Filmmaker Statement

We hope to convey young people’s concern for the health and welfare of their parents in an ageing society, and we also hope to depict the potential for senior citizens to face the absence of their children by actively enriching their lives with chess or other healthy forms of entertainment. In this production, we took a few steps forward using AI technology. First, the 2D action was realized using a non-traditional animation process involving a combination of live-action and AI conversion. Second, the 3D scenes employed AI-converted motion and face capture to achieve a cel shading effect. While enjoying a greatly reduced workload, we still strove for the high-quality visuals of traditional animation. Third, we sought ways of using AI tech to better complement traditional animation—to reduce labor, shorten production time, and increase efficiency while maintaining a high level of quality.