We recently connected with Shengnan Dong and have shared our conversation below.

Shengnan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of my most memorable projects is a stop-motion animated short film called “Nostril”. It was a four-and-a-half-minute short film that I collaborated on with animator Michael Dondero. Michael Dondero was primarily responsible for directing, writing, and animation, while I focused on visual design, character fabrication, and post-compositing work. I believe our division of workload was very clear and precise, with each of us handling what we were best at. Our production cycle lasted nine months, from September to April. We worked tirelessly on this project, often putting in over 10 hours a day to achieve the best possible outcome.

The story revolves around a sleepless woman who is disturbed by her husband’s thunderous snoring and gets sucked into his nostrils. It’s a whimsical, humorous little tale. During production, we faced numerous challenges. For instance, we wanted to experiment with new technology by using 3D printing to create the stop-motion puppets. Although I had experience with 3D printing, making a fully ball-jointed puppet was a new challenge. We spent nearly two months testing the puppet’s mobility, and finally, in January, we finalized the puppet model. Michael also faced many challenges. For example, he spent nearly 20 hours per day working tirelessly to shoot over 100 shots. Given that it was stop-motion animation, we chose to shoot at 12 frames per second, meaning he had to take more than three thousand of frames and move the puppets thousands of times. This was a significant challenge for him, and I greatly admire his dedication.

I believe this was a highly productive collaboration, and it will influence my future partnerships. Through this project, I learned how to communicate and express my ideas, and Michael was very open to accepting my ideas or providing reasonable explanations for rejecting them. Such respectful communication is essential in a collaborative relationship. We never felt uncomfortable due to disagreements, and we maintained a very respectful way of communicating. In summary, I learned a lot from this project, not only in terms of technical skills like 3D printing, textile wool felting, and Nuke for post-compositing, but also in effective communication and building strong collaborative relationships.

Shengnan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m currently an artist based in New York. My main responsibilities include 3D design, stop-motion animation, and 3D printing. This involves a lot of design-related work, such as character illustration, modeling, sculpting, post-production rendering, and eventually using a 3D printer to bring these designs to life. I find using 3D printing technology to realize my designs both interesting and challenging.

I hope my designs can create a fun and whimsical world for my audience. Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved colorful and quirky things. I aim to create whimsical designs that stand out from the conventional and mainstream aesthetics. I enjoy experimenting with various media, such as 3D printing, handmade wool crafts, and clay. Different materials can convey unique emotions, making the creative process exciting and enjoyable.

Currently, I’m also preparing to establish my own studio. I hope that by the next time we have an interview, my studio will be up and running.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

If I had to mention the most important resource, it would be living in New York. Before coming here, I never imagined how filled with artistic atmosphere New York could be. I previously studied art in California, but I never felt a connection with the local artists there. However, after moving to New York, I discovered that every street and every corner showcases some form of art. Walking through the subway, I see numerous performance artists and their works displayed on walls, which I can appreciate.

I believe the most crucial aspect for creators is to connect with the world and engage with others, rather than isolating themselves in their own world. New York truly offers a plethora of resources supporting artists. There are many independent artist-run coffee shops, small studios, various meet-ups, and speakeasies. By simply exploring neighborhoods or doing some research, you’ll find numerous events that help artists connect with each other. There are also many fascinating exhibitions that can spark an explosion of inspiration for artists. I think this is extremely important.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As a filmmaker, the moment that makes me rewarding is when the audience watches my film and understands the message I want to convey, getting my humor and laughing at the moments I intended to be funny. This is what brings me the most joy. It means I’ve successfully communicated what I wanted to express, and at that moment, they are truly enjoying my work. All my previous efforts become worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shengnandong.art/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaymarch__/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shengnandong/

Image Credits

1.2 Film Still- Nostril
2.3 Photo of Shengnan Dong and Michael Dondero and Film Main cast LALA by Agastya Warrior