Yun Yang 杨云

This is a wuxia-themed stop-motion project featuring a ranger and his horse.

 The puppets were handcrafted using a combination of wire armatures, soft foam, air-dry clay, silicone, and needle-felted wool. 

            

           







   
The horse’s surface was covered with prefelt and then airbrushed.

         

Cat Puppet

Armature constructed with wire, Propoxy, hard foam, and soft foam.
The puppet surface is made of needle-felted wool, and the costume was hand-sewn.

From initial design to final fabrication, this project was a process full of new experiences for me. It was my first time working with professional puppet-making materials such as ProPoxy, cohesive wrap, as well as a variety of adhesives and foam. I also learned how to sew for the first time, transforming a simple piece of fabric into a small set of loungewear for the puppet. Seeing the costume come together and fit the character was especially rewarding.

        

       









   

 

Hard Clay Puppet

This project involved a process of material experimentation to explore effective approaches for puppet fabrication. I began with a soft clay and felted wool combination over an aluminum wire armature, but found that painted surfaces tended to crack during posing. I then transitioned to paper and glue techniques inspired by existing practices, refining the structure for greater flexibility and durability. 

Through iterative testing, I developed a more compact and stable armature design, improving both handling and performance during animation.

    




Kitchen Set



Props were constructed using cardboard, air-dry clay, wooden pieces, plastic sheets, and foam board, and painted with acrylic.








    Cut-out Fire and Smoke

Fire and smoke effects were achieved through cut-out animation, filmed independently, and developed into seamless loops in After Effects.






2D Clay

The ending sequence features clay animation, shot using the downshooter for precise top-down control.




   


Jungle Set
I repurposed household waste materials, such as dried glue and old newspaper, covering them with tissue paper and white glue.    

    





 After drying, the surfaces were painted with gouache.