Stop-motion animation and cutting-edge game tech? Yes, please! 🌟 In a surprise move, the "Deaf Ear" cutscene in Black Myth: Wukong dropped late last year and had players worldwide doing a double-take when they realized it was crafted frame by frame using puppets.
We recently caught up with Weng Jie, the stop-motion director who led this six-month passion project. With just three to four animators, every flick of a puppet's sleeve and every drop of rain had to be meticulously planned. In stop-motion, one tiny slip means re-shooting entire sequences—talk about dedication! 🎬
From using hidden wires to shape flowing sleeves to creating rain ripples with aloe gel drops and sculpting waterfalls from plastic wrap, Weng and his crew didn't just film objects—they captured air, wind and raw emotion.
For Weng, the magic of stop-motion comes from infusing puppets with the team's own life energy. "How vivid or humorous they become depends on our understanding of life," he says. "Whether an animator or director, we keep the spirit of play and the ability to dream alive—even as adults." ✨
By blending tactile animation with high-end graphics, Black Myth: Wukong's "Deaf Ear" cutscene sets a new bar for immersive storytelling in games. If you're into animation, indie game dev or just love behind-the-scenes peeks, this one's a masterpiece you can't miss.
Reference(s):
Breathing life into puppets: Stop-motion world of 'Black Myth: Wukong'
cgtn.com
