Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun

Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award in Brons in Rolprent-, Video- en Animasie-ontwerp Competition Category.

BronsRolprent· 2026

Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm

by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun

A' Design Award in Brons Winner in Rolprent Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180467

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm

Once Upon a Rabbit is 'n geanimeerde ontwerpprojek wat geïnspireer is deur die kulturele besonderhede van die Lanternfees en visuele herinneringe uit die kinderjare. Die werk vestig 'n sagte, ekspressiewe visuele taal deur 'n hibriede van dimensionele vorm en handgetekende gevoeligheid, wat beelde skep wat beide gestruktureerd en speels voel. Herhalende motiewe soos die konyn en Tangyuan, rysballe, word as visuele ankers gebruik, terwyl beweging, ritme en komposisie atmosfeer en kontinuïteit beklemtoon, wat lei tot 'n samehangende ontwerpervaring gewortel in warmte, vertroudheid en kulturele weerklank.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Brons

Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm is 'n wenner van die A' Design Award in Brons, 'n hoogs prestigieuse erkenning wat toegeken word aan uitstaande ontwerpe wat gekenmerk word deur kreatiwiteit, vindingrykheid en skerpsinnigheid. Wenners in Brons is ruimskoots vaardige en opvallend kreatiewe artefakte wat die groot ervaring, verbeelding en vindingrykheid van hul ontwerpers bevestig. Daar word verwag dat Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm 'n hoog aangeskrewe, bewonderde en gekoesterde voorwerp is wat merkwaardig professioneel en innoverend is. Hierdie ontwerp wat die A' Design Award in Brons gewen het, inkorporeer die beste praktyke in kuns, wetenskap, ontwerp en tegnologie en is uitstekend vanweë sy aandag aan detail. Once Upon a Rabbit Geanimeerde Kortfilm bevredig behoeftes pragtig, raak aan begeertes, bekoor gevoelens en spreek die nuuskierigheid aan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Once Upon a Rabbit is an animated short inspired by childhood memories and subtle cultural details of the Lantern Festival. Guided by the recurring presence of the rabbit and tangyuan (rice balls), the film unfolds as a sequence of connected moments that gradually lead toward a shared table. The piece emphasizes emotional flow and visual association over explicit storytelling, capturing the lively warmth of the Lantern Festival.
Dimensions & Packaging: 16x9 video file
Tags: Animation, Motion Design, Illustration, Culture, Year of Rabbit
Production Technology: The project was produced using a hybrid 3D and 2D animation workflow. Core scenes and motion were created in Cinema 4D, with a focus on modeling and animation. The renders were then composited in Adobe After Effects, where textures, graphic details, and subtle motion accents were added to achieve a cohesive, handcrafted visual quality.
Design Challenge: A key creative challenge was achieving a sense of warmth and human touch within a digitally constructed visual environment. The project sought to avoid a rigid or overly polished appearance by introducing texture, softness, and brush-like qualities into form and motion. Balancing control and imperfection required careful visual restraint, ensuring the imagery remained expressive and inviting while maintaining coherence and clarity throughout the animation.
Research: This project is based on exploratory design research focused on visual expression and cultural memory. The objective was to understand how abstract form, color, and motion could evoke familiarity associated with the Lantern Festival without relying on literal depiction. The research was conducted through visual experimentation, reference studies, and iterative sketching using digital tools. Observations were drawn from personal memory, cultural imagery, and repeated motion tests. The results informed a visual language that balances simplicity and expressiveness, demonstrating how motion design can translate shared cultural atmosphere into an accessible and emotionally resonant visual experience.
Inspiration: Once Upon a Rabbit was inspired by childhood memories and subtle cultural details of the Lantern Festival. The project explores the use of 3D techniques rendered with a 2D sensibility, creating a vivid yet dreamlike visual language reminiscent of childhood doodles. By prioritizing mood, memory, and shared cultural experience over literal representation, the work aims to evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia through motion.
Project Duration: The project was developed and completed in 2023 as an independent animation project, produced remotely.
Operation Flow: Motion unfolds through a sequence of gentle transformations, where shapes, colors, and motifs transition fluidly between scenes. Visual elements expand, contract, and reorganize to guide attention and create continuity, allowing the design to feel cohesive while maintaining a sense of lightness and rhythm throughout the experience.
Team Members: Jesseter Wang,
Hannah Sun
Image Credits: Direction / Design / Animation: [Jesseter Wang & Hannah Sun]
Music / Sound: [Davis Aguirre]