Author: Yu Tang

Class

Expanded Animation

Week 1 — Initial Observation: Information Sedation

In the first week, I started by reflecting on my own everyday experience of digital media. I noticed that my relationship with screens is not simply about searching for information or entertainment. Most of the time, I am not actively looking for something specific. Instead, I am being continuously fed by short videos, social media posts, advertisements, recommended images and algorithmic content. This made me think about the word “feed” not only as a technical term used by platforms, but also as a metaphor for a psychological condition. The screen constantly feeds me images, emotions, humour, news, anxiety, beauty, noise and desire.

At this early stage, I was interested in the idea of information sedation. I began to think about how entertainment can work like a kind of psychological narcotic. When people feel bored, empty, tired or anxious, they often turn to visual stimulation. Short videos, scrolling interfaces and algorithmic recommendations provide instant distraction. They do not necessarily solve the feeling of emptiness, but they cover it temporarily. This made me question whether digital entertainment has become a form of spiritual sedation in contemporary life.

Week 2 — Developing the Concept: From Pleasure to Overload

In the second week, I began to develop the project into a clearer concept. I realised that I did not want to simply say “social media is bad”. Instead, I wanted to explore why digital content is so attractive at first, and how this pleasure can slowly become exhausting.

This led me to the idea of total visual overload. I imagined the screen as a space where images never stop multiplying: short videos, advertisements, memes, AI images, beauty filters and social media fragments all appear together. They are colourful and exciting, but also repetitive and overwhelming.

During this week, the title FEED became important. It refers to the digital feed on social media, but also suggests the act of being fed. The viewer is not fully in control. They are continuously supplied with visual content by a system.

I started to think about the emotional journey of the audience. The work should begin with visual pleasure: psychedelic colours, rich textures, fast rhythm and AI-generated imagery. Then the same visual language should gradually become excessive. Images repeat, overlap and multiply until pleasure turns into fatigue.

This helped me understand the project as a transformation from seduction to overstimulation. The work should not only talk about information overload, but allow the audience to experience it.

Week 3 — Structuring the Experience

In the third week, I focused on the structure of the project. I decided to organise FEED into three stages: Seduction, Overstimulation, and Emptiness & Self-Awareness.

The first stage, Seduction, represents the pleasure of the digital feed. I want this part to feel colourful, immersive and attractive. The visuals may include psychedelic colours, AI textures, glowing symbols and fast movement. This stage should make the audience understand why digital stimulation is enjoyable.

The second stage, Overstimulation, is where the same visual pleasure becomes too much. Images begin to repeat, overlap and multiply. Colours become stronger, rhythm becomes faster, and the screen becomes more crowded. The audience may feel tired, anxious or numb, but still continue watching. This reflects the experience of infinite scrolling.

The final stage, Emptiness & Self-Awareness, happens after the overload. All visual stimulation suddenly disappears, leaving only a figure in a pure white space. Then the text “Are you still watching?” appears, followed by a black screen. This ending is designed as a moment of interruption, allowing the audience to become aware of their own act of watching.

By the end of this week, my research question became clearer: How can AI-generated moving images simulate visual overload and lead the audience from pleasure and immersion to fatigue, emptiness and self-awareness?

I also decided that AI should not only be a production tool. Its ability to generate endless images, textures and variations directly connects to the concept of infinite digital stimulation.

Class

ESSAY

yutang_24012706_critical report Download

UE Animation

Unreal Engine Project Workflow Reflection (12 Weeks)

Week 1 | Introduction to Unreal Engine

In the first week, I was introduced to Unreal Engine for the first time. For me, this was a completely new piece of software, and the learning curve was quite steep at the beginning. I initially struggled with UE’s material system and world-building workflow, and compared to Maya and Blender, it felt less intuitive.

However, as I gradually adapted to the software, I began to appreciate the strengths of Unreal Engine—particularly its real-time rendering capabilities, which are extremely efficient and visually impressive. The lighting system also proved to be very effective in creating strong atmospheric moods.

Week 2 | Concept Development and a Non-Traditional Workflow

In the second week, I began developing the concept for my UE animation. I chose to explore a recurring theme in my work: the contrast between monumental structures and the insignificance of human figures, combined with symbolic elements of ritual and sacrifice. Initially, I planned to use a red-dominant color palette to create strong visual contrast.

I realized that a scene without a character would feel visually flat, so I decided to include a human figure. At the same time, I experimented with a non-traditional production workflow. I created the facial structure using a game-based character creation tool, imported it into Blender, and combined it with AI-assisted modeling. The model was then refined in ZBrush, where all sculpted details were successfully preserved. This workflow proved to be both time-efficient and visually effective.

