Major Project
Nurul Adlina Rizal / 0345429 / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Major Project
JUMPLINKS
INSTRUCTIONS
Major Project
Pre-Production (Week 1 - Week 7)
- Ideation
- Character
- Script
- Storyboard
- Animatic
Ideation
Coming into this project, I had an idea of what story I wanted to create
and it was based on one of my old ideas back in foundation. During my
Critical and Creative Thinking Skills module, we had to choose a person as
our target audience/someone we wanted to help other than ourselves. Someone
that we could help solve their issues using Creative Thinking
skills.
My group chose Alex Scott who was a cancer patient who was known by the
world for her initiative of setting up a lemonade stand to raise funds for
children riddled with cancer just like her.
Many ideas were being thrown around such as lemonade store outlets,
lemonade juice boxes and my own personal idea - a cartoon! All in hopes of
helping raise funds for the ALSF (Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation).
Because of this, Lem was born, inspired by Alex who was sick and in need.
Lem's character is similar in a way that he is disabled yet continues to
keep an optimistic and brave personality so that he can help others who are
having trouble.
Here are some old designs and drafts:
Fig 1.0: All the characters!
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| Fig 1.1: Lem promoting the Lemonade Brand |
Fig 1.2: Old Logo and poster
Now to revamp the idea!
Big Idea
An animated series that celebrates kindness, resilience, and friendship
through the adventures of Lem, a disabled lemon-cat hybrid, teaching young
viewers the importance of embracing diversity and supporting one
another.
We use this idea to inspire other kids to be just like Lem!
Final Output
Other than creating the final short animated video, I wanted to create a
Pitch Bible, a 3D Model and a Campaign Poster. Later on, I decided that I
wanted the animated short to be the teaser or example of Episode 1 of the
show!
Logo
Revamped idea? Revamped Logo! Cartoon logos are very memorable and usually
very expressive to display the fun and silly personality of cartoons while
implementing the theme of the show. I tried to recreate that by figuring out
different type designs as in Figure 1.3.
Fig 1.3: New Logo
Fig 1.4: New Logo with Color
Fig 1.5: All logo variations
Figuring out the colour scheme was easy because since Lem's name is in the
title, I had to pick a similar colour palette to the character
design.
Characters
Talking about the character design, it also gets revamped because the
original design had me worried if it was possible to animate! There were a
lot of clothing pieces in the original design that would require a different
type of rigging that I was not sure I was ready to learn for this project
since I had to cover the basics of rigging in general.
A big huge change for the characters is that they were no longer just
fruit-themed characters, they were also each a fruit-animal hybrid! This is
due to Lem's original design face shape having a similar shape to cat ears.
So I was thinking of making the characters, even more, cuter and more
attractive to kids, I could combine the two ideas of cute animals and
fruits! Therefore, each character gets cute animal ears and a tail!
Fig 1.6: Early drafts of the Character Designs
For Lem, since he had a white t-shirt, I changed it to a scarf that shows
his easygoing and adventurous personality.
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| Fig 1.7: Lem Character Sheet |
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| Fig 1.8 Lem Character Doodles |
For Orange, I kept his collar and glasses. I also put a little stem on his
head to show that he's a cute little orange.
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| Fig 1.9: Orange Character Sheet |
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| Fig 2.0: Orange Character Doodles |
For Peach, I kept the dress and gave her heart-shaped clips to keep her
feminine personality.
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| Fig 2.1: Peach Character Sheet |
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| Fig 2.2: Peach Character Doodles |
In the final character sheets, I included the 3D Model that I will elaborate on later regarding the process.
Environment
With a rough idea of the storyline, I drafted up a few designs of places
that would exist in Fruitville. I decided on the name Fruitville for the
neighbourhood they live in because I imagine different fruit-animal hybrids
living there together in harmony. I am very inspired by Animal Crossing and
Stardew Valley so I looked up references of colourful yet wholesome
environment designs.
Check out my Pinterest inspirations from character designs to environment
designs in the link here:
https://pin.it/7a8n7sQtQ
https://pin.it/7a8n7sQtQ
Some of the environments I need for my story would be:
1. Lem's Home
2. Fruitville's Town Area
3. Field of Grass (Their last destination)
I also drafted Lem's room but it looks better in the production stage when
I modelled in a 3D bed for Lem to interact with. This is because I drew
every wall of the room separately including the floor to create a 3D space
for the bedroom scene.
