The Global Search for Education: Exploring Night Adventure: Director Morning Wu’s Insightful Journey

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Jul 12, 2023

This month, audiences can screen Night Adventure on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated by Planet Classroom.

Night Adventure, helmed by Director Morning M. Wu, is a mesmerizing animated short that takes viewers on an unexpected journey through a curious child’s eyes.

This enchanting tale artfully combines adventure, humor, and relatability. The film masterfully balances suspense with well-timed comedic moments, providing laughter and moments of respite. With a twist ending that adds vulnerability and familiarity, it delves into the realities of childhood experiences.

The visually stunning animation, featuring striking black and white contrasts intertwined with vibrant colors, breathes life into the story.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome back Director Morning M. Wu.

Morning, this is such a wonderful story. How did you come up with the concept for Night Adventure, and what inspired you to tell the story? Were there any personal experiences or influences that shaped the narrative?

Night Adventure was probably my first attempt at creating short animatics. It originated as a class assignment, and I aimed to develop a simple and straightforward story that could be easily executed within a short timeframe. I wanted it to be fun and relatable, drawing upon the emotional and physical experiences that most children go through.

The film successfully balances suspense and humor, providing relief through well-timed comedic moments. How did you approach finding the right balance between the two and ensuring the humor complemented the overall story?

Finding the right balance involved a lot of brainstorming and storyboarding. As a visual thinker, I rely on drawing out the plot points to help me understand the timing of the overall storyline. I would contemplate my storyboards, rearrange them, and work through the narrative like solving a puzzle.

The twist ending in Night Adventure adds an unexpected and relatable touch to the story. Can you share your thought process behind incorporating this twist and how you wanted it to impact the audience’s perception of the child’s journey?

The twist naturally emerged from my personal childhood memories, which often consisted of fragmented moments, everyday objects, and strange thoughts and dreams. These memories were a mix of positive and negative emotions without clear beginnings or endings. I aimed to recreate a child’s perspective, where logic takes a backseat to curiosity, and small yet courageous adventures coexist with fear and embarrassment. These emotions are part of the everyday experiences of adults as well. I wanted to convey that being a child doesn’t diminish the validity or importance of these emotions, regardless of the events that trigger them.

The animation and sound design in the film are outstanding, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience. Can you discuss the artistic choices made, particularly the use of black and white contrasting with vibrant colors, and how the sound effects and music were selected to enhance the emotional impact of the story?

I believe that the artistic style of a story should serve its narrative. For Night Adventure, a simple story centered around a child and a light, I chose a black and white design to emphasize the vibrant glowing light. As for sound effects, I usually have a general idea in mind and then explore numerous soundtracks to find the ones that feel right. I like to synchronize the visuals with the sound, as it helps convey various emotional impacts.

Thank you Morning!