Protagonist
3D Animated Short Film // Real-time Cinematic
"Protagonist" is a meta-narrative real-time animated short film that philosophically questions the core identity of a main character across nested layers of reality. Shifting seamlessly from a cinematic frame to a theatrical stage play, and ultimately expanding into a sandbox universe simulated by a higher civilization, the project utilizes distinct artistic and rendering styles to visually segregate and define each progressive dimension of truth.
Technical Pipeline & Toolsets
Motion Builder & Mixamo: Motion Capture Data Retargeting, Skeleton Physics, and Humanoid Rigging Alignment.
Live Link Face: Real-time Blendshape Performance Capture & Facial Animation Rigging.
DCC Toolsets: Blender (3D Modeling & Environmental Layout), Adobe Premiere (Final Edit & Pacing).
Core Conceptual Pillars
PILLAR 01
The Meta-Narrative Metaphor & Existential Recursion
The film constructs a complex narrative recursion, unpeeling layers from a standard film scene down to a live theatrical production, which is subsequently revealed to be an artificial sandbox world. This structural nesting targets the philosophical definition of agency—prompting the audience to trace where the boundaries of autonomy stop and external controls begin.
By deploying customized camera lenses within the Unreal Sequencer, the camera transitions from an intimate cinematic close-up down to an omniscient, detached bird's-eye perspective. This visual scaling directly reflects the psychological progression of discovering a simulated existence, inviting viewers to ponder the ultimate architect of their own reality.
PILLAR 02
Differentiated Art Directions & Technological Pipelines
To seamlessly articulate the boundaries between varying scales of existence without breaking audience immersion, each reality tier features custom post-processing profiles, lighting structures, and character fidelity configurations. The aesthetic scales down seamlessly from a photo-realistic MetaHuman performance capture tier to a highly stylized, modular rendering framework.
Technically, this required retargeting complex motion capture data across distinctly proportioned skeleton structures using Motion Builder and Mixamo. Combined with real-time iPhone-based facial blendshapes driven through Live Link Face, the pipeline preserves human emotional resonance even as the visual styles morph into deliberate geometric abstractions.
Production Stills & Cinematics
