- A man tries to act as the director of his own dreams, but this venture proves to be much more complex than anticipated.
- He finds himself spinning in a whirlwind of surreal, sculpture-like props and mystifying soundscapes, a testament to the power of 3D animation.
- In this dreamscape, he’s not the master but a prisoner caught in the web of his own subconscious mind.
- His deepest emotions and innermost desires are brought to life, posing a compelling question about who truly runs the show in this otherworldly realm.
Intruder
When Dreams Direct Themselves
A Dive Into the Subconscious Chaos
Well, butter my toast and call me a dream weaver! This mesmerizing journey into one’s subconscious has whipped up quite the 3D-imensional storm. Who knew that navigating through the labyrinth of our dreams could be such a wild ride? You know what they say, it’s all fun and games until your deepest feelings start manifesting themselves as pesky 3D props. Our amateur dream director learned the hard way – trying to steer your own dreams is like trying to teach a cat to sing… highly entertaining but ultimately futile. I know one thing though, this perceived ‘intruder’ certainly gave a whole new spin to the ‘dream’ in ‘dream job’.
Witness the surreal journey of a man who attempts to control his dreams, only to be taken captive by his subconscious. Surrounded by dynamic props and ethereal sounds, he finds himself in a reality where his core emotions and yearnings take on a life of their own. The question is, who’s really pulling the strings?
The Inspirations Behind This Film
At times, certain stories profoundly grip me, becoming a nagging idea or emotion that can only be released through writing. One of my great visual inspirations, Eiko Ishioka, influenced me significantly with her production design for the film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. Her ingenious concept of portraying Yukio Mishima’s life and work on solitary stages suspended in the dark is utterly striking. The master of space, color, and lighting, Robert Wilson, left an indelible impression on me, although he sadly passed just before this writing. Sound-wise, working with my composer Vid Cousins, did not involve conventional musical talks, but emotionally abstract discussions. This shared exploration of life and its multifaceted emotions was our guiding light.
A Peek Behind the Scenes…
Image: NFB
Prior to creating Intruder, I wrote a short piece entitled “Saigon,” which explores the life of a man who secretly watches his spouse’s dreams, suspecting infidelity. The theme of this year’s Hothouse perfectly fit this narrative: “people watching,”. However, I was tasked with condensing it into a one-minute narrative—a challenge set by the NFB’s Hothouse program. I pitched a concept to the NFB, featuring a married man observing his dreams. The central message was the impossibility of control, even in our dreams. Confronting deep-seated emotions, he becomes not the director, but the audience of his dreams. As the film concludes, it hints at fidelity or continual denial, fostering different interpretations among viewers.
Creating the Film
Image: NFB
Our creative process began with a script, evolved into a storyboard, and then to animatics. All visual elements were conceptualized and finalised on paper, with the aid of pencils, and digitalized using Cinema 4D towards the end. The sound and music were recorded in Toronto and Montreal, and brilliantly composed by Vid.
Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/showcase/intruder/