Noriko’s Trinket - 3D Animated Clip

Role: Director, Writer, and 3D Generalist
Team: Solo Project
Tools: Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine, Photoshop, After Effects
Timeline: 3 weeks
Overview:

Noriko’s Necklace is a short 3D cinematic that tells the story of a magical Japanese necklace once owned by Noriko, an ancient witch. The necklace carries her memories and powers, transferring them to anyone who wears it. The project was designed to explore environmental storytelling, stylized magic effects, and visual narrative.

I handled every stage of production — from concept to final render. In pre-production, I wrote the story, developed a visual language rooted in traditional Japanese mysticism, and created storyboards to guide the structure. During production, I modeled and textured an authentic Japanese temple environment, animated key sequences, and lit the scene to evoke a mystical and emotional tone. For post-production, I added atmospheric effects, refined color grading, and crafted the final edit with music and sound.

This project served as both a technical challenge and a narrative exploration, allowing me to develop an efficient solo workflow while pushing my visual storytelling skills in Unreal Engine.