About the Project
- Before Spring Ends is a watercolor-painted short film inspired by the song “Before Spring Ends” by Wang OK and Tianze Li. The emotional landscape of the music — its longing, softness, and quiet hope — became the foundation of the story. We wanted to explore how light, memory, and love persist even when the world collapses.
What Inspired Us
- We were deeply moved by the idea that spring can disappear, yet hope can survive inside people. This became the emotional core of the project: even in darkness, the memories we carry can still guide us.
What We Learned
- This film taught us how powerful minimal storytelling can be. In just a few minutes, subtle gestures, watercolor lighting, and sound design can carry immense emotional weight. We also developed a deeper understanding of how hand-painted textures can evoke nostalgia, softness, and warmth.
How We Built It
- Digital compositing to simulate living watercolor light
- A hybrid workflow blending AI generated video, illustration, animation, and real-time tools
- Story beats shaped around the emotional structure of the song
- A focus on quiet, cinematic visual storytelling rather than dialogue
Challenges We Faced
- Conveying a complete emotional journey within three minutes
- Balancing poetic stillness with clear narrative progression
- Building a believable relationship between characters with minimal dialogue
- Maintaining a consistent watercolor aesthetic across digital tools
- Ensuring the film’s mood and pacing aligned seamlessly with the music
In the end, Before Spring Ends became more than a short film — it became an exploration of how art, design, and technology can come together to tell a story that feels both delicate and enduring.
Built With
- chatgpt
- elevenlabs
- gemini
- krea.ai
- midjourney
- nanobanana
- veo
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