{"id":2142,"date":"2025-07-29T20:51:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T17:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metugates.com\/?p=2142"},"modified":"2025-07-29T20:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T17:51:54","slug":"animating-impact-a-conversation-with-sylvan-kim-on-clair-obscur-expedition-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/2025\/07\/29\/animating-impact-a-conversation-with-sylvan-kim-on-clair-obscur-expedition-33\/","title":{"rendered":"Animating Impact: A Conversation with Sylvan Kim on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This April, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/em> unexpectedly secured its place among the best games of 2025. With its story, innovative approach to turn-based action RPGs, and of course, its mesmerizing art and animations, it left a strong impression on us. To understand at least part of this success, we spoke with animator Sylvan Kim<\/strong>, who worked for a time with the creative team at Sandfall Interactive. We asked him a few questions about himself and the game. It was an exciting interview for us \u2014 and we hope it will be equally inspiring and eye-opening for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What led you into character animation? Can you tell us about your artistic journey?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Hi, I\u2019m Sylvan Kim (SeungYun). To explain how I became an animator, I\u2019d have to go back quite a bit. I\u2019ve always had a strong desire to create, and even as a kid, I knew I wanted to work in a creative field. I studied design at university, where I was first introduced to 3D. I tried modeling and even made a simple ball-bounce animation \u2014 and I was instantly hooked. I just found 3D so much fun. That\u2019s when I knew this was the path I wanted to follow. I thought seriously about which direction to take, and game animation really called to me. Part of me was drawn to the uniqueness of the field \u2014 doing something not everyone else was doing sounded more exciting. For me, animation felt like the most expressive form of art where I could explore and share my ideas freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What mistakes did you make when starting out, both in the craft and in the business? What advice would you give to younger animators?<\/strong>

<\/strong> When I joined my first studio, I made what I\u2019d call a misunderstanding \u2014 maybe even a naive assumption. I just wanted to make something cool and impressive \u2014 but it was my<\/em> idea of what was cool. The animation I created completely missed the point of the original direction, and I ended up wasting a whole week. I think this is worth mentioning to any artist entering the game industry \u2014 though it\u2019s just my personal take. I believe game artists are designers first and foremost. A designer creates with the intent to serve a vision, and that applies to game animators as well. There\u2019s always a concept and direction in place before we begin. As animators, our role is to understand that intention and deliver our best performance within those boundaries. Sometimes, that performance might even go beyond what was expected \u2014 but that only works if you stay aligned with the original intent. So my advice: communicate well, collaborate often, and learn to adapt your creative output to the bigger vision of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which character would you most like to animate from any franchise of your choice, if given the freedom?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Someday, I\u2019d love to work on characters from subculture titles, like Zenless Zone Zero<\/em> \u2014 something with a strong personality. Even if two characters perform the same action, their poses, timing, center of gravity, and weight can all differ depending on their personality and concept. That kind of clear character identity is what makes animation truly exciting for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you name three games that, in your opinion, have amazing animations?<\/strong>

<\/strong> If I had to pick the best, I\u2019d say Zenless Zone Zero<\/em>. It\u2019s phenomenal \u2014 the peak of cartoon-style art. Second would be Guilty Gear<\/em>. It\u2019s a fighting game, but every single pose speaks to the character\u2019s identity. Third is Devil May Cry<\/em>. That series had a big influence on my sense of action animation. Even when I was studying and after I entered the industry, its combat animations remained a core reference for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any details in the animations you\u2019re proud of but that players might miss?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Yes \u2014 one thing I care a lot about is the feeling of impact. If you pause any of my animations, you\u2019ll see what I mean. I always try to emphasize key poses during attacks and exaggerate the anticipation pose right before the hit. That\u2019s the key to delivering impact \u2014 a detail I really focus on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were there any specific references or inspirations (movies, games, etc.) that influenced the animation style?<\/strong>

<\/strong> As I mentioned earlier, Devil May Cry<\/em> is like a textbook for me \u2014 it\u2019s been one of my biggest inspirations. I\u2019m sure a lot of animators would say the same! Also, King of Fighters<\/em>. I\u2019ve used many fighting games as references. In those games, animators have to communicate character, intention, and impact \u2014 all in just a few frames. I practiced a lot by studying those poses and using them as the base for animation exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which character or creature was the most enjoyable to animate, and why?<\/strong>

