Recently, the highly anticipated game "Black Myth: Wukong" has finally landed on major gaming platforms. According to reports, the game has surpassed 2.2 million concurrent players, making it the second most-played single-player game in Steam history, second only to PUBG. This game is based on the Monkey King Sun Wukong from the classic Chinese novel and features a strong Chinese aesthetic. It's an action role-playing game where players control the protagonist and Sun Wukong, wielding a staff (Ruyi Jingu Bang) in a third-person perspective.
Fueled by their passion for the game, many fans have created animations as a tribute. CG artist Yoga is one such fan, who dedicated two years to crafting a fan animation. To bring his vision to life, Yoga leveraged Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering service, the global top render farm in the CG industry. In this interview, Yoga takes us behind the scenes, sharing his love for the game and the challenges and rewards he encountered during the creation process.
Fox Renderfarm: Thank you very much, Yoga, for taking the time to interview with us. Could you please introduce yourself?
Yoga: Hello everyone, I'm Yoga. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Fox Renderfarm. Currently, I'm working as an independent designer.
Fox Renderfarm: Your journey into CG production began in university. Could you please elaborate on the software you've mastered? Was your learning process primarily self-taught? Who would you say has been your most significant mentor in the CG field? Additionally, have you ever integrated your programming skills into your CG projects?
Yoga: I began my CG journey with C4D during my undergraduate years and continued using it in my early professional life. Over time, I transitioned to Blender, acquiring my skills primarily through self-taught learning and on-the-job training. Andrew Kramer and Ian Hubert have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of CG; their work is truly inspirational. While I have a programming background from university, I find myself using it less frequently in my current projects. My programming abilities have somewhat diminished, and I often need to consult references to execute basic geometry node operations.
Fox Renderfarm: You made 'MonkeyKing' in just seven days back in 2020 and it made it into the top 100 of a huge CG competition with over 3600 artists (Pwnisher's Moving Meditations 3D Render Challenge). Did winning that competition make you even more passionate about CG?
Yoga: The success of this work has strengthened my determination to make this short film.
MonkeyKing © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: So, when did you start working on your 'Black Myth: Wukong' fan film? Did you do everything yourself? We're all really curious about the software you used to make it. How long did it take? Could you walk us through your process?
Yoga: I got this crazy idea to make a short film based on 'Black Myth: Wukong' back in August 2022. So, I started doing my research and planning everything out. I made most of the stuff myself, except for a few props and things like that. I was pretty secretive about it, and only my family got to see it before I sent it off for sound design.
The pre-production phase took about two months, followed by the standard post-production pipeline. The entire project took around two years to complete. My workflow was pretty straightforward: I used Blender for assets, animation, effects, and lighting; C4D and EmberGen for destruction and smoke effects; and After Effects for compositing. Of course, I used other software as well, but they were more like supporting tools, and I won't list them all here as I wasn't completely proficient with them.
Behind-the-scenes footage © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: Cinematic language is often a challenge for personal projects. However, the cinematography in your work has been highly praised for its maturity, with smooth camera movements and cuts. Could you share your approach to shot design? What is the background setting of your work? Do you, as a solo writer and director, experience the need to cut scenes during the editing process?
Yoga: The story is divided into three acts, narrating the tale of Sun Wukong facing a life-or-death situation, reflecting on his past, confining himself, and ultimately eliminating his karma to attain enlightenment. After finalizing the story structure, I began sketching storyboards and filling in the details. Since this wasn't a commercial project with a team, the storyboards were a bit rough, but as long as I understood them, it was fine.
Early-stage storyboard development © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
There were indeed instances where I had to revise the storyboards during production. Originally, I had planned a scene where Sun Wukong, in his memories, turns back for a third time to see the Bodhisattva, just like in the 1986 TV series, seeking guidance on how to overcome his current crisis. The Bodhisattva would then advise him to seek help from the Goddess of Mercy in the South China Sea. However, when I viewed the nearly completed film, I realized that this scene disrupted the pacing and made the story too straightforward, limiting potential interpretations. I ultimately decided to change the scene to one where Sun Wukong is dragged into the abyss by evil spirits and the Bodhisattva guides him through his ordeal by chanting sutras. This revision improved both the overall narrative structure and the film's open-endedness.
Short clips from the main film © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: Could you elaborate on the conceptualization and execution of the key scenes within the project?
Yoga: After finishing the storyboards, I started looking for concept art as a reference for building the scenes. Everything I created was designed to serve the story, so all the reference materials I gathered had to match the emotions and feelings of the corresponding scenes. I never sacrificed storytelling for the sake of aesthetics.
To convey a sense of tension and impending crisis at the beginning, I set the scene at dusk. The blood-red twilight casts a shroud over the sand. In this atmosphere, Wukong faces the approaching 'Six-Eared Macaque' with palpable anxiety, heightening the audience's anticipation of what's to come.
Scene-building reference © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Main film clips © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
The sequence featuring the Bodhisattva was initially seen as a natural fit for the Black Myth aesthetic. However, after careful deliberation, I concluded that the original Black Myth environments were somewhat too austere for this particular narrative moment. To address this, I chose to preserve the distinctive architectural and plant life of Black Myth while introducing warmer color tones to mitigate the overly somber atmosphere.
Scene-building reference © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Main film clips © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
The sadness surrounding Tang Sanzang deepens as the story unfolds. A cold, rainy setting would be ideal. The sound of cold rain falling would intensify the feeling of sorrow.
