The Challenge

In this project, I was tasked with controlling motion spatially across an image, combining frozen elements from a photograph with 1 or 2 key dynamic motion elements to create a creative and complementary “Loop Portrait”.

Project Summary

The duality of being overcome by and accepting stress as an important human response is explored in the medium of a looping GIF. 

The feeling of stress was explored visually in order to create a GIF that both represents and invokes stress in the viewer. The uncanny nature of the file depicts the sinking feeling of anxiety, but also how it is often ignored, stigmatized, or pushed below the surface. The GIF, titled The Back of My Mind, represents the racing thoughts many of those with anxiety feel. Sometimes, the thoughts people have seem out of their own control, surfacing from the “back of their mind.” This GIF aims to display the mind taking ownership of the individual, through overthinking and other anxious thoughts. On the other hand, the GIF also showcases how stress is simply part of being human, and should be acknowledged and accepted.

Process

This GIF was created by first setting up and capturing the portrait of the subject (myself) and then setting up a mannequin head wearing the same beanie in the exact same position. 

Colour-correcting and layer masking was used in post-production to combine the two scenes into one uncanny GIF file.

Project Information