Week 3 | World Building and Camera Direction

During the third week, I began constructing my Unreal Engine environment. I collected and tested several assets, although the overall spatial layout was still in an exploratory stage and not fully defined.

One decision that was clear at this point was my camera approach:

the focal length would remain below 28mm to emphasize wide-angle distortion;
the camera would consistently use a low-angle (upward-looking) perspective to enhance a sense of scale and oppression.

I also spent time learning and experimenting with UE’s material system during this week.

Week 4 | Character Refinement and Lighting Studies

In week four, I focused on refining the character model and applied knowledge from my character animation course to keyframe hand gestures and poses.

Through this process, I realized that the quality of posing is highly dependent on the rigging setup. Due to the relatively rough skeleton rig, I was unable to achieve highly detailed hand poses, which became one of the main limitations of the character. Alongside this, I continued learning the fundamentals of lighting in Unreal Engine.

Week 5 | Asset Integration with Bridge and Fab

In week five, following the instructor’s introduction, I began using Bridge and Fab to source assets. These tools were extremely helpful, offering high-quality resources and a very efficient import workflow, which significantly accelerated my production process.

Week 6 | Atmosphere Building and Volumetric Effects

Week six was dedicated to shaping the overall atmosphere of the scene. I applied lighting techniques discussed in class, including Post Process settings and Skylight adjustments, with a strong emphasis on volumetric fog.

Additionally, I incorporated multiple fog cards throughout the environment, which enhanced the sense of depth and spatial layering, making the scene feel more immersive.

Week 7 | Structural Revisions and Composition

In the seventh week, I made major structural changes to the scene. Initially, the character was positioned directly on the ground, but this resulted in a visual imbalance, with the center of gravity feeling too low.

To address this, I introduced an elevated platform and added grass elements in the foreground. I believe that visual details play a crucial role in image quality, as they provide viewers with multiple points of focus and enrich the overall composition.

Week 8 | Animation and Dynamic Elements

In week eight, I began producing animations and introduced dynamic elements into the scene. These included flying crows, as well as white birds circling the statue. I used emissive materials to enhance a sense of sacredness and spirituality.

Fire effects were also added, further contributing to the atmospheric storytelling and emotional tone of the environment.

Week 9 | Camera Animation and Blueprint Exploration

During week nine, I focused on camera animation using Sequencer, incorporating multiple camera movements and angles to ensure smooth visual transitions.

I also experimented with Blueprints to create a simple looping behavior, allowing the character to move in a circular formation. Although the node setup was relatively basic, it was intuitive and helped me gain a foundational understanding of Unreal Engine’s procedural logic.

Week 10 | Statue Asset Challenges

In week ten, I integrated the statue asset into the scene but encountered technical issues when importing materials from Substance Painter. As a result, I was unable to apply high-resolution textures, leaving the statue with a rough and low-quality surface appearance.

This was one of the more disappointing aspects of the project. In future work, I plan to revisit and improve the statue’s materials outside of class time.

Week 11 | Rendering Stage

Week eleven marked the transition into the rendering phase. Unreal Engine’s rendering workflow was highly efficient; however, I encountered an issue where volumetric fog became overly prominent when the camera moved close to light sources.

By reducing the volumetric fog intensity, I was able to successfully resolve this problem and achieve a cleaner final image.

Week 12 | Music and Editing

The final week focused on selecting music and editing the animation. This stage did not present significant challenges. I chose not to add excessive additional effects, instead prioritizing cohesion, rhythm, and atmosphere in the final output.

Character ani

My Animation Journey with Maya

Post author By Yu Tang
Post date 30th September 2025

WEEK1: Bouncing Ball 1.0 Key Performance Points a. Motion ArcThe ball’s falling trajectory is not a straight line but rather a curved arc. During production, the curve adjustment tools in a graphic editor can be used to refine the path, making the motion more natural and closer to real physical laws. b. Speed VariationAs the…

WEEK1: Bouncing Ball

1.0 Key Performance Points

a. Motion Arc
The ball’s falling trajectory is not a straight line but rather a curved arc. During production, the curve adjustment tools in a graphic editor can be used to refine the path, making the motion more natural and closer to real physical laws.

b. Speed Variation
As the ball falls, its speed gradually increases, creating the effect of acceleration. After making contact with the ground, its rolling and spinning gradually slow down until it eventually comes to a complete stop.

c. Timing of Deformation
The ball does not deform at the very beginning. Instead, deformation such as squash and stretch occurs at specific stages—typically when it hits the ground or experiences impact. As it rises again, the ball returns to its normal shape.

d. Energy Decay
Over time, the ball’s energy gradually diminishes. In the animation, this should be shown by the decreasing height of each bounce and the shortening of the distance between landing points, until the ball finally comes to rest.