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| Fig 2.3: Lem's Home |
Fig 2.4: Fruitville Town Area
Fig 2.5: The Field
Episode 1 Storyline & Other Episodes
This is something I have already created back in my pre-university year. I
wrote down episodes I wanted in the cartoon back then. However, I have
changed a few so that the story flows better and is more lighthearted for
children to watch. Since the first episode is the one I will be animating
for my final output, you can check out Episode 1 Script's here:
Final Script
But if you're interested in the other episodes too, here is a long list of
each episode and their synopsis.
Episode 1 – A Sunny Start
Lem wakes up to a bright new day and is surprised by his best friends,
Orange and Peach, with a delightful picnic and boat ride in a beautiful
meadow. Together, they enjoy a heartwarming adventure that highlights the
importance of friendship, kindness, and embracing each other's unique
qualities.
Episode 2 - School
Viewers are introduced to Lem's best friends, Orange and Peach. The
episode follows their typical school day, showcasing Orange's academic
prowess and Peach's artistic talents, while also highlighting their deep
bond with Lem.
Episode 3 - Charity
Lem decided to open a lemonade stand and give the profits to charity. Both
Peach and Orange support them.
Episode 4 - Tomato
A new family of fruit has moved in and they are being ostracised. Lem
befriends the new kid, Tomato (Tom) and helps him from being bullied.
Episode 5 - The Two Kings
Durian and Pineapple run the school and although they were enemies in the
past, they are a close pair. Lem finds out why.
Episode 6 - It is Okay to Not Be Okay
Lem has had a difficult day, and he hides being sad about it in front of
his friends. Luckily, Orange is observant and knows something is wrong.
Peach joins Orange in being Lem's mental support.
Episode 7 - My Ambitions
The main characters and their classmates share their ambitions with the
rest of the class and why. Lem realises they want to be someone who helps
people.
Episode 8 - Guava
Orange falls in love with Guava and is supported by Lem to confess. When
they get closer, he learns that Guava isn't perfect and that she has
flaws. Orange learns to accept and love people for who they are.
Episode 9 - Stage Fright
Lem finds Peach practicing singing but she always never performs in front
of others. Lem helps Peach overcome the stage fright by letting her sing
to them and slowly build her confidence.
Episode 10 - The Loner
Lem finds it difficult to befriend the lonely girl, Grape. He attempts a
couple of ways that they always use to become friends with someone until
they realise everyone is different and befriend Grape in a new way.
Episode 11 - Someone Like Me
Lem finds someone who is diagnosed with the same sickness as them and they
become pen pals. Lem feels less alone.
Episode 12 - Shopping
The three girls (Grape, Peach and Guava) help Tom have a makeover and
completely change his look to help him be more confident in himself.
Episode 13 - Famous
Lem's cousin, Lime, comes to visit him. They record videos together and
Lime teaches Lem how social media works and how to stay safe browsing on
it.
Episode 14 - The Cat
Lem follows a peculiar cat around town. They get into weird
situations.
Episode 15 - Love is Love
When both Peach and Lem are suspected to be in love with each other, Lem
starts to wonder if their friendship will be affected. Peach comes out and
tells the truth about herself.
Episode 16 - Practice
Lemon learns that practising is important in any kind of skill that you
want to develop. Lemon learns to play the guitar to help Peach
practice.
Episode 17 - Orange and Lem
The backstory of how the two meet and become close best friends.
Episode 18 - Introverts
Grape is annoyed by how suffocating Lem is by following her around. Lem
learns how introverts work and gives Grape time alone because introverts
need time to recharge.
Episode 19 - Christmas
Lem and their family celebrate Christmas together. Lem receives many gifts
from their uncles and aunts. Visits all their friends to exchange
presents.
Episode 20 – A Bittersweet Goodbye
Lem prepares to leave Fruitville, packing a suitcase and saying heartfelt
goodbyes to everyone they've met along the way. Lem thanks each friend
individually, expressing appreciation for the memories and lessons
learned. As Lem gives a final wave to the town, they remember their pen
pal and wonder if they will meet outside of Fruitville, leaving viewers
with a hopeful and touching conclusion to the series.
-------
Even since my pre-university days, I knew I wanted a 20-episode long
series or season of this show because of how short I wanted the episodes
to be so it could deliver a direct and easy-to-remember message to the
audience.
Script
To talk more about the script, I wanted a good introduction to all the
characters and what they mean to each other. Who is Lemon? Who is Orange
& Peach? Why are they best friends? What do they do every day? All
these questions I wanted to answer in the first episode. I genuinely wish
I could do more or even episode some of these episodes to show how much of
a friendly and fun-loving person Lem is but maybe that's a project for
another time.
Storyboard
Now time to turn the script into life with drawings!
