Interview about Renai Dance Animation, winner of the A' Movie, Video and Animation Design Award 2024
Renai Dance is a 3D animated film blending visual appeal with cultural themes and emotional depth. The story combines elements of Chinese Lion Dancing and Western Modern Ballet, showing the merging of different cultural heritages. Its soundtrack features traditional oriental music, modern symphonic elements, and thematic melodies to enhance the emotional experience. The film aims to offer a new perspective on exploring folkways, familial bonds, and the enduring vitality of culture.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsIt all starts with one word: support.At the beginning, we focused on an activity that could embody the concept of support through a duo performance. The story’s core is about support—support from family and even from someone who didn’t understand you before but grows to wholeheartedly stand by you.Lion dancing represents a traditional, nostalgic activity popular across the broader Oriental region—a shared childhood memory for many. Ballet, on the other hand, represents a dream for children, with its elegant moves, fancy costumes, and pure imagination of a different culture. What’s often overlooked is that both dances require partnership. This dance takes two.
Every generation has its own vibrant life and unique timeline. They were once young, strong, and swift—just like us. These cherished memories and activities remain lively and deserve to be seen. It’s our responsibility to inherit and preserve them, bringing them into a new form.With modern techniques continuously evolving, we now have the tools to give these traditions new life while respecting their essence.
Embroidery has long been a common technique for adding intricate details to fabrics. That’s why we developed a tool to streamline the creation of embroidered designs. It allows us to control thickness, metallic effects, and even silk threads, while adjusting stitch patterns easily.This tool enabled us to recreate traditional patterns from costumes we studied, without requiring artists to thread each element manually. With just a pattern, we could produce elegant silk sheets.For example, the little girl, our protagonist, wears a hanfu-inspired dress. In real life, such garments would feature layers of handmade embroidery—gold and silk threads creating shimmering effects under sunlight as the dancer moves. We applied the same approach to the ballet dress and shoes, ensuring the traditional aesthetic of Oriental art was sustained and integrated beautifully into the design.
Thanks to our talented composer Zak McNeil, we achieved the unforgettable earworm effect we aimed for, even within a runtime of less than three minutes. The process began with finding a concept theme melody, followed by using different instruments to represent the characters. We wanted the music to be more than just a background element—it needed to play a starring role in the film.Since this story bridges cultural barriers, music was the perfect medium to achieve that goal. I’m incredibly proud of our composer for nailing it so perfectly.
The soundscape of Renai Dance is deeply rooted in the film’s theme of connection—across cultures, emotions, and time. From the start, I wanted the music to serve as a bridge, weaving together elements that reflect the story's universal yet intimate narrative.Drawing from oriental traditions allowed me to pay homage to my cultural heritage, with instruments and motifs that evoke a sense of nostalgia and grounding. At the same time, incorporating modern symphonic compositions brought a dynamic, global resonance to the project, aligning with its contemporary setting and appeal.This cross-cultural blend mirrors the characters’ journey—finding harmony amidst differences. Music has always been a universal language, and by integrating these diverse elements, I hoped to echo the film's message: that beauty emerges when unique perspectives and traditions dance together.
The integration of a Maya-centric workflow and custom Python tools in Renai Dance Animation was essential to bridging our artistic ambitions with technical precision. These technological choices weren’t just about efficiency—they were about creating the freedom to explore and refine the artistic vision without being constrained by technical limitations.Maya served as the backbone of our pipeline, allowing us to craft intricate character animations and dynamic environments. Its versatility enabled seamless collaboration across the team, from rigging to rendering, ensuring every detail aligned with the story's emotional core. However, where Maya's native tools fell short, custom Python scripts came to the rescue.For instance, Our TD Wenjie Wu developed Python tools to streamline repetitive tasks like managing assets, and optimizing rendering workflows. This not only saved time but also allowed the team to focus on refining the artistry—perfecting the subtleties of movement, light, and texture that made the story so visually evocative.
The theme of cultural preservation is not just about safeguarding the past—it’s about finding a harmonious rhythm between honoring our roots and embracing the possibilities of the future.Through the story of a family rediscovering connection and meaning through their shared cultural legacy, I wanted audiences to feel the warmth and depth that tradition brings to our lives. It’s a reminder that these traditions, whether they are dances, crafts, or stories, are more than static relics—they are living expressions of identity, creativity, and resilience.In modern times, it’s easy to lose sight of these treasures in the rush of progress. This animation invites audiences to pause and remember: beautiful culture is a treasure of all human.
Balancing technical constraints with artistic vision required staying deeply connected to the emotional essence of Renai Dance Animation. Every decision, from simplifying character designs to optimizing animation rigs, was guided by the story's emotional heart.We prioritized key moments that conveyed the deepest feelings, ensuring the visuals served the narrative. By embracing creative problem-solving and focusing resources on impactful scenes, we maintained the story's emotional resonance while respecting production limitations. This synergy between practicality and artistry brought the vision to life.
The character designs in Renai Dance Animation were inspired by the desire to honor Chinese heritage while appealing to a global audience. Traditional Chinese art, such as flowing silk textures and intricate patterns, informed the designs, while contemporary aesthetics added a modern, relatable touch.
The international recognition of Renai Dance Animation, including the Gold A' Design Award, has been profoundly inspiring. It reaffirmed the universal appeal of stories rooted in cultural heritage and encouraged me to further explore the intersection of tradition and innovation.For future projects, I aim to delve deeper into untold cultural narratives, blending advanced animation techniques with heartfelt storytelling. This recognition motivates me to continue bridging cultures, creating works that resonate globally while preserving the uniqueness of their origins.
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