Journey
Xiaomin Shuai | Jingwen Xu | Qijia Fu | Zhiwei Cai | Yi Wang
See it On Campus: Level 1
See it On Campus: Level 1 The installation is located on the first floor. After coming through the main ECU Campus entrance, turn left and go through the first set of doors, and my installation is on the right wall.
Visitor InfoDirected by: Xiaomin Shuai | Jingwen Xu | Zhiwei Cai | Yi Wang | Qijia Fu
Country of production: Canada
Duration/TRT: 03m 05s
Media: 3D CG
Genre: Adventure

Logline
Red, a young traveler obsessed with the Great Tree, crosses valleys, giant mushroom canyons, and an abandoned town to find its hollow—only to discover the tree felled and nature replaced by a vast factory.
Trailer
Artist Statement
We created Journey to reflect on how industrial development can erase nature and the places people once cherished. The film follows Red as she travels through Mushroom Valley to a seaside resort town, only to find it abandoned because pollution from a nearby factory has made it unlivable. When she finally reaches the place where a great tree once stood, she discovers it has been cut down and replaced by another factory. Through this story, we hope to remind viewers of what is lost in the name of progress.
Film Stills




Directors

Xiaomin Shuai
Xiaomin Shuai is a 3D artist specializing in modeling, rigging, lighting, and rendering. She is especially interested in environmental storytelling and in creating visually expressive worlds that support character and narrative. Her work explores the balance between stylization and emotion, with an emphasis on atmosphere, composition, and visual clarity. Xiaomin enjoys developing projects that combine strong design with meaningful storytelling, and she hopes to continue growing in lighting and character modelling.
Email | xmin.shuai@gmail.com

Jingwen Xu
Jingwen Xu is a 3D animation student at Emily Carr University of Art + Design with a strong interest in character design, story development, and world-building. Her creative practice focuses on using design to transform imagined ideas into immersive visual experiences. She is especially interested in how character shape, costume, modeling style, and material detail can communicate personality, history, and atmosphere. Jingwen aims to enter the game industry after graduation, where she hopes to create story-driven interactive worlds. In the future, she aspires to lead game projects and develop original IPs of her own.
Email | jingwen.ecila@gmail.com

Qijia Fu
Qijia Fu is a special effects artist from China. She has loved creative expression since childhood, including but not limited to drawing. She studied 3D Animation at Emily Carr University, where she enjoys experimenting with different 3D techniques to create a unique virtual world of magic. In addition, she has extensive experience in team collaboration and a solid understanding of industrial 3D animation and game production pipelines.
Email | 18013865467fqj@gmail.com

Zhiwei Cai
Zhiwei Cai is a Chinese modeler who has studied in Vancouver. She has a strong passion for drawing and animation, which led her to study 3D Animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, with a focus on environmental design. She is highly sensitive to color, and her work often features vibrant palettes and a strong personal style. In team projects, she demonstrates strong modeling skills and a collaborative mindset, contributing effectively to asset creation and environment development.
Email | heitiao@outlook.com

Yi Wang
A Vancouver-based 3D modeler and prop artist, Yi Wang is currently studying 3D Animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her practice focuses primarily on 3D modeling, with an emphasis on creating detailed, high-quality assets that support immersive storytelling and believable digital environments. In addition to her specialization in 3D modeling, Yi has developed complementary skills in photography and film editing. These experiences inform her understanding of composition and lighting, allowing her to bring a cinematic perspective into her work. Looking ahead, Yi aims to deepen her expertise in 3D modeling by exploring advanced techniques, tools, and workflows, while continuing to refine her craft and expand her creative possibilities within the field of 3D modeling.
Email: alicewang0227@gmail.com
Credits
Special Thanks
- Director | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, Yi Wang, Zhiwei Cai, Qijia Fu
- UE Technical Director | Xiaomin Shuai, Qijia Fu
- Character Design | Jingwen Xu and Xiaomin Shuai
- Environment Design | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, and Zhiwei Cai
- Animatic | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, Yi Wang, Zhiwei Cai, Qijia Fu
- Character Modeler | Xiaomin Shuai
- Environment Molder | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, Yi Wang, Zhiwei Cai (Additional Assets Selected assets from Fab / Unreal Marketplace)
- Texturing | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, Yi Wang, Zhiwei Cai, Qijia Fu
- Rigging | Xiaomin Shuai
- Animation Lead | Jingwen Xu
- Animation | Xiaomin Shuai, Yi Wang, Zhiwei Cai, Qijia Fu
- Lighting and Rendering | Xiaomin Shuai, Jingwen Xu, Zhiwei Cai, Qijia Fu
- FX lead | Qijia Fu, (Additional Effects Assets Selected assets from Fab / Unreal Marketplace)
- Compositing / Editing | Xiaomin Shuai
- Pipeline | Qijia Fu
- Sound Design / Music Lead | Yi Wang
- Music | WanNai
- Gilberto Jiménez
- Goody Wu
- Marc Roumi
- Adriana Jaroszewicz
- John Li
- Israel Yang
- Nicole Almeida
Release Granted