In this Unit 3 project, I worked on a group animation about a future space traveller and a robot. Through this project, I started to understand my own strengths and weaknesses more clearly. It was not only a film project for me, but also a chance to think about what kind of animation creator I want to become in the future.
Before this project, I was more confident with 2D work. I enjoy drawing, character design, storyboard and visual development. These parts feel natural to me because I can use sketches to test ideas quickly. I can think about the character’s shape, pose, emotion, composition and rhythm through drawing. In this project, I worked on the space traveller character design, 2D visual ideas, storyboard, animatic and some interior design. These tasks helped me see that 2D planning is still one of my main strengths.
I also found that I enjoy storyboarding and animatic work. When I worked on the storyboard, I was not only drawing pictures from the story. I was also thinking about camera angles, pacing, space, lighting and character movement. In the animatic stage, I could test whether a shot was too long or too short, and whether the emotion was clear. This helped me understand that pre-production is very important in animation. If the storyboard and animatic are not clear, the 3D production stage can become much harder.
However, this project also showed me many things I still need to improve. The most difficult part for me was 3D animation. I am more used to 2D animation, where I can draw each pose directly. In 3D animation, I needed to think about the rig, root bone, body weight, timing, spacing, curves and camera space. Sometimes I tried too hard to copy my 2D sketches into 3D, but the movement became stiff. Later, I learned that 2D sketches should be used as a guide, not something to copy exactly.
One important thing I learned was to work from the whole body first, then move into details. For example, in one shot where the traveller reacts in fear, I first tried to adjust many small body parts. This was confusing and slow. Later, I started with the main body movement and root bone first, then added arms, legs, head and smaller details. This made the animation clearer and more natural.
I also became more interested in visual effects and compositing. I used or tested software such as Unreal Engine, After Effects, Clip Studio Paint, Premiere and Illustrator. This helped me understand that software should not be treated as separate tools. A shot can start as a sketch, then become an animatic, then move into Unreal Engine, then return to editing or compositing software. Each tool has a different purpose.
After this project, I think my future direction is not only 2D or only 3D. I want to become an animation creator who can connect 2D visual thinking with 3D production. I want to keep improving my drawing, character design and storyboard skills, but I also need to practise 3D animation, body mechanics, graph editor, Unreal Engine and compositing.
My next step is to study more animation references, practise short body mechanics exercises, and use more video reference when I animate. I also want to build a clearer showreel and portfolio that can show both my visual ideas and my technical process. This project helped me understand that my future development should be about building a bridge between drawing, animation, technology and storytelling.
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