Date & Time: 10/24 (THU) 13:30

Location: Literary Arts Ecology Hall K301

Deep Dive into the Work of Hollywood Modelers! Special Lecture by Professor Chen Yeenshi

During this year’s animation festival, Chen Yeenshi gave a special lecture on October 24 titled “Digital Modeling and Character Development in Film”  guiding us through the production process of Hollywood and the division of labor at Rhythm & Hues Studios.

Speaker: Chen Yeenshi

At the beginning of the lecture, Chen presented a slideshow illustrating the digitization of physical sculpture over the past thirty years. She explained that thirty years ago, modeling required creating physical sculptures first, as digital modeling software was not as accessible as it is today. Artists had to create physical models using clay and then digitize them to import into computers.

Next, Chen introduced the production process of modern visual effects and animation. She explained the studio’s modeling workflow, emphasizing that each modeling project has clear departmental roles. As professional modelers, they must also consider the needs of other departments to enhance work efficiency.

She then used her work on the film Life of Pi, specifically the tiger model, as an example. Chen noted that to create a realistic tiger, one must reference thousands of photos and study the tiger’s skeletal and muscular anatomy and how it moves, to complete the modeling accurately. Another example she shared was the digital stand-in modeling for the character Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. After scanning the actor’s body, she faced the challenge of adding the webbing to the stand-in model, which required many points and lines to avoid visual issues.

Finally, Chen discussed the character modeling process for animated feature films, including the main characters from popular animations like Smallfoot and Over the Moon, and shared insights into collaborating with the hair department and handling the weighty fabrics of characters.

During the Q&A session, an audience member asked how to cope with the rapid advancements in 3D technology and AI. Chen acknowledged the fast pace of technological progress, noting that what once took a month to sculpt can now be done in minutes. However, she encouraged us not to fear or resist AI, but rather to learn to turn technology into tools that assist us. An active learning attitude and a strong foundation in art are essential; persistence is key to success.

Lecturer:

Yeenshi Chen

About lecturer:

Yeenshi Chen is from Hsinchu, Taiwan and holds a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. She has contributed to more than 40 Hollywood movies as a digital modeler and modeling supervisor at Rhythm & Hues Studios in California, including ""Harry Potter"", and two Academy Award winning movies for Best Visual Effects, "The Golden Compass" and "Life of Pi." In 2014, she was hired by Sony Picture Imageworks in Vancouver as a senior modeler and modeling lead. The films she participated in while at SPI include the Academy Award Nominee for Best Animated Feature “Over The Moon" and the Academy Award nominee for Best Visual Effects “Spider-Man: No Way Home." In 2021, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and has since participated in nominating and voting on Academy Award winners for Best Animation, Best Film Special Effects, and other awards.

Lecture:

Digital modeling is an essential element in visual effects and animation production, closely interconnected with all departments involved in the production process. In this lecture, Yeenshi will start by guiding everyone through the digital modeling techniques from the 1990s, a golden era for the industry, and then introduce the workflow followed by Hollywood’s special effects and animation studios from project inception to completion, and explain the importance of digital modeling at each stage of the production process. Through excerpts from projects Yeenshi had participated in, students will gain insight from the production and review methods used by leading studios in digital modeling and character design.