Scene-building reference © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Main film clips © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
As the story unfolds, Wukong manages to escape the clutches of the evil spirits and reaches the South China Sea. Following the precedent set in the older version of Journey to the West, I've opted to keep the Bodhisattva's face obscured (which has led many viewers to speculate that it might be the Tathagata). The scene where the sea is parted, reminiscent of the Black Water River sequence, adds a truly epic and divine quality to the visual.
Scene-building reference © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Main film clips © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: The two masters of Sun Wukong are also quite memorable, but their faces are never shown. We're curious to know if this was a plot requirement or if it was simply too difficult to animate their facial expressions. Could you elaborate on the design details of these two characters?
Yoga: It was both a plot requirement and a way to simplify the workload. When recalling memories, even the most vivid ones, I don't believe we can perfectly piece together every detail, so while we can't see their faces clearly, it actually feels more authentic and atmospheric.
On the other hand, not showing their faces did reduce the workload, as I didn't have to focus too much on facial details. With my current abilities, revealing their full faces would definitely have detracted from the overall effect. Fun fact: both masters actually share the same underlying model with different outfits. Additionally, I animated all the expressions, not just for the scene where Tang Sanzang's face is shown. Since audiences are so familiar with human expressions, the difference between speaking and not speaking is quite noticeable.
Master Puti from the film © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Tang Sanzang from the film © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: Lighting design is a crucial aspect of the work's overall quality. What was the maximum number of lights used in any given scene? Could you share your lighting design philosophy?
Yoga: I believe that the expressive power of lighting is just as crucial as the overall visual quality. My approach to lighting is not strictly bound by physical accuracy or the quantity of light sources used; rather, I prioritize storytelling. For instance, in the opening sequence, I employed a broad wash of red light to create a sense of impending doom and foreshadow negative events. By isolating the right hand with a focused light, I was able to draw attention to the subtle tremor of Wukong's finger.
Behind-the-scenes lighting design sharing © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
For the scene with the Bodhi Patriarch, I used a cold color palette for the background but opted for warm-colored backlighting. This was to counteract the sadness of the scene and prevent it from becoming overly melancholic. Additionally, backlighting is effective for concealing faces, which helps convey the hazy nature of memories.
Behind-the-scenes lighting design sharing © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
To convey the deepening sorrow as the narrative shifts to Tang Sanzang, I opted for a colder color temperature for the overall environment. The prevalence of cool colors serves to reinforce the feelings of desolation and grief experienced by the characters.
Behind-the-scenes lighting design sharing © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
In the sequence set in the South China Sea, where the Bodhisattva makes their appearance, I employed rim lighting and volumetric lighting to enhance the sense of grandeur and divinity. These lighting techniques also serve to underscore Wukong's unwavering determination to isolate himself.
Behind-the-scenes lighting design sharing © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: Looking back on the entire production process, what part are you most satisfied with? Which part of the process did you find to be the most challenging and time-consuming? Do you have any plans for creating a full-length animated feature in the future? Would you consider pursuing a career as an animation director?
Yoga: I'm most satisfied with the scene where Wukong falls into the abyss and is tormented by evil spirits. I think both the external elements, such as the special effects and editing, and the internal elements, such as the conveyed emotions and tone, effectively externalize Wukong's inner struggle, resulting in a highly polished sequence.
Main film clips © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
As for the most difficult part, I think it was all pretty challenging. Or rather, every part was challenging in its own way. I was able to solve most problems using my previous experience. For the problems I couldn't solve, I would research or ask friends, and I could usually find a solution. Some people have mentioned that the animation in this project could have been better, and I agree that animation isn't my strong suit. The animation was a combination of motion capture, hand-drawn animation, and pre-made assets.
To be honest, it's really hard to make every aspect of a project perfect, especially when you're doing everything yourself. I understand a bit about everything, but I'm not an expert in any one area. An animation specialist could find a ton of flaws, an asset artist could find a ton of flaws, and a VFX artist could find a ton of flaws... But I don't plan on improving these skills in the near future. Instead, I want to focus more on project management. I've thought about making a feature-length animation, but it's still too early. I'll start working on it when the time is right.
Behind-the-scene © 一粒林宥嘉/Yoga
Fox Renderfarm: Have you used Fox Renderfarm in your creative process or your projects? We'd love to hear your thoughts on our render farm service.
Yoga: Whether it's for business or personal projects, Fox Renderfarm is my go-to cloud rendering platform.
The cloud rendering process is top-notch, but what truly impressed me was their commitment to customer satisfaction. One night I encountered a technical issue, and their support team went above and beyond to help me. A technician was quickly dispatched to remotely troubleshoot the problem, and it was resolved in no time. This level of service is truly commendable.
Fox Renderfarm: Your ability to balance a full-time job with creating such impressive personal projects has sparked a lot of interest. Could you share your time management tips? How do you stay motivated and avoid burnout when working on personal projects? Can you describe your daily routine for improving your artistic skills and refining your aesthetic taste?
Yoga: I wouldn't say I have any special time management skills; this project actually took up a significant chunk of my personal time. So, the real question is how to balance work and personal projects. For me, I set clear boundaries for work and creative time, ensuring that I have sufficient time for my personal projects after work. Additionally, I try to minimize time-wasting activities like excessive social media use or mindless entertainment. But don't follow my example; I probably won't be in a similar situation after this project. If I do, it'll be many years from now.
I've found that when I'm feeling unmotivated, a short break can do wonders. Taking a couple of days off allows me to come back to my work with a fresh perspective. To continuously improve my artistic skills, I've made a habit of watching videos created by talented artists. I've learned so much by studying their techniques and approaches to storytelling. It's been invaluable to see how they develop their ideas from concept to completion.
Thank you again for having me, Fox Renderfarm. I'm truly grateful for this opportunity!
