After discussing with my teacher, I realized that my stories mainly suffer from incompleteness. For example, the cyberpunk story and the magic hat story lack a clear beginning and ending. So this week, I will refine my storyboards and start using Maya to build 3D scenes and create a previs video.
Starting with the cyberpunk city story, my teacher suggested adding a news report about the theft at the beginning to provide context for the audience. Additionally, during the chase sequence, I can enhance the tension by including police cars and shooting scenes.
Notes:
After adjustment:
Notes:
In the second scene, my teacher suggested adding a shot of the puppeteer reluctantly shedding tears over his puppets, as well as a shot showing how he eventually puts them down. This will help improve the coherence between the shots.
After adjustment:
In the third story, my teacher suggested adding a scene showing the protagonist’s loneliness, indicating her deep desire for a friend. In the end, although she doesn’t get the unicorn she wishes for, she gains many other friends instead. So, I drew the beginning and ending scenes. In the final scene, the girl happily runs outside with her animal friends.
This week, I developed three different storyboards, each exploring a unique theme and narrative style. Throughout this process, I conducted extensive research to deepen my understanding of the subjects and refine my storytelling approach. Here, I’ll share my thought process behind each concept and reflect on the challenges and insights I gained.
The Cyberpunk Escape： A High-Speed Chase
The first story takes place in a futuristic cyberpunk city. A mercenary steals a powerful gene orb, triggering a citywide lockdown. With the gates closing, she must escape before it’s too late. The entire animation revolves around a thrilling chase sequence.
Initially, I was drawn to the fast-paced, visually dynamic nature of chase scenes, inspired by action-heavy sci-fi films and games. However, while developing this idea, I realized that a good chase isn’t just about speed—it needs tension, stakes, and emotional weight. Why is the gene orb so important? What personal struggles does the protagonist face? These questions pushed me to think deeper about world-building and character motivation rather than relying solely on visual spectacle.
The Puppeteer’s Dilemma – A Story of Tradition or dream and Survival
The second story is about an elderly puppeteer, a profession that is now considered an intangible cultural heritage in China. I discovered that few young people learn this craft today because it doesn’t provide financial stability. Even in ancient times, puppeteers struggled to make a living.
This story takes place in a ruined temple during a harsh snowstorm. The puppeteer, cold and impoverished, realizes he is running out of firewood. He faces a difficult choice: should he burn his puppets to survive, or preserve his dream at the cost of his life?
Through research, I became deeply fascinated by the struggles of traditional artisans. This story resonated with me because it highlights the sacrifices artists make for their passion. It also made me reflect on the fragility of cultural heritage and how many traditional arts are at risk of fading away.
The Magic Hat – A Reflection on Gacha Games
The third story initially started as a critique of the gacha mechanics in pay-to-win games. However, after discussing it with my teacher, I realized that it could be reimagined as a more warm story with happy ending.
The story follows a young girl who receives a mysterious package containing a magic hat. She discovers that by pulling objects from the hat, she can get animals—even rare creatures like unicorns. Excited, she continues drawing, spending all the coins in her piggy bank. But no matter how many times she tries, she never gets the unicorn she wants.
This concept was inspired by the addictive nature of gacha games, where players keep spending in hopes of obtaining rare items. I initially approached the story from a critical angle, but I realized that framing it as a whimsical, childlike experience could make the message more relatable. Instead of outright condemning gacha mechanics, the story now highlights the emotions behind it—the thrill, the disappointment, and the cycle of hope and frustration.
