This diploma thesis presents the conceptual development and production of a stylized 3D animated short film titled "A Path of Light". The project explores the creative and technical processes involved in the design and realization of a narrative-driven animated film that using the Blender 3D software. The primary objective is to investigate visual storytelling techniques within a stylized fantasy environment, while demonstrating a complete 3D animation production workflow.

The story follows the protagonist who discovers clues leading to the disappearance of girl. Guided by magical fox and having an artifact called "Moonstone", the character ventures into an enchanted forest where the narrative unfolds primary throw visual elements rather than dialogue. The film emphasizes atmosphere, lighting, and environmental storytelling to communicate emotion and narrative progression.

The production pipeline follows industry-standard stages commonly used in digital animation projects. These stages include concept development exploration, script writing and refinement, character design exploration, environment design, prop creation, and asset development. The technical research focuses on several key aspects of 3D production such as modeling, sculpting, retopology, UV unwrapping, material creation using node-base

Shading systems, weight painting, character, facial, and animal rigging, animation curve refinement through the Graph Editor, and rendering techniques within Blender.

Additionally, the thesis includes the creation of educational material in the form of technical video tutorials documenting specific workflows used during production. These tutorials demonstrate the creation of a fox rig using Rigify system and the development of narrative props such as newspapers and maps using AI-generated textures combined with modeling, shading, and sculpting techniques.

The visual direction of the project is influenced by stylized animation aesthetics and contemporary animated productions. The lighting techniques seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, while the visual language and character appeal draw inspiration from Disney-style animated films. Environmental atmosphere is influenced by the Blender open movie "Spring", and elements of the narrative concept are inspired by the exploration and discovery themes found in the anime "Dr. Stone". Overall, the thesis demonstrates the integration of storytelling, artistic design, and technical production methods in the creation of a complete animated short film

Mind Map

Mood Board

Playblast Video Takes of Early Stages

Tutorials of My Workflow

Promp 2D Designs