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| Fig 2.6: Storyboard Page 1 |
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| Fig 2.7: Storyboard Page 2 |
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| Fig 2.8: Storyboard Page 3 |
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| Fig 2.9: Storyboard Page 4 |
There are cleaner versions of the storyboard but I decided to put this one
in my e-portfolio to show you how I break down the scenes for production. I
organize each scene into two things - Character Animation and Environment.
This is because these two need to be prepared differently since the
Animation will be 3D Animated with 2D Lineless Background. All this
technical information you can check out in Week 11 where we have our
Proposal and Progress Presentation.
Scene 1
3 Environments
2 Character Animation
- Lem getting out of bed
- Lem monologue
Scene 2
1 Environment
2 Character Animation
- Lem coming out of his house
- Orange and Peach inviting him
Scene 3
1 Environment
1 Character Animation
- Walking animation
Scene 4
2 Environment
2 Character Animation
- Lem reaction
- Orange and Peach surprise
Scene 5
1 Environment
4 Character Animation
- Picnic Time & Lemon Talk
- Orange Talk
- Peach Talk
- Watching the sunset
Animatic
Fig 3.0: Final Animatic
Production (Week 8 - Week 12)
- 3D Modelling
- 3D Texturing
- 3D Rigging
- 3D Animation
- Lighting
- Rendering
3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not something new to me. So I did not have a hard time
getting back to Blender and modelling. However, modelling a character is not
something I am good at so I did have some tutorials I followed as guidance.
To credit some:
Fig 3.1: 3D Fox Character Modelling by Ksenia Starkova
Other than the character, all the objects modelled in the scenes are from
me and what I can make at the time.
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| Fig 3.2: Lem Model Base |
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| Fig 3.3: Lem Model Base 2 |
I started with the base model first since all the main characters should be
at the same height and body shape. Then I started adding what each
individual character had unique such as their ears, tail and
faces.
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| Fig 3.4: Orange Model |
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| Fig 3.5: Peach Model |
Yes. I had their character sheets and sketches behind them as a reference
because I'm not an idiot! A good reference makes a good work! In Fig, is
me trying to figure out how to add Peach's dress.
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| Fig 3.6: Heart Model |
3D Texturing
Not much to talk about this actually. From the 3D modelling guide I
watched, I saw that they used environment textures when displaying their
model, so I found out this website called Poly Haven.
This is where I downloaded a bunch of environment textures to have good
lighting for rendering. This was especially useful for the sunset scene and
bedroom scene because they need to have drastically different
lighting.
3D Rigging
And this is where everything went to hell. I'm kidding. Or am
I?
One things for sure, rigging is not easy. I eventually figured out how to
do it but to do it three times for each character? It was tedious. Weight
paint was also something that was tedious to do. There is probably an easier
way to rig three different models in a quick way. While I could learn that,
instead I took every rigging session as a way to learn a new thing about
rigging such as what corners I could cut and what corners I cannot cut to
save time. I definitely learned alot here and would love to try rigging
again. I genuinely owe it to these videos and these creators for teaching me
about rigging in Blender:
Fig 3.7: 3D Fox Character Rigging by Ksenia Starkova
Fig 3.8: Rig and Animate Character in 10 Minutes by Poly Flo
Fig 3.9: Blender: Rig A Character From Scratch by PIXXO 3D
Thank you to Poly Flo, Ksenia Starkova and PIXXO 3D for all the amazing
videos and guides! Both Poly Flow and PIXXO 3D's videos were straight to
the point, talked about details to be reminded of and were super helpful.
Meanwhile, Ksenia Starkova's videos were the biggest contributions to my
understanding of rigging because of their real-time videos which made it
easier to follow and study. If you are a fellow beginner to Blender
yourself, do check them out!
3D Animation
Animating was actually a lot of fun! Genuinely, the only boring part was
that I had to wait for it to render when I was done with all the animations.
A useful thing I learned during animating was how important a good rig is.
If the rig is good, the animations that one could do for a character will
increase tenfold. This makes the character more expressive and fun which is
what Cartoon is all about. I did not manage to record my animation process
but it was as tedious as rigging with a bit of fun and joy that it was all
coming together.
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| Fig 4.0: Walking Scene Screenshot |
Here is a screenshot of the walking scene and I exported it with a
transparent background so I could animate the background the way I wanted
in After Effects.
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| Fig 4.1: Lem's Bedroom |
Here is what Lem's bedroom looks like, in its 3D form with a modelled bed
and bedside table.
