It was an honor to direct the animated trailer for “Dear Fish”, the sting of the “Being Human” competition programme at the London International Animation Festival. This was my first time being director, a tense yet incredibly meaningful experience, and a huge challenge for me.

Although I was the project director, I genuinely wanted everyone to be involved in shaping the story, and for everyone to have a voice. From the quirky fish design and dark humor to the visual style, we made many decisions together—sometimes meaning long discussions. But it was these discussions that propelled the project in a better direction.

Throughout production, everyone was incredibly proactive and flexible. After completing a rough animation of each scene, everyone would let me review it first. Sometimes, if their ideas changed, or if I felt something needed modification, they would patiently discuss and revise it with me. Some scenes were remade at the last minute, but no one said, “This isn’t my job.” It felt like we were together from beginning to end, our shared goal being to make this project the best it could be.

Reflection

I benefited immensely from this collaboration—not just in animation production, but also in teamwork, problem-solving, and trust in the creative process.

As the director, I initially believed that all major decisions should be made by me alone. And being a perfectionist, I often got bogged down in every detail. However, I quickly realized that the best ideas often come from communication, not control. Learning to listen to the team, getting feedback, collaborating with team members, and sometimes letting go to allow the team freedom to develop their ideas—these are the kinds of chemistry that create different things, making the project stronger and more interesting.

Furthermore, I believe that effective time management and leveraging the strengths of team members are essential qualities for a team leader. Every team member has their own strengths and weaknesses; only by allocating resources appropriately can the efficiency of the entire project be improved.

To be honest, this story initially started as a slightly strange little idea. I doubted its feasibility and whether people would understand it. But now that my team and I have actually implemented it, I’ve found the results to be quite good. This project made me realize that even if my voice sounds different, I should believe in myself. Directing this project has also given me the confidence and strength to become a qualified animation director.