Nomad Film Pendek Animasi by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li

Nomad Film Pendek Animasi by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Perak in Desain Film, Video dan Animasi Competition Category.

PerakFilm· 2025

Nomad Film Pendek Animasi

by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li

Client: Reraner

A' Design Award Perak Winner in Film Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Nomad Film Pendek Animasi

Nomad adalah film pendek animasi bergenre fiksi ilmiah tentang masa depan hutan hujan Amazon. Film ini menampilkan sebuah kota bergerak yang mampu membawa suku-suku Amazon menuju kawasan baru yang layak huni ketika suatu lokasi tidak lagi dapat menopang kehidupan manusia. Mesin-mesin dalam Nomad tetap mempertahankan struktur mekanis, namun dibangun terutama dari material alami alih-alih logam. Pendekatan yang terinspirasi alam ini menghindari kesan dingin dari permesinan konvensional dan memberikan kesan vitalitas pada kota tersebut. Sketsa dan papan cerita dibuat terlebih dahulu, dilanjutkan dengan pemodelan, animasi, rendering, dan compositing. Penangkapan gerak (motion capture) digunakan untuk para karakter.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Perak

Nomad Film Pendek Animasi adalah pemenang A' Design Award Perak, pengakuan yang sangat bergengsi yang diberikan kepada desain kelas atas yang indah dan mengesankan. Pemenang Perak adalah karya yang sangat cemerlang dan sangat kreatif yang menggambarkan keahlian, bakat, dan ketajaman luar biasa para desainernya. Nomad Film Pendek Animasi diharapkan menjadi karya yang menakjubkan, etalase keahlian, sangat profesional, dan sangat inovatif. Desain pemenang A' Design Award Perak ini adalah penemuan yang sangat menonjol dan dikagumi yang bermanfaat bagi dan memajukan batas-batas seni, sains, desain, dan teknologi. Nomad Film Pendek Animasi adalah kreasi yang sangat dicemburui yang membangkitkan keinginan, membawa perasaan positif, dan memercikkan keheranan dan kekaguman.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The mechanical design in the video has a unique style: while it retains a mechanical structure, it primarily uses natural materials instead of metal. Through this nature inspired mechanical approach, the design aims to portray a human city that values nature, reflecting a vision for future cities—harmony between humans and the environment. This design breaks away from the coldness of traditional machinery, giving it a sense of vitality that resonates with the audience and enhances their immersive experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: 4K Video. Screened on a large display.
Tags: animation, nature, scifi, emotion, future
Production Technology: First created design sketches and storyboards in Photoshop, then modeled in Blender. Used Cinema4D for scene building, animation, rendering, and simulations, and finally composited everything in After Effects. The character movements were captured using motion capture technology.
Design Challenge: The challenge was how to create a worldview that respects nature in the context of a high tech future. Many futuristic films, such as those with cyberpunk aesthetics, often depict highly mechanized cities, which conflict with the message of nature conservation the project aimed to convey. To address this issue, multiple discussions were held, ultimately leading to the adoption of a biomimetic approach, designing a city that embodies advanced technology while coexisting harmoniously with nature.
Research: This project originated from MIT Media Lab's City Science Group research on Amazonian tribes, focusing on the Amazon rainforest's decline due to human activity. Collaborating with scholars and urban designers, the team explored the tribes' beliefs, such as shamanism and totems. Their findings suggest that future Amazonian tribes may continue to respect nature and build cities that harmonize with the environment, shaping the film's worldview and production.
Inspiration: This scifi animation short was created in 2023, with a focus on environmental protection. By 2024, due to urban expansion, the forest cover in the eastern Amazon had decreased by 31 percent. This inspired the project to reflect on how humans should coexist harmoniously with nature in the future. The concept envisioned a city capable of moving freely; when a location can no longer sustain human activity, it would transport the Amazonian tribes to new habitable areas, achieving a dynamic balance of natural resources.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2023 in MIT Media Lab in Boston and finished in January 2024, and was exhibited in Brooklyn Film Festival, D ARCH Film Festival, A plus D museum in Los Angeles, and METAXIS plus PROMPT Festival in Budapest in 2024.
Operation Flow: This animation uses a widescreen cinematic aspect ratio, and the music is highly aesthetic. It is best suited for viewing in a completely dark environment, such as a cinema, with a large screen or projector. The audience will experience an immersive and ultimate audiovisual experience.
Team Members: Co Author: Muwen Li
Music: Yicheng Zhu
Music: Zuochu Liu
Sound Design: JoNine Liu
Voice: Gabriela Bila Advincula