While studying animation, I realised that the aspect I enjoy most is bringing characters to life through movement, acting, timing, and subtle expressions rather than focusing only on technical production.
Based on this, my future direction is to work as a character animator, either as a freelance animator on commercial projects or within an animation studio environment.
My graduation film has become an important part of this development. The project is heavily focused on character performance and emotional interaction, which allowed me to gain practical experience in animating believable acting.
During production, I spent a large amount of time studying body language, facial expressions, timing, and scene rhythm in order to make the characters feel emotionally convincing. I also experimented with the use of live action video (LAV) as reference material. Recording and analysing live performances helped me better understand weight, gesture, and natural movement, especially during dialogue and emotional scenes. Through this process, I learned how observation can improve animation performance and make characters feel more authentic.
Working on this project also helped me understand the importance of planning performances before animation begins. I became more aware of how staging, posing, camera angles, and timing affect the audience’s emotional response. Instead of animating movement mechanically, I started thinking more carefully about the character’s intention and emotional state in each shot. This approach has strengthened both my technical workflow and my understanding of visual storytelling.
At the same time, the project has contributed valuable material to my professional portfolio and showreel. Since many of the scenes focus on acting and interaction, they demonstrate my ability to create expressive character animation rather than only simple movement tests. I hope these works will help me apply for freelance opportunities and entry-level positions in the animation industry after graduation.
In the future, I would like to continue improving my performance animation skills by studying professional animated films and observing live performances more closely. I am particularly interested in collaborative production environments where animators work together with directors, storyboard artists, and sound designers to shape character-driven stories. Although entering the animation industry can be competitive, this project has helped me gain confidence in my creative direction and has clarified the kind of animator I hope to become.
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