Keyframes for each Scene:
Scene 1
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| Fig 4.2: Scene 1 3D Animation |
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| Fig 4.3: Scene 1 3D Animation Keyframes |
I had to understand how people wake up and sit up to animate this
scene.
Scene 2
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| Fig 4.4: Scene 2 3D Animation Keyframes |
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Fig 4.5: Scene 2 3D Animation Keyframes 2 |
In this Scene, I tried my best to showcase each of the character's
personalities. Such as how Peach is always so excited that she jumps
around when she talks.
Scene 3
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| Fig 4.6: Scene 3 3D Animation Keyframes |
Scene 4
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| Fig 4.7: Scene 4 3D Animation Keyframes |
In Scene 4, I was reminded that other characters in the scene that would not be talking, would be looking and reacting at the character that is talking, rather than stare blankly into the camera.
Scene 5
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| Fig 4.8: Scene 5 3D Animation Keyframes |
This scene holds a special place in my heart. I animated Lem's ears to show how excited he is to spend time with his friends. I animated his humility when thanking his friends which gives him more of a wholesome personality.
Week 11 - Proposal & Progress Presentation
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGD2vZOC40/_30-IvXd8AgKQlQjSCGNzA/view?utm_content=DAGD2vZOC40&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor
Fig 4.9: Major Project Proposal & Progress Presentation
Post-Production (Week 13 - Week 14)
- Compositing
- Editing & Color Correction
Compositing & Editing
I did most of the compositing and editing in After Effects. I did use
Premier Pro but it was only for the Animatic. I also did colour correction
in After Effects due to some scenes that I rendered out of Blender losing
the colour saturation. Moreover, Photoshop is also used to add 2D elements
to the video.
Scene 1
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| Fig 5.0: Scene 1 After Effects Layers |
For Scene 1, I layered the intro together, the grass, sky and signage. I
animated them separately to give an illusion of the sign appearing as it
zooms out. Then, I used the 2D drawing of Lem's home, zooming in to
transition to Lem's room where he wakes up. Here it is fully animated
Blender and requires minimal editing or color correction. I just had to
make sure to sync up the animation with the audio. I also had a cutaway to
a closeup of Lem breathing in and out to make the audience feel more
connected to the main character.
Scene 2
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| Fig 5.1: Scene 2 After Effects Layers |
In Scene 2, Lem's scenes were animated in Blender so I only had to
color-correct them. Meanwhile, Peach and Orange's scene was animated in
Blender as well but I decided to add some tiny grass overlays to make them
look a bit more three-dimensional.
Scene 3
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| Fig 5.2: Scene 3 After Effects Layers |
Scene 3 was actually one of the scenes that I compiled together and
animated first. The scenes compiled in order were Scene 3, Scene 2, Scene
4, Scene 5 then Scene 1. This is from what I thought would be easiest to
difficult but funny enough Scene 3 took me the longest because the
animation was a bit more tedious. In After Effects, however, I had to
animate the background to make it move so it looked like the characters
were moving in a scene. I also animated the buildings to pop up one by one
like they were in a pop-up storybook. I added grass as an overlay which
moves faster than the other objects to make the illusion of a
three-dimensional space.
Scene 4
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| Fig 5.3: Scene 4 After Effects Layers |
In this scene, I made I used Photoshop to animate the sparkles around the
field and in Lem's eyes. I also moved Lem's character around in the scene
using After Effects. As for Peach and Orange's Scene, they were fully
animated in Blender with colour correction on After Effects. I added grass
again to add a 3D storybook pop-up book feeling to the scene. In the last
part of the picnic, I drew the elements fully with Photoshop and added
bokeh lights with After Effects.
Later on, I added a Light Wipe at the beginning to transition the walking
scene to the field scene!
Scene 5
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| Fig 5.4: Scene 5 After Effects Layers |
In Scene 5, I added colour correction and cutaways to each character when
they were talking which also made the space feel more 3D. Then, I exported
the scene of them together with a transparent background so I could
manipulate the backgrounds in After Effects such as the sun setting down
on them as well as the zoom-in to the closing bit of the video.
After compiling everything, I also added captions!
Key Shots
Sound Editing
Most of the sound editing was done in Adobe Audition. The background sounds
were taken from freesounds.com and the voice actors were hired to help out
with the project.
Here is the list of sounds used to credit the original creators:
As for voice actors, Lem was voiced by my sister, Aireen and the other
voices such as the Narrator, Orange and Peach were hired through
Fiverr.
Scene 1
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| Fig 5.5: Scene 1 Sound Editing Layers |
In Scene 1, I used a lot of ambient sounds, mattress sounds and steps. I
also used breathing sound effects for Lem's breathing. Minimal editing and
noise reduction were used for the voice actors' voice.
