Oh！ My God
The story follows an elderly man during meditation. Lots of worries are coming out of his mind and he struggles to be peaceful again. He makes a wish to the Rabbit God, who guides him to the universe where there are no worries, but life is boring and monotonous. He realizes that life’s essence lies in its dynamic contrast of joys and sorrows, worries and hopes.
Direction,Storyboard, Design, Animation & Compositing: Ruchen Shang & Aimee Chen
Music & Sound: Ana Roman
Tools: Cinema 4D, After Effect &Substance Designer
00:00-00:05 All Aspects- Design, Models, Materials, Animation & Compositing
00:26-00:28 All Aspects- Design, Models, Materials, Animation & Compositing
00:28-00:31 Design, Models, Materials & Animation
00:34-00:40 All Aspects- Design, Models, Materials, Animation & Compositing
Story Board & Mood Board
Our story is inspired by the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Like many others, my friends and I often feel overwhelmed by various worries, so we wanted to explore the meaning of these anxieties and how to cope with them.
During this project, I also encountered the limitations of After Effects. This led me to experiment with 3D elements to better express our ideas visually, allowing us to see how different mediums can convey emotions and concepts in unique ways.
Character Design
For the character design, we plan to construct the old man using a variety of geometric shapes.
2D Version(still image + color scheme)
3D Version(3D rough animation)
Animatic
Our story has undergone several revisions, with some adjustments aimed at making the narrative easier to convey and others focused on improving transitions.
However, my partner and I realized that we were more passionate about the visual aspect of the project. With this in mind, we shifted our focus toward creating striking visuals and seamless, beautiful transitions, prioritizing the aesthetic experience as a core element of the storytelling.
Workflow
Sketch and color in Procreate to explore visual direction and composition.
Build rough models in Cinema 4D to create a basic animatic and establish camera movement.
Develop more detailed models for look development and refinement.
Create lighting setups and reusable model templates to maintain consistency across shots.
Animate in Cinema 4D, focusing on smooth timing and clear visual storytelling.
Render using multi-pass AOVs for greater flexibility in compositing.
Composite in After Effects to finalize color, add effects, and polish the overall look.
Timeline
My partner and I are both 2D and 3D generalists. So we decided to take responsibility for our own sections, working independently while keeping track of progress through a shared sheet. This system has been incredibly helpful in ensuring we stay on schedule.
One of the best aspects of having a partner is the constant feedback and suggestions, which have significantly improved the final result. Throughout this process, I’ve learned valuable design skills and C4D tricks from my partner. Effective communication has truly elevated the quality of our work.
Related Product Develpoment
To attract attention on social media, we’re also exploring mixed media elements related to our thesis. We've experimented with creating Instagram filters, designing stickers, and even making custom clothing. This process has been incredibly enjoyable!
