ZHOU YUTONG / 0378676
1/6/2026-5/7/2026 (WEEK7-WEEK11）
Film Studies and Cinematography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
PROJECT2
TABLE OF CONTENT
- INSTRUCTIONS
- LECTURE
- PROJECT
- FEEDBACK
- REFLECTION
LECTURE
week 7
This week’s lesson centered on film grammar—the visual storytelling language of cinema. The session illustrated how directors convey plot details, feelings and thematic ideas via framing, framing layout, camera movement and cuts, instead of solely depending on lines.
We first covered four core building blocks of film grammar: frame sizing, scene arrangement, camera motion and editing. Combined, they steer viewers’ focus and shape their interpretation of each scene.
We then distinguished major and minor story beats. Major beats are pivotal plot turning points that advance the narrative; minor beats are subtle gestures or responses that back up the core storyline. Grasping these beats lets creators highlight key moments in a scene deliberately.
We also went over fundamental shot scales, each delivering distinct information. Wide shots establish settings and character positions; medium shots highlight character exchanges and physical gestures; close-ups reveal inner feelings and build emotional bonds between audiences and roles.
Camera perspectives and extreme framing were another key segment. Angles alter viewers’ impressions of characters: low angles render figures dominant, while high angles make them fragile. Extreme shots build suspense, unease or striking dramatic effects.
We contrasted static and moving camera shots too. Fixed static shots generate steady, tranquil atmospheres, whereas dynamic moving cameras add vitality, immersion or heightened sentiment. Filmmakers pick shot styles based on a scene’s core purpose and intended mood.
The last topic was storyboarding. These visual blueprints let creators map out all shots pre-production. With storyboards, creators can trial concepts, set camera angles and preview scene transitions prior to shooting or animating.
In short, this week’s study taught me that filmmaking relies heavily on visual techniques to sway audience feelings and comprehension, not just plot narration. It also encourages me to make more thoughtful choices of shots and camera motions for my own animation work.
week 9
Online
week 11
presentation Full Process
PROJECTThis is my initial version of the slideshow.
The instructor was not very satisfied with this section, suggesting that the characters' clothing was not appropriate for the 2012 era, there was a lack of scene illustrations, each page lacked illustrations, and the characters did not have enough facial expressions.
Introduction: The Obsession with Perfection and the Marks of Time
In the world of relic restoration, is a crack an unforgiving flaw, or is it the most authentic testimony of history?
This is an overview of my new 2D animation short film proposal, "CRACKS OF TIME". It is a psychological drama running approximately 2 to 3 minutes. The story follows a disgraced conservator who, while mending the fragments of history, finds a way to confront and heal her own broken past.
Logline & Synopsis
"Do you know why old artifacts are worth preserving? Not because they were never broken, but because they survived even after breaking." — Master Chen Henian
Act I: The Illusion of Perfection
Xu Yun, a 28-year-old cultural relic conservator, conceals the cracks of a damaged Song Dynasty ewer under intense pressure from her director. Publicly accused by scholars of "faking history," she is disgraced and resigns from the museum.
Act II: Isolation and Destabilization
Living in quiet isolation in the old town, Xu Yun begins leaving small flaws visible in her private work, yet she continues to run from her past. A year later, the museum urgently recalls her on the eve of an exhibition to restore a fractured Tang Dynasty Buddha head. However, every attempt she makes to hide the crack only destabilizes the structure further.
Act III: Embracing the Scars
Moved by her mentor's wisdom, Xu Yun changes her approach. Instead of concealing the damage, she stabilizes the fracture using a transparent material. The exhibition reveals the crack as the artifact's most powerful feature. Through this, Xu Yun finally accepts that enduring with visible scars is its own form of restoration.
Characters
Xu Yun (Protagonist)
Description: A 28-year-old museum artifact restorer. She has a slim build and a slightly hunched posture from years of delicate work, with her hair tied back neatly.
Internal Conflict: Emotionally reserved and driven by a deep fear of imperfection. This fear stems from a childhood memory of secretly mending a cherished bowl she broke, leaving her believing that damage is something shameful to hide. Her journey is about learning that a visible crack is not a failure, but proof of survival.
Chen Henian (Mentor)
Description: A senior conservator in his sixties and Xu Yun's former teacher. His hands tremble slightly from decades of meticulous restoration work.
Role: While failing health prevents him from continuing the physical work, he passes down his profound understanding of the beauty of imperfection to Xu Yun, knowing she is the only one capable of completing the legacy.
World Description: A Contrast of Spaces
The narrative unfolds between two contrasting environments that reflect the protagonist's psychological state:
The Museum (Exposure & Scrutiny): Bright, formal, and filled with sterile lighting and glass display cases. It is an unforgiving environment where the smallest flaw is magnified, fueling Xu Yun's anxiety and pushing her to perform artificial flawlessness.
The Workshop (Anonymity & Solitude): Small, dim, and intimate, lit by warm, low light. Filled with personal repairs like old clocks and chipped teacups, this is a sanctuary where she allows cracks to remain visible without fear of judgment. Yet, it also reinforces her isolation.
Theme: Redemption and Acceptance
"CRACKS OF TIME" explores what it truly means to exist meaningsfully after being broken. Whether dealing with a thousand-year-old artifact or a shattered career, true redemption does not come from erasing the past, but from embracing it.
"This restoration did not try to deceive time."
FINAL OUTCOMME
Presentation Video
FEEDBACKThe instructor was not very satisfied with this section, suggesting that the characters' clothing was not appropriate for the 2012 era, there was a lack of scene illustrations, each page lacked illustrations, and the characters did not have enough facial expressions.
REFLECTIONOver the past weeks, I have systematically learned core film grammar, including shot scaling, camera angles, movement and editing, and understood how visual language rather than pure narration shapes storytelling and audience emotions. These theories guided the creation of my 2D animation project CRACKS OF TIME, helping me build a complete narrative framework and design scene atmosphere to echo the protagonist’s psychological changes.
Throughout the project practice and final presentation, I clearly recognized my shortcomings in visual presentation. My initial slides and character design lacked era authenticity, vivid scene illustrations and delicate facial expression details, which weakened the story’s expressiveness and immersion. This made me realize that excellent film and animation creation requires not only a complete storyline and profound themes, but also rigorous and detailed visual presentation to support the narrative.
In future creations, I will combine film grammar knowledge more flexibly, focus on the unity of era context, scene rendering and character shaping. I will pay more attention to visual details such as character styling and emotional expression, and fully use storyboarding and diverse shooting visual techniques to enrich the presentation effect, so as to better convey the core theme and emotional tension of the work.
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