Scene 2
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| Fig 5.6: Scene 2 Sound Editing Layers |
In Scene 2, there were similar ambient noises with walking sounds as well
as jumping sounds on the grass for Peach.
Scene 3
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| Fig 5.7: Scene 3 Sound Editing Layers |
In Scene 3, there were walking sounds for all three characters and ambient
sounds of the town.
Scene 4
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| Fig 5.8: Scene 4 Sound Editing Layers |
In Scene 4, there are ambient sounds of a field of flowers alongside
sparkling sound effects. Minimal editing was used on the voices.
Scene 5
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| Fig 5.9: Scene 5 Sound Editing Layers |
In Scene 5, there are ambient sounds and some editing for the
voices.
FINAL
Episode 1 - A Sunny Start
Fig 6.0: Lem, the Friendly Lemon - Episode 1 Final
MERCHANDISING (Week 15 - Week 16)
Pitch Bible / Art Book
The pitch bible for "Lem, the Friendly Lemon" is a comprehensive guide that
outlines the animated series' concept, characters, setting, and episode
summaries. It includes detailed character descriptions, the unique and
vibrant world of Fruitville, and storyboards and scripts for Episode 1.
Designed to provide a clear vision of the series, the pitch bible showcases
the creative direction, target audience, and the heartwarming, educational
essence of Lem's adventures.
Stickers
The "Lem, the Friendly Lemon" merchandising includes a set of vibrant
stickers featuring two distinct designs. One set showcases 3D elements
with detailed models of each character, bringing Lem, Orange, and Peach to
life. The other set uses fully 2D elements with charming doodles of the
main characters, offering a playful and artistic representation perfect
for fans of all ages.
Keychain
The "Lem, the Friendly Lemon" keychain merchandise features three charming
designs, each showcasing a beloved character from the series. The keychains
include a cheerful Lem with his signature leafy hair, a sweet Peach with her
heart-shaped clips and pinkish fur, and a thoughtful Orange wearing his red
round glasses. These delightful keychains are perfect for fans to carry a
piece of their favourite characters wherever they go.
Art Prints
The "Lem, the Friendly Lemon" A6 art prints feature two delightful
designs. One print captures the iconic scene of Lem during a picnic,
radiating warmth and friendship. The other print showcases the beautiful
field of flowers landscape with the cheerful inscription, "Lem was here!"
Both designs offer fans a charming and picturesque piece of Lem's world to
enjoy.
3D Model
I had to prepare the 3D model to a model that was printable. I made sure
that there were no hollow bodies and separated the model into two for easier
printing.
The "Lem, the Friendly Lemon" 3D printed model is a meticulously crafted
figurine capturing Lem's unique and cheerful appearance. With detailed
features that highlight Lem's lemon-cat hybrid characteristics, including
his leafy tail and bright expression, this model brings the beloved
character to life, making it a perfect collectible for fans of the
series.
FEEDBACKS
Week 2
Mr Kamal said that he liked my idea and wanted us to enter a competition
with our idea.
Week 3
He told me that each of the acts I proposed, should have a
conflict.
Week 7
He said the story and art style is quite simple which is fitting for a
kids' show. He told me to start working on the production.
Week 11
Since it's the day of the Proposal & Progress Presentation, I got a
lot of feedback from Mr Kannan and Ms Anis. They told me to showcase in
the story how he is a friendly person. They also gave me advice on how to
go about animating this such as making 2D planes and doing pose-to-pose
animation.
REFLECTIONS
In conclusion, this project taught me a lot on not only my technical skills such as 3D modelling, rigging and animating but also about who I am as a designer. I learnt what I truly want to achieve as a designer and animator. What type of design and cartoon I'm trying to achieve. I had a wonderful experience, seeing my characters come to life and witnessing my ideas become a reality. My bad experiences stem from my own lack of effort and procrastination.
As for my observation, I learned that when I'm passionate I tend to do a lot more since I'm in love with my work. I feel that is something I should strive for in the future which is to be in love with my work and join areas that I am interested in so that I could do more of the work that I'm passionate about. Other than that, I observed that I tend to easily be sad on days I don't work and I feel that I still need to balance my work life so that I do not get sad during days I cannot do work because everyone deserves a break. Instead of demotivating me, it should be uplifting me to do more work ahead.
In the future, I would love to work on storywriting and facial rigging to expand the story of Lem, the Friendly Lemon.
Moreover, while preparing for the showcase, I rebirthed my love for printing and graphic design which I also am thinking of pursuing as well in the future.
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