Abstract
“dream” is a short two and a half minute animation i intend to create in the near future. It involves ideas revolving around subjects of dreams, storytelling, and their use in processing grief and trauma. In a search to understand one of my uncle's last wishes, I started a journey that began in grief and empathy, and ended with me understanding myself and the family I hold dear.
To begin this search I started my research with the world of junying dream structures that may indicate why humans use specific linear story structures. I then ventured into the worlds of tolkien and ghibli to see how their influences on me could further my understanding of using storytelling to cope with trauma, as well as how I may use the innocuous nature of fantasy to tell complex themes through simple narratives that can be understood by all.
By using these influences I was able to take my own dreams and pair them with ideas from my cultural heritage of northern european folklore. In doing so, I created a unique story using characters I have met through dreams throughout my life. I was then able to take these characters and this world I had created and create a story I feel is both personal and relatable. Using this story I could formulate a project, one I decided would be a music video. I chose a music video in order to achieve a broader audience as well as to more strongly relate to specific themes my piece revolved around. In the end i was able to make a trailer for my short film named “dream”, and intend to finish the piece when given a chance in the future.
Artist Statement
W.D. Dowsett is a Chicago artist based in Portland Oregon. Working in the fields of illustration, animation, and music production he seek to create both entertaining media as well as to explore the field of human emotions. His current project ‘dream’ seeks to continue this exploration through the medium of animation. During the course of the short film he explores ideas around narrative, grief, and escapism in an attempt to understand the importance of stories and family.