Week Notes:
This week covered the main forms of short narratives, including classic short stories (e.g., “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Lottery”), flash fiction (only a few paragraphs or sentences), and narrative essays (e.g., Joan Didion’s “Goodbye to All That”). Short narratives are characterized by brevity, a single focus, limited characters, direct storytelling, and a unified emotional effect.
Micro-narratives are extremely short stories that capture a single moment or emotion, making them ideal for social media, advertising, and research. They emphasize emotional core and relatability, contrasting with macro-narratives (myths, fables) by offering individual, zoomed-in perspectives.
Non-dialogue animation tells stories purely through visuals—body language, facial expressions, music, and sound effects—without spoken words. Types include silent animation, abstract animation, and music-driven animation (e.g., “Fantasia”). Notable examples include “Shaun the Sheep,” “Pingu,” “The Red Turtle,” and “Balance.” Key elements are visual storytelling, universal appeal, sound design, and artistic expression.
Task for this week:
1. On graduation which area or environment of production do you wish to focus upon and why?
I wish to focus on the area of stylised animation. The reason is that stylised animation can express emotion and narrative through exaggerated shapes, colours, and movement, making it more expressive and artistically distinctive than realistic animation. I am very interested in this form, as it allows me to create a unique visual language and emotional impact with limited production resources.
2. What skills will you need to attain the standards required for vocational practice?
I need to master the following skills: stylised character design, which means conveying character personality through techniques such as exaggeration, distortion, or abstraction; colour theory and visual language, using colour and shape to express emotion; animated performance, making characters feel lively and believable without relying on realism; and visual narrative structure, learning how to establish plot and emotion within a short timeframe. In addition, it is necessary to become proficient in animation software such as Blender, Maya, or After Effects.
3. How will you showcase your FMP practice for the final shows?
I plan to showcase a stylised animated short film, approximately two to three minutes long. Alongside the film, I will present visual development materials, including style exploration, character design sheets, colour scripts, and storyboards, allowing the audience to see the full process of creating a stylised animation from concept to final piece. If space permits, I may also set up a process wall to show the evolution of different style attempts.
4. Is it important to directly connect the thesis research to your practical work?
No, it is not important. I believe that theoretical research and practical work can be conducted relatively independently. Practical work relies more on intuition, aesthetic judgment, and experience, while thesis research can serve as a parallel direction of exploration. The two do not necessarily need to be directly linked.
5. Do you have an area of research you wish to conduct that is unrelated to practical element?
No, I do not. I wish to focus all my research energy on content that serves the practical work, ensuring that every part of my research directly or indirectly helps me complete my final animated piece.
