Thesis
Foreword...
The concept of nightmares is one that inspires and terrifies. Everyone has had one at some point and whether or not they remember it when their eyes open, their body is still locked in a state of unfathomable dread. As a society humans love being scared, we venture into derelict buildings with shady pasts, delve into slasher films and weave hideous tales by campfires. Yet, when your mind is in control and you can't walk away, fear becomes something else. Everyone experiences nightmares differently, some vivid and fast-paced, barely different than reality, others are locked in a seemingly endless loop that feels to be dragging on for ages.
My father told me of a nightmare he had over 50 years ago, a tale that to this day gives him goosebumps. This, is what became the catalyst for a study in these dreamland terrors. Visualizing these tales in animatics to capture the feelings the individual had while analyzing them and presenting the tale itself and the deeper meanings in a sort of 'nightmare journal'. The following are accounts from five individuals, illustrated and made to match the nightmare that they can never forget.
All Videos
Chase
Scream
Swim
Donna
Final Thoughts...
As the stories were animated, varied styles became embedded within them. Not everyone views a nightmare the same, not everyone sees things the same. This became reflected in the art styles as well as pacing between the five stories. What one may find hideously terrifying, may be humorous to another.
The time spent working on these pieces, studying the nightmares and analyzing their details enabled me to continue and work in additional subliminal images within. Showing them to the respective ‘dreamer’ brought to light further how greatly nightmares can affect the individual. Looking at this reminded me of the initial decision to work with the topic: seeing how even retelling a nightmare from his childhood affected my father.
The process as a whole didn’t so much utilize rough drafts and pages of concept sketches and explorations, rather simply taking a look at the information presented to me with a fine toothed comb. Most of the time spent on these pieces were the individual assets themselves. Maintaining consistency within the individual accounts as well as the set as a whole was a challenge. Aside from the sketch-like quality and the basis, the colour red became symbolic of the fear throughout the accounts.
Looking back on the pieces I should have given myself more time to further expand on the accounts, bring in smoother details. Yet, it is the choppy and almost flip-book or old-rough animation that is a huge part of the visual affects within.
