- CollegeLondon College of Communication
- CourseMA Animation
- Graduation year2025
Title: Hold?
Film Blog/Website Link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1094722795
Film Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1094722795
Trailer Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1094722795
FilmFreeway Link: https://filmfreeway.com/projects/3668655
Film Information:
- Genre: Animation
- Production Year: 2025
- Country of Production: United Kindom
- LogLine (25 words): A child grows up under a controlling love and learns to hold on—repeating the same cycle without knowing if it’s right or wrong.
- Synopsis (50 words): A child is raised with love that slowly turns possessive. When they try to break free, the warmth becomes force. Thrown into a dark inner world, the child confronts emotional pressure, struggles to reclaim autonomy, and returns—only to find themselves repeating the same cycle they tried to escape.
Credits:
- Director: Yunlan Zhang
- Animator: Yunlan Zhang
- Sound: Yunlan Zhang
- Edit: Yunlan Zhang
Biography (25 words max):
Yunlan Zhang is an emerging animation artist whose works explore emotional abstraction through experimental visual language and expressive, shape-shifting character movement.
Artist/Director Statement (250 words max): “Hold?” is an abstract and emotional short animation exploring how love, protection, and control can blur into one another. I wanted to portray how a child’s early experience of attachment—seemingly gentle and intimate—can slowly transform into an invisible restraint, shaping how one learns to love, resist, and repeat. Through surreal metaphors and minimalistic design, I aim to visualize the inner tension of being held too tightly, and the eventual cycle of becoming someone who also holds on too hard.
The film was created in 2D digital animation, with limited color and stylized movement. Some sections incorporate mixed media and rotoscope-inspired transitions to represent psychological breaks and shifting realities. The visual language focuses on simplified forms and symbolic transformation to suggest emotion over narrative clarity.
This project aligns with my ongoing interest in experimental, emotionally driven animation that blurs the boundary between the personal and the universal. “Hold” is not just about trauma or healing—it’s about the strange echo of care turned controlling, and the uncertainty of what we pass on.
Sustainability (100/250 words max): In the creation of ‘Hold?’, I prioritized a fully digital and independent production process, reducing physical resource consumption and travel. The project was developed using minimal equipment and software, all within a compact home studio environment. Beyond technical sustainability, the film explores the psychological impact of emotional control and misguided affection. By reflecting on cycles of harmful attachment through abstract imagery, the story encourages awareness of emotional boundaries and social well-being. The slow and introspective production rhythm allowed for deeper creative reflection, aligning with a mindful approach to both storytelling and making. This project reflects my belief that sustainability is not only about ecological impact, but also about creating with care—for both the world and ourselves.
Contact Details:
- Name: Yunlan
- Surname: Zhang
- Email: i9475367@gmail.com
Technical Information:
- Running Time: 01:12
- Original Format: Digital 2D animation
- Screening Format: Quicktime H264
- Aspect Ratio: 1920x1080 - 16:9
- Sound: Stereo
Final work
Hold?
Title: Hold? Film Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1094722795 Genre: Animation Production Year: 2025 Country of Production: United Kindom LogLine (25 words): A child grows up under a controlling love and learns to hold on—repeating the same cycle without knowing if it’s right or wrong. Synopsis (50 words): A child is raised with love that slowly turns possessive. When they try to break free, the warmth becomes force. Thrown into a dark inner world, the child confronts emotional pressure, struggles to reclaim autonomy, and returns—only to find themselves repeating the same cycle they tried to escape. Credits: Director: Yunlan Zhang Animator: Yunlan Zhang Sound: Yunlan Zhang Edit: Yunlan Zhang Biography (25 words max): Yunlan Zhang is an emerging animation artist whose works explore emotional abstraction through experimental visual language and expressive, shape-shifting character movement. Artist/Director Statement (250 words max): “Hold?” is an abstract and emotional short animation exploring how love, protection, and control can blur into one another. I wanted to portray how a child’s early experience of attachment—seemingly gentle and intimate—can slowly transform into an invisible restraint, shaping how one learns to love, resist, and repeat. Through surreal metaphors and minimalistic design, I aim to visualize the inner tension of being held too tightly, and the eventual cycle of becoming someone who also holds on too hard. The film was created in 2D digital animation, with limited color and stylized movement. Some sections incorporate mixed media and rotoscope-inspired transitions to represent psychological breaks and shifting realities. The visual language focuses on simplified forms and symbolic transformation to suggest emotion over narrative clarity. This project aligns with my ongoing interest in experimental, emotionally driven animation that blurs the boundary between the personal and the universal. “Hold” is not just about trauma or healing—it’s about the strange echo of care turned controlling, and the uncertainty of what we pass on. Sustainability (100/250 words max): In the creation of ‘Hold?’, I prioritized a fully digital and independent production process, reducing physical resource consumption and travel. The project was developed using minimal equipment and software, all within a compact home studio environment. Beyond technical sustainability, the film explores the psychological impact of emotional control and misguided affection. By reflecting on cycles of harmful attachment through abstract imagery, the story encourages awareness of emotional boundaries and social well-being. The slow and introspective production rhythm allowed for deeper creative reflection, aligning with a mindful approach to both storytelling and making. This project reflects my belief that sustainability is not only about ecological impact, but also about creating with care—for both the world and ourselves. Contact Details: Name: Yunlan Surname: Zhang Email: i9475367@gmail.com Technical Information: Running Time: 01:12 Original Format: Digital 2D animation Screening Format: Quicktime H264 Aspect Ratio: 1920x1080 - 16:9 Sound: Stereo
