Category: 1.2 Design for Animation, Narrative Structures & Film Language

This is my homework research presentation in term1

I started drafting my essay. The reason I like ARCANE is that its art style is very unique—different from other Disney or Pixar 3D animated films. Arcane’s 3D looks almost flat, yet it’s still 3D, without that popular “3D anime-style character” feel often seen in Japanese animation. In short, it’s very special. Once I looked into it, I realized it’s an entirely unprecedented and distinct style. I thought, wouldn’t this be perfect as a topic for an essay?

Then, I searched on CNKI using keywords like “3D technology” to find any references related to Arcane. I found one article titled A Preliminary Discussion on the Aesthetic Effects of 3D Animation Technology, which discussed several animated films produced by the very popular studio Taking Light Chaser Animation Works in the spring of 2025. The article mentioned 3D animation technology as well as the aesthetics and value of these Chinese 3D animations.

Then it occurred to me that my own essay could also touch on technology and aesthetic value, so my thesis topic emerged: discussing the production techniques and aesthetic value of Arcane.

I wrote several versions of the outline in Chinese first, as writing an in depth, layered academic paper might be easier to organize in my native language initially. Later, I found an exclusive technical sharing session from the Arcane studio online: using Arcane: League of Legends as an example, the video introduces the exclusive animation production process, covering what Fortiche shared at SIGGRAPH and revealing the technology and workflow used to create Arcane. The video mentions the software and tools they used, as well as key steps like assetization, camera projection, and digital matte painting. This is a highly beneficial and crucial step for my writing!

In class, the teacher explained that although it is academic writing, it does not require overly complex language or highly ornate and advanced vocabulary. Academic writing should be concise, clear, formal, and active. It does not need to be complicated or rely on long sentences and obscure words. Being concise in formal academic writing is important, as it helps others understand the points you are making.

I continued to gather data and references for my writing. I repeatedly used the keyword “3D animation” to search various authoritative academic writing websites. I found one article related to 3D technology, but it leaned more toward modeling rather than techniques for creating animation (Animation Image Art Design Mode Using 3D Modeling Technology Animation Image Art Design Mode Using 3D Modeling Technology – Tan – 2022 – Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing – Wiley Online Library. Then I found another article titled Real Time Animation of Trees Based on BBSC in Computer Games (Real Time Animation of Trees Based on BBSC in Computer Games Real Time Animation of Trees Based on BBSC in Computer Games – Ao – 2009 – International Journal of Computer Games Technology – Wiley Online Library and considered using it as a reference. However, upon careful reading, I realized it wasn’t the content I was looking for.

After repeatedly searching for articles and finding none that matched my needs, I began to consider whether I should simplify my topic, just as my teacher suggested, by narrowing the scope. So, I started thinking about my favorite 3D animation, ARCANE.

This week we learned the approaches to Academic Writing, the class information 大致上讲了Academic writing
must be supported by evidence such as data, facts, and theories。 and use the reference or analyze your point of view is such about how your ideas fit in with and differ from, others’ in your field.

Personally speaking, I think a good essay needs to use evidence or relevant sources to demonstrate that the discussion is meaningful and valuable. The hardest part is finding and discussing the right references—just as my teacher said: “Organising your evidence can be an overwhelming task, especially when you need to manage many different sources.”

I tried looking for some references related to 3D topics. I found some published journal articles by Chinese scholars and on authoritative websites about 3D, but none of them were comparative studies between 3D and 2D, which is what I wanted. So, I opened one of the technical articles that mentioned the breakthroughs and artistic value of 3D technology in China’s animation industry. I thought this small section might be useful, so I saved it. Then I realized that this could also be a way to find references that support your topic.

This week we prepared a research outline. I found a lot of information online about games and films, but during my one-on-one discussion with the teacher, they pointed out an issue with my approach. For a 1500-word essay, the topic shouldn’t be too broad or cover too much ground. In my outline, I talked about games and then jumped to films, which I shouldn’t have done. If I’m discussing 3D games, I should focus on games and not switch to the topic of films. Also, since we’re talking about 3D, it’s important to note that 2D hasn’t been overshadowed by the rise of 3D. In fact, there are still countless people in the real world who are passionate about 2D animated games…

After this discussion, I found the teacher’s points very reasonable. I realized that with such a broad topic, it would be impossible to cover everything properly within a 1500-word limit or to write it well. So, I’ve decided to adjust my topic, but I still want to keep the focus on 3D content. Additionally, regarding Harvard-style referencing, I have to admit that as someone who has never used this format before, I’m a bit unsure about the specific requirements and feel a bit nervous and anxious. Nevertheless, I will refer to other people’s essays to learn how to do the citations correctly.

