Jing Wei
Retelling a Chinese myth about abandoned girls in shadow puppet style. Motion graphics and illustration design.
The phenomenon of abandoned baby girls in China is a tragic reality that has been present throughout history to nowadays. This project aims to bring attention to this issue by utilizing traditional Chinese mythology and shadow-play arts as a means of storytelling in the title sequence. The use of these forms serves to not only pay homage to the cultural significance but also to provide a unique and impactful way to present this important subject matter."
During this 5-week project, I ...
- Draw storyboards and illustrations, by Procreate & Adobe Illustrator
- Animated motion graphics, by Adobe AfterEffect
- Doing music editing, by Adobe Audition
Background
This trend of abandoning female babies in China in the 1990s was a tragic consequence of both gender discrimination and the One-child Policy. The discrimination against girls and the pressure to have a son led many parents to abandon their female babies, either by not giving them the chance to be born or by sinking them in rivers at birth.
However, some of these abandoned girls were fortunate enough to be adopted by loving families from orphanages. As they grew up and became adults, many of these lucky girls were curious about their origins and set out to search for their biological parents. Unfortunately, the reunion often did not lead to the bonding and love that they had hoped for. Instead, it often turned into jealousy and moral coercion on the part of the biological parents, who would often demand extra money, care, or love from their abandoned daughter.
Starting Point
The story of Jing Wei from the Classic of Mountains and Seas is a powerful and thought-provoking one, and it does bear some similarities to the stories of abandoned babies in China in the 1990s. In both cases, the characters are subjected to tragic and unfair circumstances that are beyond their control.
In the story of Jing Wei, the god's authority is indeed enough to change the tragedy of her drowning and endless toil, but he chooses to simply look on with a cold shoulder. This raises questions about the nature of authority and responsibility, and the moral implications of not using one's power to help those in need.
It's understandable that you wish for a different ending for Jing Wei, where she could leave for freedom and start a new life without her ties to the past or the ridiculous fate. This alternative ending could possibly serve as a metaphor for the abandoned kids, who could have had a chance to a brand new life even if their biological parents were not responsible and caring.
Storyboard
The initial storyboard was created with an ink painting aesthetic. However, as the project progressed, the main style was changed to shadow-play for its experimental and dramatic qualities. As a result, the final video diverged from the original storyboard.
Shadow-plays
I've always been fascinated by experimenting with traditional arts in new media, such as oil painting in Cinema4D, and... shadow puppetry with AfterEffect.
Halfway through this project, I was introduced to the art of shadow puppetry. Shadow puppets are a traditional form of storytelling and entertainment that have been used for centuries. Before the advent of modern media such as movies and television, shadow puppetry was a widely popular form of public entertainment.
I found the art form of shadow puppetry to be a perfect fit for the ancient story I was working on, and the collision of these two elements was extremely exciting to me. As a result, I decided to alter the style of this project to incorporate shadow puppetry.
