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VISUAL STYLE AND TECHNICAL REFINEMENT

At this stage, I began to explore how to make the story more distinctive in visual style and tone.
Inspired by The Secret of Kells, Dunhuang murals, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica, I decided to complete this work in the form of 2D flat animation. I adopted a collage-style composition, which creates a sense of surrealism, symbolism, and fragmented storytelling, giving the mythological theme a new dimension within a flat visual space.

To align the visuals with the story, my first step was to revise the script and scene design based on the evolving art style. After redrawing parts of the storyboard, I used Midjourney to generate base visuals, then refined and reconstructed them in Photoshop and Procreate through layered editing and repainting. Finally, I completed the animation and effects in After Effects.
Some shots, such as the scene where the flames transform into a fox, were hand-drawn frame by frame, to enhance the handmade texture and emotional continuity of the animation.