A hybrid live-action and 2D animation short film exploring
entrapment in a commercialized digital world.
A hybrid live-action and 2D animation short film exploring
entrapment in a commercialized digital world.
It started with a simple moment: “We talked about this yesterday… and now it is on my phone.” That thought led to exploring how advertisements quietly listen, track, and influence us without us even realizing it. Obscura is not against technology; it reflects on how easily we give away pieces of ourselves in a world driven by algorithms.
Rotoscoping started with a detailed shot-by-shot breakdown of the storyboard to align animation with live-action footage. Camera angles and movements were carefully matched to maintain smooth motion and accuracy to the original performance, creating a seamless flow between the real and the animated. Reference videos for the animation were recorded using iPhone 16 Pro.
To visualize Alex’s descent into the digital void, animated spirals of binary code and dollar signs were generated using Python. This method allowed precise control over the evolving backgrounds, reinforcing the film’s themes of control and immersion.
The shift from muted blue-gray tones in the live-action shots to sharp reds and blacks in the animation was intentional. It represents Alex’s psychological shift as she falls deeper into the void. Coloring was done frame-by-frame in Procreate Dreams, and all elements were composited in After Effects and DaVinci Resolve. These choices created lighting effects that feel overwhelming yet purposeful.
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Obscura was developed through a hybrid pipeline, combining live-action, 2D animation, and digital compositing. The process involved storyboarding, trial shoots, animation rough passes, and team collaboration across multiple stages. A combination of ShotGrid (Autodesk Flow) and Google Sheets was used to manage production, ensuring a balance between artistic experimentation and technical precision.
Obscura uses contrasting styles to create an unsettling rhythm. The hand-drawn animation layered over live-action footage builds a hypnotic tension, pulling viewers into Alex’s fragile state of mind as the real and digital worlds collide.
