iAniMagic: The Animal Party ended in December 2020. We want to thank all of the contest’s participants–especially the students and teachers from Shude University of Science and Technology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and Rangsit University for participating in the student award.
In this post, we interview Ting Yi, who won the Student Golden Award, with her film, Party Whale. The judges enjoyed the transitions and design of each sequence in her work. Read on to uncover the story behind this short film and her experience with Animation Desk (for Windows 10).
Hello Ting Yi! First, congratulations for winning the Golden Award in iAniMagic 2019! Can you introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello everyone, my name is Li Ting Yi. I’m currently studying visual communication and animation at the Southern Taiwan University of Technology. My interest lies in motion graphics and special effects. In my leisure time, I like drawing, dancing, and watching horror movies and dramas. I’m grateful that my animation, Party Whale, was well-received by the audience.
How do you plot this animation? Is there any particular reason that you choose a whale as the main character?
The theme “Animal Party” made me think about a party scene. DJ scratching discs to produce beats and music, hot girls dancing, intimacy growing between strangers quickly…That was my first time attending a nightclub, and everything was remarkable.
I picked a whale as my main character because it is my favorite animal. Additionally, the simple and flowy shape of a whale’s body was perfect for creating animated effects.
You make the beginning and the end of the animation connected. According to your description, it’s a metaphor for reincarnation. It’s an interesting idea…can you tell us more about it?
I’ve always believed in the afterlife. I believe that humans are reincarnated unless they do something terrible. If you loop this animation, the whale will keep doing the same thing. Partying, playing around, and reproducing. It’s like being stuck in a cycle, and unable to experience other beautiful things in life.
Which part of this animation do you like the most? Why?
I like the transition scenes that show Whale DJ and pole dancers. The scene shows a front view of the sound bars on DJ’s panel and then the bars transform into pole dancers. I tried many different transitions, and finally decided it should go this way. I like this transition because it’s smooth with sparks of creativity.
What are the most difficult parts of animation in your opinion?
2D animation, unlike 3D animation, uses a transformation to create style and effects. I use pose-to-pose to control the transformation and timing of my animation; however, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
What’s your experience with Animation Desk? What are the most frequently used features?
I used Animation Desk UWP to create Party Whale. This was the first time that I created an animation short on my own. I used onion skin almost all the time because it worked like a real lightbox. I previewed my animation a lot when making it. Generally speaking, I think Animation Desk is great software for beginners.
Do you have any plans for the future?
I expect myself to create an animated short with details and audiences can be touched every time they watch it. Is it too ambiguous? I’m thinking of animations like Paprika and Perfect Blue.
Lastly, please recommend an animated film to us.
Perfect Blue (directed by Satoshi Kon) is my all-time favorite. I like films that express humanity and enjoy rich details. The plot is not complicated, but rather, profound.
Satoshi said, “Every scene carries meaning in the world of animation.” He stitched the reality and dream of the main characters with transitions. It is “Perfect Blue” that lead me to appreciate these transitions that cannot be achieved outside of animation and the rhythm of the frames.
Follow Ting Yi on Instgram
Thank you, Ting Yi, for sharing your story behind Party Whale with us. Yi’s 30-second animation is very engaging and beautifully-drawn. The iAniMagic Competition is an annual event for Animation Desk users. This is the first year we invited schools to participate in teams and were delighted with the results! We will post more interviews with the different winners. Please subscribe to our blog, Animation Desk fan page, or Instagram to get the latest news. Download Animation Desk (iOS, Android, Windows) to create your own animations.
Post written by: Afra Chen, Edited by Joey Digangi III