2024
Lu Zuofu - Documentary Film
CCTV-9 Documentary Series
Lu Zuofu is a documentary series produced for CCTV-9, focusing on the life and work of Lu Zuofu, a key figure in the development of modern industry and education in China. The CG team created the opening sequence for the film: a short, fully animated segment that introduces the themes of river transport, shipbuilding, and industrial reconstruction before the archival footage and interviews begin.
This sequence sets the visual tone for the documentary, linking Lu Zuofu’s story to the machinery, infrastructure, and waterways that defined his career.
Visual Concept
The opening treats early industrial China as its main visual reference: steel frameworks, ship hulls, riveted plates, and the reflective surfaces of metal. Forms emerge from darkness as fragments of beams, ribs, and plates, then gradually lock together into recognizable ship structures.
Rather than illustrating specific historical events literally, the sequence uses these transformations to suggest a movement from fragmentation to coherence—echoing both the rebuilding of national infrastructure and Lu Zuofu’s role in organizing transport along the Yangtze and its tributaries.
Motion & Symbolism
Motion design in the sequence is built around ideas of flow and assembly. Metal appears first as fluid, pulled by invisible forces into lines and planes; these then solidify into the ribs and skins of ships. Camera moves follow this process closely, tracking along emerging structures and revealing how individual components add up to a larger system.
The transitions from abstract metal currents to readable ship silhouettes are designed to mirror the documentary’s larger narrative: individual efforts, policies, and projects gradually combine into a broader story of modernization.
Technical Approach
Modeling & sculpting
Maya
ZBrushSculpt detailed hero assets in ZBrush, then refine production topology and prepare shot-ready geometry in Maya.
Materials & textures
Substance Painter
PhotoshopAuthor PBR texture sets, masks and supporting 2D elements for consistent material response across Maya shots.
Procedural systems & FX
HoudiniMayaBuild procedural systems, atmosphere and simulation-driven motion in Houdini, iterating within Maya shot contexts.
Compositing & finishing
Nuke
After EffectsIntegrate render passes in Nuke and refine depth, atmosphere, color and contrast. Add targeted 2D finishing and timing polish in After Effects.
Editing & delivery
Premiere ProAssemble the final sequence in Premiere, lock timing and export delivery-ready outputs.