Among the animation-related industries in Shanghai, PaperGames is the company that aligns most closely with the professional direction I want to pursue, especially with the development of Infinity Nikki. While I have been a long-term player of the Nikki series, my interest here comes mainly from understanding how the studio’s 3D pipeline and animation expectations match the industry roles I aim for after graduation.
Industry Sector and Workflow
PaperGames works within the female-oriented, stylised 3D game sector. This area requires a unique form of animation: elegant posing, readable expressions, and detailed attention to clothing and accessories. For Infinity Nikki, the animation team collaborates with riggers, modellers and technical artists to ensure motions remain aesthetically consistent with layered costumes and stylised shaders. Their work balances artistic style with real-time engine limitations, making the pipeline both creative and technically demanding.
Professional Role: 3D Character Animator
The role I am most interested in is Character Animator. In studios like PaperGames, this position involves:
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Creating expressive body performances and subtle emotional shifts
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Producing gesture loops, idle animations and fashion-inspired poses
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Maintaining clean silhouettes and strong key poses
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Testing animations in Unity or Unreal to check blending and physics
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Coordinating with technical artists on cloth, hair, and accessory behaviours
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Aligning animation choices with the concept team’s artistic vision
Through research, I found that PaperGames animators often adjust poses repeatedly to achieve elegance and softness. Their workflow emphasises body rhythm, stylised motion, and attention to detail, such as skirt movement or fabric response. This requires both artistic sensitivity and technical understanding of rig behaviour and real-time constraints.
Professional Pratice Insights
I watched several interviews from PaperGames artists and observed that they frequently refer to fashion photography, runway movement, and cinematic posing. This type of reference-based practice shows how the studio integrates external visual languages into animation, shaping a clear professional method. Their approach highlights the importance of gesture refinement, motion clarity and controlled emotional expression.
Reflection on Skills and Development
Evaluating my own skills against these requirements helps me understand my next steps. My MA training in London strengthened my foundations in timing, acting, and body mechanics, which are essential for stylised character animation. However, I still need more experience with cloth behaviour, stylised rig workflows, and engine-based animation previews. These areas are crucial for working effectively in PaperGames’ 3D environment.
Because I have lived in Shanghai for many years, I am familiar with the city’s creative culture and work atmosphere. Combined with my academic training and understanding of the Nikki series’ aesthetic expectations, I believe that aiming to become a character animator at PaperGames is a realistic and well-matched professional goal.