Small emotions and small moments
Recently, I realised that I am becoming more and more drawn to small emotions in animation. Compared to large stories or dramatic conflict, I prefer quiet moments that are easy to miss. Such as evening lights on the street, flowers that briefly bloom and close again, or sounds and smells that felt important when I was a child.
These interests slowly began to shape the kind of animation I want to create.
Before studying animation, I studied urban design. At that time, I was more interested in the relationship between people and environments. Even after moving into animation, I noticed that I still pay attention to how environments affect emotions. Rather than simply telling a story, I prefer using atmosphere, colour and character actions to communicate feelings.
Why emotional storytelling interests me
I started to realise that I am more interested in character-driven storytelling and works that create emotional connections with audiences.
Saying that I want to control people’s emotions sounds a bit like something a fantasy villain would say. But maybe this sounds slightly evil: I think it is amazing when a piece of work can change how someone feels.
Creating El’s Map
This also influenced my graduation film, El’s Map.
The story does not have a complicated plot. Instead, it is more like a journey about observing and recording things. The main character, El, draws feelings and experiences onto a map, such as the smell of flowers, music heard at night, or reflections in puddles.
Through this project, I wanted to explore a childlike perspective and the imaginative way children experience the world. However, this is not completely an animation made for children. I also hope adults can watch it and feel a little lighter afterwards.
I first experienced this feeling when reading A Perfect Day to Be Alone. I’ve already forgotten most of the story itself, but I still remember how it made me feel. That feeling is difficult to explain, even in my native language.
There were no dramatic emotional changes. It simply felt like a light breeze passing through my mind. I wanted my film to create a similar feeling.
Works that influenced me
While developing this project, I also started thinking more about the kinds of works I enjoy.
Look Back left a strong impression on me.
My favourite parts were not the dramatic moments, but the way everyday details and character relationships made emotions like jealousy, admiration and mutual understanding feel real.
I realised that I am also attracted to this kind of quieter storytelling. Compared to spectacle, I prefer atmosphere and small emotional moments. I really enjoy the feeling of suddenly noticing that something quietly touched me emotionally.
Thinking about my future direction
Besides the story itself, I also started enjoying the early development stages more, such as character design, colour planning, storyboarding and visual development.
I spend a lot of time thinking about how characters see the world and how environments help create emotions. This made me realise that I may be more interested in directing, story development or visual development in the future, rather than focusing only on technical animation skills.
Through creating El’s Map, I slowly started to understand the kind of animation I truly want to make. For me, animation is not only about movement, but also about recording emotions and experiences.
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