During my nearly two years at MACA, I have learned the full process of making stop-motion animation. I learned how to build puppets, make sets, adjust lighting, and use animation principles to truly bring a puppet to life. Besides technical skills, I also learned how to complete animation projects independently and manage different tasks under pressure.
In Year 2, when I started creating my own stories, I realised how much I truly enjoy animation. I found that I really love using character performance to express emotions and ideas. This experience made me more certain that character-driven animation and stop-motion are the directions I want to continue in the future.
In my first term, I chose to work with clay stop-motion, which gave me a basic understanding of the medium. For my graduation film, I decided to continue using clay because I wanted to explore its material qualities further and improve my animation skills. I also continued using a multi-plane set and down-shot filming style, which helped me develop a visual style that feels personal to me.
Through this project, I became more confident combining clay animation with multi-plane setups. I also improved my understanding of animation principles and became better at creating smooth and clear movement. More importantly, I developed a better sense of timing and rhythm in animation. In the past, I relied too much on Live-Action Reference, so my movements looked realistic but not expressive enough. During this project, I learned how to exaggerate movements and facial expressions in a more suitable way, which made the characters feel more alive and interesting.
At the same time, I also realised there are still areas I need to improve. One of them is production planning and organisation. When dealing with many shots, I mainly grouped scenes by location, but I did not fully consider shot sizes and shooting order. This made me understand that a successful animation project also needs strong production management skills.
In the future, I hope to continue working in stop-motion animation because it is something I truly love. My current Plan A is to work in an animation studio to gain professional experience and improve my character animation skills further. My Plan B is to become an independent animator, starting with a personal art account and creating smaller, more personal animation works while building my own audience and creative style.
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