoy the editing process when I’m not rushing against a deadline.

Next time, I’ll definitely document the process more carefully — lesson learned.

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https://youtu.be/lj6VMRW0fsE?si=xxopJx6FWjKzMipj

（Full version in Youtube）

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I’ve never laughed that wildly before.

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I really loved working with my actors — they added so many interesting layers to the scenes.

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：Fading light，fading heart

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：Fading light，fading heart

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I used this colour transition to mirror the emotional shift of the protagonist — from the warmth of sunset to the cool stillness of night.

Once I had the colours figured out, the whole scene became clear in my mind.

It was as if the emotion, lighting, and pacing all fell into place.

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Week  3️⃣ （Scene 1）：The blinking reference

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Week  3️⃣ （Scene 1）：The blinking reference

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I looked into different blinking references to better understand how subtle eye movements can reflect a character’s inner state.

In my scene, the blink isn’t just a mechanical action — it marks hesitation, exhaustion, or a moment of pause.

Timing and spacing were especially important to make the blink feel natural yet expressive.

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The blink is short, but it carries emotion.

A hesitation. A breath. A shift in thought.

That’s what I tried to capture.

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I sketched out the background quite quickly, using my earlier production design as a base.

The goal was to keep it simple and stable, so the lighting changes could do the emotional heavy-lifting.

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：Shadows told the story

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Week 3️⃣ （Scene 1）：Shadows told the story

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The setting stays still — but the light changes.

As the sun fades and the moon rises, the room slowly sinks into shadow.

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It’s finally done.

To be honest, there are still many details I’d like to refine, and it definitely took longer than I expected.

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At first, I thought drawing tears would be simple — just a straight line down the face.

But then I found this reference image, and it completely changed my view.

The tear followed the curve of the cheek, and suddenly it felt more real, more emotional.

That small detail gave me a lot of insight.

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Thanks to this reference, drawing the tear actually went really smoothly.

It just made sense after that.

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The constant background transitions unexpectedly created a strong sense of anxiety.

I didn’t intend it at first, but the visual shifts added tension in a way I hadn’t expected.

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：Her first breath in the scene

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：Her first breath in the scene

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The first breathing animation I did felt a bit too intense — like the character just took a deep breath and accidentally inhaled a gust of wind.

It wasn’t quite natural yet, but it definitely had… drama.

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I was eager to finish this scene, so I rushed into it at first.

But the initial results didn’t feel right.

So I took a step back and spent some time looking for references — it helped a lot..

It was the simplest reference, but also the most valuable — it made the drawing process much smoother.

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：My own breathing reference

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：My own breathing reference

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Sometimes the best teacher is myself.

While looking at other animation references, I also observed my own breathing —how my shoulders moved, how the rhythm shifted with emotion.

It became one of the most useful studies.

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：She finally knows how to breathe！

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Week 3️⃣（scene 3）：She finally knows how to breathe！

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She breathes now. And somehow, the whole scene feels different.

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This background reference had nothing to do with animation — but something about its editing caught my attention.

It was simple, but sharp and emotionally precise.This part switches quickly between the character and text.The background is simple, but the feeling builds up fast.

It looks clean, but the emotion gets stronger with each cut.

The way it was structured gave me a strong sense of mood, and it ended up inspiring this sence in my project.

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The scene is paired with on-screen words to build rhythm and emotion.

I combined imagery and text here to create a stronger emotional impact.

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Before this shot, I started learning Callipeg —
this was my first time using it, and I spent a full day exploring the tools and workflow.

This shot was made entirely in Callipeg as a way to test what I’d learned.

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Week 3️⃣（scene 4）:How does the character speak?

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Week 3️⃣（scene 4）:How does the character speak?

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Sometimes the most accurate reference is my own face.

For the word “magnificent,” I studied how my lips moved, frame by frame.
It helped more than I expected.

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With the mouth shape reference — and the earlier breathing study —
the character finally managed to speak successfully.

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While working on the lip-sync, I also paid attention to the character’s hands — especially the fist.

By observing my own gestures and facial expressions, I was able to match the character’s movements and emotions more naturally.

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Week 3️⃣（scene 4）:I am magnificent!(test)

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Week 3️⃣（scene 4）:I am magnificent!(test)

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The earlier part was mostly testing,but when I started this shot, I hit a creative block———It just didn't look right.

It took me longer than expected, and at times I felt pretty anxious......

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The more I tried to fix it, the stranger it looked.

So I stopped chasing details and decided to redraw the whole shot from scratch.
Sometimes a reset is the smartest move.

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After drawing the same pose again and again, I started feeling visually exhausted.
So I asked myself — what if I reused the material, not as repetition, but as transformation?

Reframing the same drawing helped me see new meanings in it.

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I reused the previous breathing loop to maintain continuity with the last shot.

Surprisingly, that also helped me move past a section I’d been stuck on — it finally flowed.

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The original fist movement looked a bit too slow and awkward,
so I sped it up to smooth out the action.

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It was painful, frustrating, and at times I felt completely stuck —but I pushed through.

Looking back, I’m proud that I didn’t give up.

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Thanks to the loop I draw before, it makes the set so much easier.

I have to admit, I was running a bit short on time —
but I still wanted to include this shot to complete the flow.

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Week 4️⃣ （scene 5）:Star War hyperspace jump

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Week 4️⃣ （scene 5）:Star War hyperspace jump

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I want to create a transition inspired by the hyperspace jump in Star Wars —from a blurry, undefined space into a vast, star-filled galaxy.

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This shot wasn’t part of the original storyboard —but I added it,because it felt right.

Now I’m trying to blend it with the earlier narrative structure.

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It finally finished,I know it wasn't perfect,but I did my best!

The last shot is bright and vivid,just like my mood.

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This semester was full of challenges.

I had no experience with frame-by-frame animation before, and I struggled a lot with software like Toon Boom Harmony.

My initial plan completely fell apart, and my early loops were stiff and awkward —
I was nervous to show them, but I still kept drawing.

Some shots lacked flow and speed; some had to be completely redone.

During stop-motion, the materials didn’t stick.One day I built a whole set — the next day, the glue gave up.

During the Easter break, my right hand was injured and my laptop got water-damaged.

At one point, I lost an entire scene and had to start from scratch.

There were moments of anxiety and self-doubt---But I got through it.

No matter what the final outcome looks like, I know I didn’t give up on myself — and that means everything.

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The final showreel brings all our work together.

Big thanks to my classmate Chloe for editing and combining our shots into one complete piece.

My final scene will appear as part of this showreel,and I am so looking forward to seeing it.

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I am so sorry about that---actually,I didn’t follow my original plan exactly, the process remained active and responsive.

During my study,I adjusted my plans all the time when there was a new ideas and challenges appeared —but, keeping the core goal in sight.

The timeline shifted, but the intention stayed.

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My first storyboard was extremely simple —I was mainly trying to fill time with close-ups and minimal movement.

But as the semester went on and deadlines got closer,
I realised I wanted more than just a finished project — I wanted to improve.

So I changed the plan and pushed myself to draw more complex, dynamic shots.