This unit, Design for Animation, Narrative Structures & Film Language, helped me understand how visual language supports storytelling. Across weekly lectures and tutorials, I learned narrative structure, film analysis, and academic research skills, including literature review and Harvard referencing. My critical report explores how lighting shapes Cheng Dieyi’s character development in Farewell My Concubine (1993). I analyse lighting changes across historical periods and three key scenes, focusing on contrast, colour, and direction. The study suggests lighting works as a visual code that guides narrative intensity and reflects Dieyi’s identity and tragedy. This research also supports my future animation practice.