Ziyao Zhang

When felines Plot, anything is Possible

Feline Heist is my animation capstone project, centered around a catlady attempting to steal a crown from an art gallery. The character design was inspired by my blue-and-white British Shorthair cat.

In creating this character, I aimed to break traditional female stereotypes by crafting a rebellious female antagonist. I chose a cat archetype to represent qualities culturally tied to mystery, independence, and agility—traits often associated with femininity. My goal was to reflect third-wave feminist principles, infusing her with a spirit that resists domestication and challenges societal expectations. This story weaves together elements of crime, combat, and suspense.

In this project, I was responsible for everything except the environment assets, the cat model, and the belt model of the security character. I was deeply involved in every stage of production, from storyboard development and character design to character modeling, rigging, texturing, Xgen grooming, animation, and final lighting and rendering. The project employed a range of professional CGI software, including Maya, UE5, Mari, ZBrush, TopoGun 3, Marmoset Toolbag, and Marvelous Designer.