Sofia Chan's Blog

The Cursed Trailer

2009-08-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

This is the trailer of a movie I recently worked on. I engaged in some of the shots with special effects which makes the monster more horrifying.
It is a really cool movie. Really love the sound design. Although I have worked on this movie for a couple months, I have never watched the whole movie altogether. I wish I could watch it with the effects soon.
Thanks for my boss Blake and Liam for guiding me in this project! I am so proud to be one of the crew.

My Senior Project

2008-12-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is my senior project I worked on for 2 semesters.
Traditional 2D hand-drawn animation, scanned in cels and composite in computer.

The story is inspired by my childhood respiratory sickness. Teddy bear is a fetish for me since I am not allowed to own any stuff toys.
Not until I was 16, my mom bought me a yellow and orange teddy bear (which showed up in the credit). His name is 熊 ("Bear").
I admire the romance of dying to achieve one's goal. In reality, we don't usually die literally to get something. In animation, we can do anything.
This senior project summed up my 3.5year college life - I kill my character, from my intro project to my very last one! (God I am so Americanize now!)

My teacher once mentioned he did not want to do anymore animation after he did a hand-drawn one (and now he is doing AE composite animations). I totally agreed with him. But part of the reason for doing a hand-drawn for my senior project is that I knew I won't be doing any hand-drawn animations during my free time. This project is such a good (and painful) experience.

Thank you for everyone who had directed me to finishing this piece!!! Also lots of thanks for people who watched it and gave me comments! Without your supports, I would still be thinking about switching major!!!

My next project in mind would be my previously abandoned idea: 盛唐夜唱MV!!!
got the storyboard... got the idea... got the permission...
now please get me a computer which i can actually run AE on!!!

Incident at Xuanwu Gate（玄武門之變）

2008-11-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

For awhile I was working with the Tang Dynasty's history, especially Li Shimin（李世民）. For anyone who did not know his story, the summary is as follow:
- he was the second son of a noble. It was said he would become an emperor. （龍鳳之姿，天日之表，年將二十，濟世安民）
- he was a great strategist and helped his father to become an emperor.
- finally he killed his elder brother so he became the emperor.
- he is one of the greatest emperor in the Chinese History

The illustration showed the moment he shot his elder brother.

I would like to include some variation of LiShimin I drew:

In my style:

In a Hong Kong comic style:

(Someone depicted LiShimin as the main character in his comic; I didn't invent this)

-Spring 2007

Go Green!

2008-11-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

This piece is part of MCAD's schoolwide exhibition "Dear President ___" in response to the 2008 election in the US.
I as an international student, and especially a Macauist, has little political emotion. What I wanted to say in this piece is not 08' election specific but a response to paying to get marry in order to get a Green Card.
The animation shows an Alien asking an American Eagle for engagement, and the Eagle "switches" him into green.
This Green Card problem is really driving me (as well as my family) up the wall since I am seeking ways to stay in the US in order to get some working experience. Most people (including my teacher) advise me to get marry to an American man.

Toothpaste storyboard

2008-11-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

In the storyboarding class, one exercise is to pretend we are working for Crest and make a toothpaste commercial.

My idea is after using Crest, the teeth shines so much that it attracts God to save the sinking submarine.

-Spring 08

Shark and Sturgeon

2008-11-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the following news:

"To mark China's hosting the Olympic Games, the Chinese Central Government made a gift of five sturgeon, symbolising the five Olympic rings. Hong Kong's Ocean Park was the recipient of the 5 specimens, two of which were bred by the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute and three by the Beijing Aquarium. The fish made their debut on 20 June 2008.[2] However the smallest one died the next day, apparently caused by being bitten by a barracuda. "

- Summer 08

Singing in the Bathtub

2008-11-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

A music video collaborated with Justin Weber.

This is the first time we got an actor and get him all wet. Song taken from R. Crumbs.
It was fun putting in some animations. I wish we could put in more.

- Fall 07

Waiting for your Half

2008-11-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

A short I did with Chris Jopp. I created the story and Chris shot it. Both of us were directing.

The girl who always receives half of everything in her life. Life is just not complete before she finds her half...

I really enjoy doing this piece. Since it is really short we were able to control most elements. We tried to put in a motif of red. The blind fold is an art element. I originally want to have my characters dress up in weird suits. It was super fun directing my actors since they couldn't see.

And know what, the story was created on Valentine's Day (while I was mourning on my bed because I had no dates)

Here is one sample page of my quickly-sketched-in storyboard:

My cast Salina and Justin are the best couple I knew for my entire life. Both of them are really sweet.

- Spring 08

The Forbidden Lovers

2008-11-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

A Flash piece.

The story was created in a comic class. It was given to me by Ash.
The love story between a banana and an orange. They want to elope but the Banana cannot roll down hill like the Orange. So they go to the witch and the witch gave the Banana two legs to elope...

Here is the original comic:

Character Animation Exercise

2008-11-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

A collection of character animation tests.

- Spring 07

Learn English Now

2008-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

A stopmotion piece.

The animation is about a miscommunication between a panda and an alien. It is inspired by my own cultural experience during the first years when I was in the US.
During the first year in MCAD I met an animator in the school. I said "English is hard, you should go learn Chinese". He said "but every nation come to learn English". That's very true too. But I feel frustrated hearing that (as well as knowing myself coming to the US and torture myself.)

Moon Moon Bring Me Up

2008-11-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

This is the first animation I did.
I was influenced by stories which protagonist sits on the moon and go up to the sky. However I really think celestial sun and moon are very scary.

-Fall 06

3D down the stair

2008-11-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

A Maya animation exercise of a manikin going down one step of a stair.

-Fall 07

My Food Blog Banner

2008-11-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is the banner I did for my food blog.

One entertainment for me and my sister is to go food hunting. She is particularly attracted to desserts and I am attracted to the savory. We are 8 years apart. Food has become the most significant connection between us.

My Food Blog is called Good Morning Good Night.

Drummania!!

2008-11-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Part of an illustration I have been working on, the other part would be a GuitarFreaks guy.

-Summer 2008

Valentine card

2007-11-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

A Valentine E-Card.

-Spring 2007

Go Hunt!

2007-11-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

I imagined this world where people hunt boars and catch fish all day long...
The boy became a model I am building now in Maya.

-Summer 07