- CollegeLondon College of Communication
- CourseMA Animation
- Graduation year2025
Future – Group 6
https://vimeo.com/1138188237
Illustrator and Animators: Zuoyi Zhang, Yunlan Zhang, Mingqi Yang
Sound : Kabir
Watch Elephant & Castle's diverse future bloom! Within an iconic skyline, a vibrant community garden bursts into life, promoting well-being and a joyful community connection whilst imagining a hopeful future.
Synopsis
This project is an AR poster created for Get Living, focusing on the Elephant & Castle
area in London. After speaking with local residents, we envisioned a greener and more
nature-integrated future for the neighbourhood. When scanned with the Artivive app, the
AR scene appears: the planting beds were fully 3D-modelled by our team and rendered
using a 3-render-2 technique to achieve a stylised texture; a single hand reaches out to
plant a tree; meanwhile, the growing flowers and moving foliage are presented through
flat video layers. Butterflies and squirrels drift through the space, illustrating a more
vibrant and ecologically connected future for Elephant & Castle.
Group Director Statement
The project originates from the community’s hope for a greener future in Elephant &
Castle. To visualise this vision, we combined AR technology with 3D modelling,
rendering the planting beds with a 3-render-2 approach to create a layered, stylised
look. The flowers and foliage were expressed through flat video to bring a lighter, more
fluid motion into the scene. The single emerging hand symbolises participation and
renewal, while the small animals and growing plants convey ecological vitality. Through
this blend of technical methods and narrative intention, we invite audiences to imagine a
future where nature and urban life grow closely together.
Biography
Zuoyi Zhang:
Email: zhangzuoyi83@gmail.com
Zuoyi Zhang is an illustrator and storyboard artist. She specialises in storyboard
illustration, commercial illustration, and concept design, focusing on clear visual logic
and expressive narrative framing. Her work combines strong composition,
character-driven moments, and cinematic sensibility to translate ideas into impactful
visual sequences.
Yunlan Zhang:
Email: i9475367@gmail.com
Yunlan Zhang is a 2D animation artist that focuses on character emotion and expressive
movement. She uses movement and visual pacing to shape atmosphere and narrative.
Your practice spans narrative animation, character animation, and visual storytelling,
emphasising clarity of movement, emotional resonance, and a cohesive visual
language.
Mingqi Yang:
Email: mqy.animator@gmail.com
Mingqi Yang is an animator and director who is passionate about creating 3D
and 2D animation. He is experienced in producing short animated films with
emotionally resonant narratives. With a solid understanding of animation
principles, he is interested in experimenting with mixed media techniques. His
works explore the complex relationship between humans, technology and
nature.
Final work
AR poster for Get Living: "The Future Blooms at Elephant & Castle"
Film Information: · Genre:Illustration/Poster, AR Animation · Production Year:2025 · Country of Production:United Kingdom · Logline:Watch Elephant & Castle's diverse future bloom! Within an iconic skyline a vibrant community garden bursts into life, promoting well-being and a joyful community connection whilst imagining a hopeful future. · Synopsis:Centred on the Community Garden, an enchanting AR experience unfolds. Lush foliage frames iconic landmarks as raised flower beds burst into virtual life, attracting vital pollinators and playful wildlife. This celebration of Elephant & Castle’s diverse spirit promotes physical and mental well-being whilst imagining a caring and hopeful future. Credits: · Director: Zuoyi Zhang, Yunlan Zhang, Mike Mingqi Yang · Animator: Zuoyi Zhang, Yunlan Zhang, Mike Mingqi Yang · Poster Design – Mike Mingqi Yang · 3D Environment – Mike Mingqi Yang · Music: sleep volume from pixabay · Sound: Kabir · Edit: Mike Mingqi Yang, Zuoyi Zhang Biography: Mingqi Yang is A director and digital animator based in London, UK, whose work uses both 2D & 3D techniques with ecological themes, one of which was recently selected for the London International Animation Festival 2025. Zuoyi Zhang is an illustrator and storyboard artist. She specialises in storyboard illustration, commercial illustration, and concept design, focusing on clear visual logic and expressive narrative framing. Her work combines strong composition, character-driven moments, and cinematic sensibility to translate ideas into impactful visual sequences. Yunlan Zhang is a 2D animation artist who focuses on expressive movement and emotional clarity, creating atmospheric, character-driven visual storytelling. Artist/Director Statement:Our project, "The Future Blooms at Elephant & Castle," is a celebration of this iconic neighborhood's enduring role as a vibrant meeting point for cultures and generations. By weaving together visual art, sound, and the authentic voices of the community, we aimed to offer a fresh and hopeful perspective on Elephant & Castle’s shared future. The core of this vision, informed by interviews with local residents, centers on a desire for soft green spaces and moments of calm within the intense urban landscape. This led to the creation of the "Community Garden" as the key theme in the poster design. Against the backdrop of Elephant & Castle’s iconic skyline, this lush space is alive with foliage like banana trees and Monsteras, subtly reflecting the area's rich Latin-American culture. This garden is a metaphor for physical and mental well-being and the joyful connectivity of its residents.The accompanying 30-second AR animation brings this vision to life. By combining the materiality of cel-rendered 3D raised flower beds with the fluidity of 2D animated elements (flowers, bees, butterflies, and a squirrel), we crafted an environment that feels simultaneously organic and thoughtfully designed. The presence of pollinators, especially the butterfly and bee, amplifies the concept of ecological balance and a greener, more hopeful future - a happy and caring Elephant & Castle where nature and community flourish together. Sustainability: This project, centered on the future of Elephant & Castle, is fundamentally an exercise in sustainability - ecological, social, and cultural. The poster and accompanying short AR animation directly respond to the community’s vision of a "soft green space with ecological balance and moments of calm" within an intensely urban setting.The centerpiece, the Community Garden, is a model for environmental stewardship and biodiversity. By featuring lush foliage, including culturally resonant plants like dwarf banana trees and monstera, alongside vital pollinators (bees and butterflies), the artwork champions the critical role of urban greening in climate resilience and ecosystem support. The community garden theme explicitly promotes physical and mental well-being and joyful connectivity, addressing the social sustainability of a vibrant, healthy community.Technically, the AR animation amplifies this message. The blend of 3D and 2D techniques creates a visually rich, engaging environment that showcases nature thriving. The animation of flowers, a bee, a butterfly, and a squirrel transforms the static public space into a dynamic, hopeful future, inspiring residents and visitors to actively pursue a greener, more caring, and ultimately more sustainable Elephant & Castle. Contact Details: Name: Zuoyi Zhang Email: zhangzuoyi83@gmial.com Name: Yunlan Zhang Email: i9475367@gmail.com Name: Mingqi Yang Email: mqy.animator@gmail.com Technical Information: · Running Time: 01:00 · Original Format: Digital 2D / 3D Animation & AR Composite · Screening Format: H.264 · Aspect Ratio: 1920x1080 · Sound: Stereo
