Process photos of making "ZZZ", an animated short film whose story, animation, character and environment design, soundtrack and production is also by me.
"ZZZ" was shown on Times Square billboards at 41st St and Broadway on December 15th, 2021.
It is made of shadow puppets in 12 fps stop-motion. I cut black and white paper, pinned joints together, and put them on a lightbox. Then, I took a photo, moved the puppets a bit, took a photo, moved them a bit... Every second is 12 photos. Finally, I combined sound effects and my voice acting with the visuals.
There are all sorts of ways to wake up a mummy to go to school. Which method do you think is the best? Understanding what motivates the other person is likely the most convincing.

I designed these characters and the world that they live in. The man in the front turns his back on the other man, hiding his expression of disgust in shadow. With one hand, he grips his cloak subconsciously as if to hide further. However, just as the flame shines through his mask, the man behind him can see through to his insecurity and emptiness, which are symbolized by the colors of each layer of his outfit and jewelry. Therefore, the man in the back relaxes in a domineering pose and manipulative sneer, knowing that no matter how much the other man hates him, he will not be able to leave. The environment is framed in a mirror as part of a symbolic theme of seeing through to the truth, which includes the reflectiveness and translucency in the jewels and bottles. This theme is a metaphor for the man in the back’s maliciously used perceptiveness and the self-reflection needed for the man in the front to realize it and break free.

I designed these buildings as part of the world that my characters in “Watch Out” live in. I considered how the characters' socioeconomic situations, family backgrounds, personalities, and living habits would manifest in their living spaces. Thanks to the experience that I gained from an interior design internship, I drew floor plans.
I designed these characters and the world that they live in. The finance minister on the right is focused and collected at work. So, her desk and bookshelf are clean and organized. Yet, the wine in her dimly lit office implies her mischievous side. When she invites her colleague, a judge, to drink in her office, she can’t resist the urge to prank him. She winks at the viewer, perhaps another guest at her office party, and makes the signal to keep a secret. Similarly, her office has secrets. Some of the books on the shelf have normal work-related titles, while some are comically labeled corrupt titles like “How to Embezzle Money.” As per the floor plan of her office, under the unsuspecting, drunk judge is a basement full of money and traps. Upon waking up, the judge will be dumbfounded to find an array of silly doodles on his face, but even if he finds out who drew them, he may never learn the truth behind her work.

This character is simultaneously a curious traveler, practical businessman, and desperate fugitive. Since his travels have taken him from Ancient China all the way to Persia, I researched about the art history of the Silk Road to decide what appearance best represents his backstory. I drew inspiration from Buddhist cave paintings, Persian (Sasanian, Achaemenid, and Parthian) jewelry, and steppe nomads’ textiles. I chose the patterns and shapes of his clothes and accessories based on the cultural and historical connotations of these motifs in art history.

From a doodle imagining this character’s lifestyle on the Silk Road, sprang forth ideas for a scene introducing him for the first time, hence these thumbnails and sketches. I imagine different ways for a scene to convey how the character is simultaneously a curious traveler, practical businessman, and desperate fugitive. I try compositions with various camera angles, poses, shadings, and perspectives.

Sketches of scenes between my characters and their designs. I enjoy doodling to experiment with storyline and relationships, and how they relate to appearances and environments. Do you see something connecting these people? Something familiar?

Many situations are out of control. Two of my peers died of cancer. Although my exotropia isn’t life-threatening, I had to learn to focus on adapting and finding solutions in daily life and mustered the courage to get surgery in junior year. I want to encourage people suffering in uncontrollable situations to look forward and empower each other no matter how unfortunate they are or feel. So, this comic depicts the beginning of the Food Club of those who’ve turned into food. A security guard of a chemicals and weapons company turns partly into bread due to a poison made by her company. She shows the shock, confusion, and pain that people feel when struck with terrible circumstances. Even so, people can support each other to embrace harsh reality, so Vivi, the poison’s first victim, is bright, masters her pasta, and befriends the security guard. Soft colors, food page numbers, and funny facial expressions and text create a light tone to further convey hope for people to find happiness in misfortune.

Designs, notes, sketches, and thumbnails for the characters in my comic "Food Club." After making the comic, I continue to develop the characters' backgrounds and personalities, which are implied in their appearances.
Many situations are out of control. Two of my peers died of cancer. Although my exotropia isn’t life-threatening, I had to learn to focus on adapting and finding solutions in daily life and mustered the courage to get surgery in junior year. I want to encourage people suffering in uncontrollable situations to look forward and empower each other no matter how unfortunate they are or feel. So, this comic depicts the beginning of the Food Club of those who’ve turned into food. A security guard of a chemicals and weapons company turns partly into bread due to a poison made by her company. She shows the shock, confusion, and pain that people feel when struck with terrible circumstances. Even so, people can support each other to embrace harsh reality, so Vivi, the poison’s first victim, is bright, masters her pasta, and befriends the security guard. Soft colors, food page numbers, and funny facial expressions and text create a light tone to further convey hope for people to find happiness in misfortune.

When designing these promotional materials for the Yale School of Music's collection of musical instruments, I was fascinated by how similar instruments all around the world take on myriad forms to produce unique sounds and beautiful music, which is deeply connected to humans' emotions, cultures, and experiences throughout history. I combined instruments into abstract compositions on the 2 posters and outdoor installation to showcase the intriguing shapes, cut postcards into the instruments' silhouettes, designed shopping bags that allow visitors to feel the instruments' shapes and textures in 3D, and revealed decorative details in 4 social media images. Since I was working with Yale, I united its pre-existing identity with my ideas by setting a lockup and using the Yale official font, logo, and colors.