This week, we discussed how to write an essay and the methods for essay writing. Personally, I’ve always been a bit afraid of writing text-based assignments. However, when it comes to a research project where I can freely choose the topic, I don’t mind it at all. For example, I love 3D animation—shows like Arcane, Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, the Barbie movie series, Disney animated films, and Pixar movies—I’d be more than happy to study and appreciate them.

But writing an essay requires critical thinking and dialectical analysis. It’s not just about praising or disliking a work outright. Instead, it’s about clearly analyzing its strengths and weaknesses, reading perspectives from authoritative authors on the topic, referencing their ideas, and exploring the significance of the theme in the paper.

It’s necessary to first draft an outline to identify what’s missing, which areas need deeper exploration, and where dialectical discussions are required. These will be the key focuses for the next few weeks of research.

In personal understanding, the abstraction in animation is a kind of personality and animation style. It is needs auther’s aesthetic standards that is differenct with other people.

Everyone has their own abstract style( if they want to create), some artist will combine the sounds, lights, and illustrations performence. What impressed me most was the two sclpture stop motion animation in Nigel’s class.

I learned that early optical sound track technology recorded audio through light signals on the edge of film strips, converting sound vibrations into visible waveform patterns. Artists of hand-drawn sound experiments directly painted soundtracks onto film to create experimental sound effects. Meanwhile, the creation of abstract films used lines, geometric shapes, and rhythmic colors to explore the connection between sight and sound.

The short film I want to introduce is called The Little Poet, created by CalArts student Justine King. It won the 2023 Annie Award for Best Student Film. This is an experimental animation that is finely crafted in both its aesthetic and conceptual approach.

The overall mood of the film is dreamlike and carries a touch of melancholy. It tells a story of one-sided love that remains out of reach, with emotions flowing between poetic romance and quiet sadness.

As a student project, time and budget were limited，but that actually sparked creativity. Instead of meticulously recreating every famous painting, the film uses stylization and abstraction. This idea of “brushstroke worlds” turns the medium’s unique traits—the brushstrokes of painting and the lines of animation—into the central theme of the work.

The opening composition emphasizes the confinement of the picture frame. As imagination unfolds, the frame is broken, and the space becomes fluid, irrational, like a surreal scene. When the artist shifts between different art styles, the composition also jumps between a 2D decorative style and a 3D sense of perspective, directly reflecting the visual characteristics of different art movements.

Color acts as a marker of style: the color scheme changes dramatically as the character moves through different paintings—shifting from the soft tones of classical art to the bright palette of Impressionism, then to the high contrast of modern styles. Here, color isn’t just decoration; it’s a core tool for driving the narrative and transitioning between scenes.

Perhaps the connection between love and art is something profoundly pure. Shakespeare, in his sonnets, wished his beloved to live as long as these immortal verses，a tribute to the brilliant stars in the long river of art history, where animation too can shine with the splendor of a May summer.

Van Gogh, David, Seurat, Mondrian… accompanied by the inherent beauty and emotion within masterpieces, a “little poet” narrates a story in tender, slightly nasal rhymes—a tale that crystallizes sincere longing and the true heart of art into a poetic chapter. Or perhaps one could say… art and love together compose the greatest poem ever written by humanity?

No beauty lasts forever without fading or perishing, but as long as humans keep singing its songs, beauty and the memory of beauty，can be passed on.

Film analysis aims to answer: “What does this film really mean?” It is not about simply saying “what happens in the movie.”

I think editing is like camera language. But it uses the rhythm of cuts to build the story’s atmosphere. Great editing can lift a story and a film. Bad editing can turn a good story into a messy video with no rhythm.

In Nigel’s class, we learned about “long takes.” The audience gets clear plot information from the shot. But the shot keeps going. Things keep happening without any cuts. We also learned about “shot transitions” and “continuity.” This includes: 1. The graphic relationship between shots. 2. The rhythmic relationship. 3. The spatial relationship. 4. The temporal relationship.

I really like Montage Editing. But it feels like looking at visual art. When I try to make a montage myself, it feels too complex. Sometimes I watch other people’s montages and don’t understand what is happening. Simply put, it is too abstract.

Techniques like Cuts, Fades, and Dissolves look very artistic in camera language. They have great visual value.