Press Release
Renai Dance Animation by Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design
Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu acknowledged for movie, video and animation design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 16, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Renai Dance Animation by Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu, designed for Boxon Media Studios, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Movie, Video and Animation Design category. The award was conferred within the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Regarding Renai Dance Animation
Renai Dance is a 3D animated film blending visual appeal with cultural themes and emotional depth. The story combines elements of Chinese Lion Dancing and Western Modern Ballet, showing the merging of different cultural heritages. Its soundtrack features traditional oriental music, modern symphonic elements, and thematic melodies to enhance the emotional experience. The film aims to offer a new perspective on exploring folkways, familial bonds, and the enduring vitality of culture.
About Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu
Boxon Media, led by visionary narrative visual artist Zhike Yang, and technical artist Wenjie Wu, revolutionizes storytelling by blending emotional experiences with cutting-edge techniques. Their narratives navigate human experiences from ancient myths to future visions, serving as beacons of inspiration, courage, and resilience. Zhike's dedication to narrative innovation, delving into human vulnerability and societal pain points, sets their work apart. Their pioneering approach in animation and content creation challenges traditional storytelling boundaries, contributing significantly to the arts and society with stories that resonate globally.
Award Record
This recognition makes Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Movie, Video and Animation Design Award
The A' Movie Design Award is an international movie design competition recognizing outstanding movie designs by best movie designers and directors worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to movie designers, animation artists, directors and film producers from all countries. Typical entries include feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, music videos and experimental films. The awarded movie designs are published at https://desingers.org/design-category/movie
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://desingers.org/161172
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/161172
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!161172
- Laureate Profile: https://desingers.org/d/354719
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.wenjie.art/thesis
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Renai Dance Animation
- Function
- Animation
- Category
- Movie, Video and Animation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Entertainment and Arts
- Colors
- Black, Midnight Blue, Saddle Brown, Dark Slate Gray and Sienna
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Boxon Media Studios
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Zhike Yang and Wenjie Wu
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #161172
Credits
- Team
- Zhike Yang, Wenjie Wu and Han Chen Chang
- Image Credits
- Video Credits: Creative Director Zhike Yang. Video Credits: Technical Director Wenjie Wu. Video Credits: Creative Producer Han Chen Chang. Video Credits: Sound Track Zak McNeil. Video Credits: Sound Design Denis Nechipurenko.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- “RenaiDance” is a 3D narrative emotional animation. The theme invigorates cultural inheritance and the integration of dreams, courage, and culture as transformation. By artistically interpreting a motif of inheritance and family support, integrating different cultures“inheritance” through the inspiring story, this film braces strong family love and elder culture in a never-ending chain.
- Inspiration
- This film is dedicated to our grandfathers' generation. Beautiful traditional cultures experience significant impacts from new influences. The gap between generations is widening over time. Does the emergence of a new symbol necessarily lead to the fading of old cultures? Is the pursuit of dreams inherently divergent from our loved ones? We want to explore this point to see if we can find a vision that resonates with both our hearts and the future. The love of elevating the next generation's dreams would be the most supportive heritage and legacy.
- Research
- One of the most significant challenges encountered pertains to striking a balance between effectively conveying intense emotions to the audience while adhering to stringent temporal and financial constraints. Initially, our narrative blueprint envisioned an elaborate dance sequence to illustrate the protagonist's growth journey. However, subsequent research and production trials revealed that the intricate details such as the lion mask's fur and the character's real hair, coupled with the dimly lit environment, would necessitate twice the anticipated rendering time.
- Challenge
- It is a huge challenge the integrate productions with all of the talents through the global world. The unique original soundtrack was presented in harmony by Hollywood composer Zak McNeil, Asian Traditional Orchestra, and Russian professional sound designer Denis Nechipurenko. Mixing well with Western Ballet style and modern electric sound effects to balance the different cultures between Asian and Western, Tradition with Modern. With vivid voice-overs perform the characters by stacking emotions, we create an emotional atmosphere at every affecting moment.
- Realization and Technology
- For the pre-production stage, we utilized Adobe Photoshop and Storyboard Pro to create our concept art and storyboard, establishing the foundation for our film's narrative and visual direction. Moving into the production phase, we used Python to align with MAYA's coding language: MEL, and built our own pipeline tool to efficiently organize files. Then we adopted a Maya-centric workflow, where we applied Maya for modeling, rigging, layout, and animation. Substance Painter and Substance Designer for texturing and refining the style of half-PBR materials.
- Operation and Interaction
- This film is suitable for all ages, and is kid-friendly. To get the best viewing experience, we recommend watching it in a dark room to enjoy the truest colors and most intense visuals. Also, using headphones or playing it in a place with stereo sound is a good idea because the movie has professionally mixed left and right channel audio effects, plus an original score you'll likely remember long after. There's a hidden Easter egg graphic after the end credits which provides a sneak peek into the possible future storyline extension, so don't forget to stay tuned for that extra treat.
- Project Duration and Location
- In 2019, the film project began in New York, completing its production in 2021. It was screened at events in several international locations, like New York, Aspen, Beloit, Nepal, Taiwan, etc.
- Specifications
- This film's standard resolution is 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels (Full HD). Its duration is 3 minutes and 47 seconds, with a frame rate of 23.9fps.
- Keywords
- Animation, Love, Family, Culture inherit, Short film, Generation, Oriental, Kids,