<\/strong> I\u2019m most attached to Maelle. She\u2019s beautiful and full of charm. While animating her, I kept thinking about how to highlight her personality and make her look as stylish and expressive as possible during gameplay. I also really loved animating Curator, one of the bosses. That character gave me lots of room to play with, animation-wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were there animations you created that didn\u2019t make it into the final version?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Honestly, pretty much everything made it in. There were a few skill animations for some characters that got reworked, but nothing major. Haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was it like working with Sandfall Interactive? Were you working online or in-office?<\/strong>

<\/strong> One day I got an email \u2014 it was from Sandfall. They\u2019d seen my animation reel and asked if I\u2019d be interested in working with them. They introduced the game, and I was instantly hooked. The art style and the unique concept completely drew me in. I thought, \u201cI have to work on this.\u201d Even now, I\u2019d make the same decision again in a heartbeat. At the time, I was already working full-time in Korea, so I could only take it on as a freelance job. We agreed to move forward remotely. Working with Sandfall was amazing \u2014 just as impressive as their art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you describe the company\u2019s culture, especially regarding creativity and artistic freedom?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Honestly, I\u2019d never worked this way before. Usually, in outsourcing, you just get a spec and deliver the result by a deadline. But with Expedition 33<\/em>, it was all about communication. We had real conversations and aligned our visions together. It felt great. That open dialogue really helped produce such unique and creative art. Even though I\u2019ve been doing this for over 10 years, this project was truly a special and memorable experience. Everyone I worked with loved art and loved making games \u2014 and that shared passion brought us together, regardless of nationality or culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of freelancing compared to full-time studio work?<\/strong>

<\/strong> As a freelancer, the biggest advantage is the freedom \u2014 you\u2019re responsible for your own part, and as long as you deliver solid results, you\u2019re good. Of course, you might miss out on some of the team bonding or sense of ownership that comes from being part of a full-time team. But that freedom also lets you stay focused and flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What trends do you see emerging in animation for games, especially for stylized or indie titles?<\/strong>

<\/strong> One thing I\u2019ve noticed is how AI-assisted tools are starting to blend into animation workflows more and more. Especially in indie or stylized projects where teams are small, these tools help speed things up. Whether it\u2019s mocap cleanup, generating in-betweens, or helping with style transfer, they take care of the repetitive stuff so we can focus more on creative decisions. I don\u2019t think it replaces animators \u2014 it just helps us get to the fun parts faster. In a way, that freedom is probably why we\u2019re seeing more expressive, stylized animation popping up lately. The tools make it easier to experiment without being crushed by the workload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the main differences between creating animations for games and for cinema? What should aspiring animators focus on when creating animations specifically for games?<\/strong>

<\/strong> Honestly, the core of \u201cgood animation\u201d is similar in both games and film. In the end, both are about bringing characters to life and expressing emotion in a way that fits the context and direction. But the biggest difference is interactivity. In games, the player is in control. That means game animation isn\u2019t just about emotion or storytelling \u2014 it also needs to consider responsiveness, timing, transitions, and repetition in gameplay. If you\u2019re aiming to get into game animation, focus on: making animations feel responsive to input \u2014 motions should react instantly and transitions should feel fluid; mastering loop animations \u2014 things like idles, walks, and runs need to loop seamlessly and stay interesting over time; and clarity in timing and silhouette \u2014 the animation needs to read clearly even from a distance, and key poses have to land fast and strong. In both fields, it\u2019s still about how you bring a concept to life \u2014 but in games, you\u2019re always thinking a bit more about who you\u2019re animating for. And that \u201cwho\u201d is the player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


We sincerely thank Sylvan Kim for taking the time to answer our questions and sharing his valuable insights with us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This April, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 unexpectedly secured its place among the best games of 2025. With its story, innovative approach to turn-based action RPGs, and of course, its mesmerizing art and animations, it left a strong impression on us. To understand at least part of this success, we spoke with animator Sylvan Kim, who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9584,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-roportaj"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9584"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.metu.edu.tr\/gates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}