This week focused on learning the fundamental principles of the Golden Pose, particularly the importance of clear silhouettes, balanced weight, and strong readability. However, I also realised that I initially misunderstood this concept. Not every movement needs to strictly follow the Golden Pose. In many situations, especially during transitional or more natural actions, forcing a clear pose can reduce realism. Instead, these principles should be kept in mind as guidelines rather than rigid rules to be applied to every pose.

Week 2 – Pendulum Planning

In this week’s pendulum exercise, my main focus was on the transition of StoC (Straight to Curve) shapes. At the beginning of the animation, the pendulum presents two clear double C shapes. However, due to the introduction of animation delay, these shapes gradually evolve into a more natural S-shaped form.

One key aspect of this exercise was the careful control of delay. When necessary, I adjusted the animation frame by frame to achieve more precise timing and spacing. The goal of this task was not to perfect a single pose, but to create a complete, smooth, and logically consistent animation.

I began experimenting with character posing, starting with relatively simple movements. During this process, I became increasingly aware of the importance of detail, especially the relationship between the pelvis and spinal rotation. These structural twists play a crucial role in conveying weight, balance, and dynamic energy within a character’s pose.

Week 3 – Ball with Tail (Planning / Animation)

This week focused on planning and animating a ball with a tail. An important takeaway was that different jump forces lead to different animation outcomes—there is no single correct way to animate the motion.

At the moment of maximum force, the animation should show:

the tail bending forward into an S-shape with a clear arc,
the body compressing downward to show squash,
and a clean, well-designed jump trajectory.

To evaluate the accuracy of the jump, I used the motion path viewer in the viewport rather than relying solely on the speed graph, which I previously did incorrectly. Additionally, the tail movement needed to feel soft and fluid, following a clear C → S → C shape progression.

This week introduced juicy animation, where I learned how to create effective breaks in motion and how to enhance an animation’s liveliness through rhythm and timing. I started to understand that a convincing animation often relies on controlled variation and the strategic disruption of expected movement patterns.

Week 4 – Ball with Tail (Refinement)

This session was dedicated to further refining the ball-with-tail animation. I researched real-life references, particularly observing how squirrels use their tails during jumping, which helped improve the believability of the motion.

Another crucial focus was time and spacing, a principle that was also strongly emphasized in Liu Ting’s classes. By reviewing the animation frame by frame, I was able to identify and correct issues related to rhythm and continuity.

I continued refining the juicy animation by incorporating techniques such as deformation and exaggeration. These adjustments helped strengthen the visual impact of the animation and encouraged me to push movements further while maintaining believability.

Week 5 – Overlapping Actions

In the overlapping actions exercise, the main focus was on weight transfer and strong initial poses. To make the animation feel more fluid, I rotated the pelvis slightly toward the opposite direction of the upcoming movement at the start. This created a clearer anticipation and made the weight shift more readable.

Exaggeration was also important at this stage. Increasing the range of motion, especially in body rotation and overall movement, helped enhance clarity and energy. Additionally, when the character’s weight was fully supported on one foot, a subtle body offset further reinforced the sense of balance and gravity.

I began working on character transformation animation. During this week, two particularly useful plugins were introduced, both of which significantly improved my workflow and efficiency in character animation, allowing me to focus more on performance rather than technical limitations.

Week 6–7 – Walk Cycle

The walk cycle is consistently one of the more challenging aspects of animation. A key focus was on the foot-to-ground contact, particularly how the foot rolls and rotates.

Rather than keyframing the small front foot control, I learned to adjust the foot’s built-in rotation controls. If the motion appeared jittery or uneven, it was often due to incorrect foot rotation angles, which could be resolved through repeated refinement. During these two weeks, I also learned the fundamentals of blocking in Liu Ting’s class, which provided a solid foundation for later stages of animation.

This week emphasised hand animation. I realised for the first time how many considerations are involved in what initially appears to be simple hand movements. The five fingers have a clear sense of depth and hierarchy, and subtle rotations and directional changes are essential for achieving natural and expressive hand gestures.

Week 8 – Final Animation Planning

From this week onward, we began working on the final animation. I chose a kicking action as my final piece. Although the presentation slides included specific frame count requirements, the tutor emphasized that he was more concerned with the quality of the animation than strict technical limitations.

Following this guidance, I started the process with blocking, focusing first on establishing strong timing, clear weight shifts, and solid poses before moving into further refinement.