Ye Chen on Turning Mental Health into Motion Through Semicolon

The core inspiration behind Semicolon is to promote resilience in the face of mental illness, and submitting it to the MUSE Creative Awards helped further that goal.

Winning a Gold Award is not only a testament to my professional skills and storytelling ability, but also a meaningful way to share this message with a much wider audience.

I was initially approached by Wanqing Zhang, a brilliant designer who also served as the graphic designer for this film. Sharing a similar perspective on the global mental health landscape, we aimed to create a piece that helps the community feel seen and heard.

In today’s industry, this short film represents the power of authentic creative collaboration, demonstrating how storytelling can contribute to healing and awareness around mental health.

I believe a unique blend of 3D animation, 2D motion graphics, and touches of illustrated animation sets this piece apart within its field. In addition, the music and tactile sound design further enhance the storytelling, creating a vivid and immersive experience.

One of the most significant challenges we faced was ensuring inclusive storytelling in both writing and execution. As our film is dedicated to those who have experienced mental illness, it was crucial to represent the community with care, accuracy, and respect.

We took great care to refine the story, characters, imagery, and sound to ensure we delivered an inspiring and engaging narrative without being overly restrictive.

Winning two Gold Awards means a great deal to me and the team who helped bring this project to life. It affirms that we are on the right path to becoming stronger storytellers, designers, animators, and musicians.

With this recognition, we look forward to new opportunities on the horizon.

The film has received strong appreciation from audiences for its expressive use of color and compelling narrative. Its immersive sound design has also been widely praised by viewers. One viewer shared: “...that was one of the most creative, beautiful, heart-touching yet simple stories of curiosity, search, and love. So many emotions in such a short length—impressive.”

Storytelling almost always comes first when working on projects. Diverse mediums, tools, and other creative elements all contribute to making the narrative as engaging as possible.

In today’s industry, creators have access to countless tools to bring their ideas to life, making it even more important to understand how and when to use them effectively in each project’s best interest.

Change is always welcome in the industry, as it constantly brings new ideas into the conversation—while also introducing new challenges and complexities. I aim to position myself as a creator who embraces new opportunities while preserving the legacy of traditional animation craft.

I encourage those who are new to the industry to keep experimenting—trying new, unexpected, and even unconventional ideas. The more you explore, the more uniquely you can position yourself in this vast field.

Experience comes from creating, and confidence follows as you become more familiar with the process.

Creativity born from collaboration is something I deeply value. Through the MUSE Creative Awards, I hope to connect with others who share a passion for creating inspiring work.

I’d like to dedicate this achievement to our co-writer and graphic designer, Wanqing Zhang. Through this shared journey, we combined our approaches to bring Semicolon to life, creating a story that resonates not only with us, but with a wider audience.

“You may not often meet someone who shares your origin story, but you can create new ones together.” I hope this animated film inspires people to find their partner in crime and build meaningful journeys together.

I’d love to explore new storylines rooted in my cultural background and personal family experiences. I believe this blend of mediums holds great potential, and I’m eager to develop it further through more mature and compelling themes.