The Brink

[Motion]
Instructor: Miguel Lee
Skills: Cinema 4D, After Effects, Figma
Recognition: ArtCenter Student Gallery

The Brink is an animated short. It is about my feeling about the threat of nuclear power. Using the game Jenga as the framing device, the piece invites viewers to take a journey on the double-edged sword of human progress.

Full video

Storyboard

The Jenga tower symbolizes our world — an organized, structured system built on solid foundations of iron and steel. On the surface, everything appears unshakable but things can change drastically in a single move.

Dramatic lighting and a minimalist setup convey the intensity of this subject.

Extreme close-up shots challenge patience and push tension to its peak as each brick is carefully placed. However, it still causes the entire structure to fall apart.

With the camera set at a low angle and the last Jenga brick standing tall like a tombstone to provide my answer to the question of nuclear power.

Crafted in Cinema 4D and rendered with Redshift, Post-production work in After Effects polished the visuals with color, additional lighting, and details. The edited soundtrack heightens the emotional impact.