Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun

Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Bronzas balva A' Design Award in Filmu, video un animācijas dizains Competition Category.

BronzasFilma· 2026

Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma

by Jesseter Wang and Hannah Sun

Bronzas balva A' Design Award Winner in Filma Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma

Reiz bija trusītis ir animācijas dizaina projekts, ko iedvesmojušas Laternu svētku kultūras detaļas un bērnības vizuālās atmiņas. Darbs veido maigu, izteiksmīgu vizuālo valodu, apvienojot telpisku formu ar rokas zīmējuma sajūtu, radot tēlus, kas šķiet gan strukturēti, gan rotaļīgi. Atkārtoti motīvi, piemēram, trusis un tangjuaņ (rīsu bumbiņas), tiek izmantoti kā vizuāli enkuri, savukārt kustība, ritms un kompozīcija uzsver atmosfēru un nepārtrauktību, radot vienotu dizaina pieredzi, kuras pamatā ir siltums, tuvība un kultūras rezonanse.

The Recognition

About the Bronzas balva A' Design Award

Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma ir Bronzas balvas A' Design Award ieguvējs, ļoti prestiža atzinība, ko piešķir izciliem dizainiem, kas izceļas ar radošumu, atjautību un viedumu. Bronzas ieguvēji ir pietiekami prasmīgi un pārsteidzoši radoši darbi, kas apliecina to dizaineru plašo pieredzi, iztēli un izdarību. Sagaidāms, ka Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma būs augsti vērtēts, apbrīnots un cienīts priekšmets, ievērojami profesionāls un inovatīvs. Šis ar Bronzas balvu apbalvotais dizains iekļauj labāko praksi mākslā, zinātnē, dizainā un tehnoloģijās un izceļas ar uzmanību detaļām. Once Upon a Rabbit Animēts īsfilma lieliski apmierina vajadzības, skar vēlmes, valdzina jūtas un piesaista zinātkāri.

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]