Harbor is a heartfelt animated short film that explores the delicate journey of a single parent and their daughter as they navigate the evolving dynamics of their relationship. The story beautifully captures the phases of growing closer, experiencing distance, and ultimately learning to let go, all against the backdrop of the daughter’s growth and self-discovery.
This project was a year-long collaboration that involved a dedicated team of creatives. I contributed as one of the primary 2D animators, focusing on crafting emotionally resonant character movements and interactions. Through close teamwork, we brought this poignant narrative to life, blending personal storytelling with artistic expression.
Harbor work collection
Shot Development: From Concept to Final Execution
The argue scene
Initial Planning
The storyboard for this shot started as a simple animatic, illustrating a general argument between the characters. Based on my understanding of the characters, I initially planned the daughter’s performance—she storms out of the house following an argument with her father. However, after discussions with the director, who provided deeper insights into the characters’ personalities, I revised the scene. The daughter now runs out in distress but pauses midway, which became the foundation for the current version of this shot.
Refining the Daughter’s Performance
To ensure better continuity and emotional resonance, I revisited the daughter’s actions in this shot after analyzing the preceding scene. Initially, the daughter’s gestures were exaggerated, with a large arm wave meant to show her frustration. However, I refined her movements to reflect a more nuanced emotional state. Her hand gestures now suggest an attempt to explain herself amidst the argument, which better supports the narrative flow and her character’s emotional journey.
Refining the Father’s Performance
During the animation process, I identified a mismatch in the father’s performance. Actions like pointing to the daughter’s seat or the table came across as overly aggressive and contradicted his later gesture of apologizing to her. To address this, I removed the harsh gestures and focused on more subtle actions. Retaining the movement of the father grabbing the daughter’s arm allowed the shot to convey his desire to continue the conversation and express his concern for her.
The full making of video
Final Touches and Approval
This revised performance for both characters not only aligned better with their arcs but also added depth to the emotional tension in the scene. I was delighted that the director appreciated the adjustments, resulting in the final version of the shot we see today.
The Hug Scene
This shot presented another significant challenge. The scene depicts the daughter leaving for school, marking the first farewell between the father and daughter. The biggest challenge for me here was interpreting the father’s character. After receiving advice from a father figure in my life (who is also the supervising professor for this film), I decided to revise the father’s posture in the first animation pass. Initially, I had him half-standing as he catches his daughter, but in the second pass, I changed it to a full squat to make the gesture feel more grounded and natural.
This is a very long shot, and the main challenge was ensuring that the father still appeared “alive” throughout the extended hold. To achieve this, I incorporated subtle movements, such as slight shifts in posture and small adjustments to the facial expression. At the end of the shot, during the hug, I also included a slight recoil to add more emotional depth and realism to the moment.
The full making of video
Below are other animations I created for the final cut of Harbor. If you’d like to see more, including some early exploration animations, please visit my Vimeo page.
Responsible for rough animation and composting.
Responsible for rough animation and clean-up.
Responsible for all animation.
Responsible for rough animation and composting.
One painting I created to celebrate Chinese New Year during the production of Harbor.
