To address the uncertainties we all found ourselves in during 2020, I was tasked with producing a short film based on my interpretation of the prompt, “dreaming through walls.” It details the chaos a system can create once it begins to malfunction.

I began with defining what were the “walls” within my story. It was important to recognize that skin itself wasn’t the barrier, but the societal pressures placed on it were.

The colors chosen for this project play with comfort and discomfort.

The “sprites” were designed to be simple and modular. They served as the guides throughout the abstract space.

As an intersection between reality and the abstract, my narrative examines the overbearing standards skin must exist within. It wasn’t until I had recently bought a new printer that I discovered paper could be a vehicle for this message.

I incorporated 3D assets to allow greater flexibility in the animation. To avoid unintentional visual contrast, I positioned them to be “flat” in the compositons.

The vertical orientation is a more intimate viewing experience on mobile devices, so it was a rewarding challenge getting to prepare 2D and 3D assets for this format.

Dreaming Through Walls Music: Jason Reiser
Flower Typeface: Leah Maldonado/GlyphWorld
Terminal Grotesque Typeface: Velvetyne Type Foundry