According to online data, the Chinese animated film Ne Zha: The Devil’s Fury (referred to as Ne Zha 2) has grossed over 14.2 billion yuan globally (including presales and overseas markets), surpassing Spider-Man: No Way Home to rank 7th in the global box office. This achievement stems from the collective efforts and innovative spirit of 138 domestic animation companies and over 4,000 professionals. Among them, DNUI alumni Lin Junyi (Class of 2012) and Yu Kaidi (Class of 2023) contributed to the production of scenes related to the character "Shiji Niangniang."  

      Reflecting on his involvement in Ne Zha 2, Yu Kaidi discussed the challenges of production. He worked on the "Skull Mountain" segment for Shiji Niangniang, marking his first experience with rock modeling. This required understanding geological features and converting 2D designs into 3D views. Due to the model’s complexity, the team split it into parts for precision, seamlessly reassembling and refining them multiple times. Seeing his name in the credits filled Yu with pride and reinforced his determination to pursue a career in modeling.  

After graduation, Lin Junyi has focused on digital visual effects (VFX) compositing for films. He believes that entering an industry requires striving to become a top talent, and DNUI’s spirit and culture continue to inspire him. Beyond Ne Zha 2, he has contributed to films like Avatar: The Way of Water, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Great Wall. He also authored the professional tutorial Foundations and Practices of Nuke Compositing, which explains software knowledge and techniques for VFX through theoretical analysis and case studies.  

DNUI not only emphasizes professional skills development but also fosters students’ comprehensive growth in expertise, practical application, and interdisciplinary innovation through real-world projects and competitions. Yu Kaidi shared that during his studies, coursework and corporate training laid a solid foundation, broadened his industry perspective, and clarified his passion for modeling.  

3D Interactive Scene Design Project  

Metaverse Laboratory  

Students Win GGAC Global Game & Animation Art Concept Competition’s Special Jury Award (Campus Category)    

As a phenomenal animated film, Ne Zha 2 has been integrated into DNUI’s spring 2025 curriculum. In the Film Art Design course, instructors use the character "Ne Zha" as a case study. With DeepSeek, students generate keywords based on character traits and styles for creative reasoning, exploring cultural connotations and design ingenuity. Additionally, students learn to use AI tools for character reinterpretation, enhancing their AI application skills.