While making this graduation film (less than 6 months production time), I gained some insights about visual storytelling and here are some notes that I want to to make.  

Keep the Story Simple; We started with a classic “husband kills wife for insurance money” plot with Chinese horror elements. Our first mistake was trying to include too many details, making the storyboard too long to finish on time. After cutting nearly half of unnecessary scenes, we finally got it down to 5 minutes. Lesson learned: focus on the core story first, then spend time on animation.  

Another thing I have noticed is my camera angle and scale really need more variety. I tend to overuse close-ups (like showing the protagonist’s hands too often). Many shots felt cramped because the framing was too tight. Next time, I’ll explore more angles and wider shots during storyboarding.  

Composition is the next thing I think I need to pay more attention to.  I often defaulted to flat, straight-on shots without depth, making scenes look rigid. For future projects, I’ll study classic films and practice copying good shots to improve my visual language.  

When discussing visual storytelling, our teachers recommended Hitchcock’s Vertigo – I learned so much from this classic. The striking black-and-white contrasts, the symbolic use of red (danger/desire) (like heroine’’s bright red coat when they first meet in the restaurant.   Also the clever pairing with dark environment and bright green colors in the hotel scene.

I also studied other works for inspiration; Lighting Up The Stars by Liu Jiangjiang, Stephen Chow’s Out of the Dark, The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon by Huang Jingpu and The game San Fu’s art direction  

Most horror films use small bursts of vivid color against dark backgrounds as danger signals. San Fu particularly stood out by using unusual red-green combinations – a signature of Chinese horror.  I’ve tried incorporating these ideas into our own environment designs and mood boards.