S P I R A L B O U N D
In today’s world, prioritizing mental well-being is more important than ever. Through carefully crafted narratives, stories have the power to spark conversations around critical and often-overlooked topics, including mental health. By engaging audiences on an emotional level, they can create a safe space for exploration, reflection, and ultimately, positive change.
Over the last few years, conversations about mental health have become more common. We are heading towards being more open and accepting about mental wellness. Yet, there are many gaps to fill, and it’s important to find intuitive ways to communicate, acknowledge and explore mental health issues. This would help increase awareness, encourage dialogue, reduce stigma, and develop real understanding of a complex fabric of human emotions.
Through Spiralbound, I aimed to capture the experience of feeling overwhelmed and struggling to find the motivation to act, a theme particularly relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
The film also explores the profound impact of loneliness, a pervasive human experience that has become amplified in a world driven by societal structures that emphasize productivity, consumption and often superficial interactions.
Paradoxically, in a world seemingly packed with communication channels and social interactions, loneliness has become an epidemic, highlighting the discrepancy between superficial connections and genuine human connection.
This exploration of exhaustion, loss of willpower, loneliness and detachment led me to the idea of dissociation, of disconnecting with one’s own thoughts and feelings, and the effects of dissociative disorders.
Dissociation itself is a mental process of disconnecting from one’s thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. It is a break in how your mind handles information.
This research then informed my story development from a psychological standpoint, and the overarching theme of loneliness and detachment informed the narrative and visual development.
Spiralbound was more than just an animation; it was a personal exploration of the digital age's insidious grip. I wanted to capture the numbing effect of endless scrolling and the disconnect we feel from reality and ourselves today, translating it into a visually stunning yet haunting world. Every frame was a deliberate choice, from the warped perspectives to the muted color palette.
One of the biggest hurdles was achieving the desired visual style; ensuring that the animation remained fluid and expressive while maintaining its otherworldly aesthetic. Experimenting with different software and techniques, I finally found the right combination to bring Yaomi's journey to life. Another challenge was conveying the emotional depth of the story through visual storytelling. Every detail, from the way she moves to the way she interacts with her digital devices, was carefully considered.
spiralbound environments.mp4
