There is an academic professor who coined the term Aphantasia and has a plethora of research available online. He has given a zoom interview on a previous documentary ( low budget, 1 man crew) so may be willing to do so for us. He has also given many talks that are available for viewing on YouTube.

Film could challenge what different people see using contrast between sting visuals and black screen juxtaposition. Particular interest in creative students, do they know they have it and does it impact them?

Family interest? Myself, my father, brother, sister, auntie and cousin all lack the ability to voluntarily conjure up images in their mind. My mother can see vividly in her mind as if her eyes are open.

Next steps would be establish a crew who want to develop the film, further research into Aphantasia and maybe hyperfantasia too, contact professor Adam Zeman, find willing participants for at home tests.

• It’s a variation in human experience.

• Affects around 4% of the population

• It makes you more likely to work in STEM ( however some people who cannot visualise become more fascinated with visual mediums as they cannot produce mental images themselves)

• If you have it chances increase by a tenfold that a first degree relative has it too

• They are hoping to track down imagery genes to prove that it is a familial trait

• People with it have poor facial recognition

• People with it have poor autobiographical memory

• People with ASD have increased traits of Aphantasia

• Many people with it don’t enjoy reading descriptive prose

• Potentially protects from ptsd as no pictorial memory

• Most people describe it as life long Aphantasia but few people have acquired it and lost their ability to visualise ( usually acquired Aphantasia is caused by things like a stroke, head injury, meningitis and psychological reasons like sycosis etc.) there is evidence that depression and depersonalisation can impact mental imagery.

  
  

  
  

Thoughts might transfer more naturally into imagery for those with hyperphantasia. However, there are many different ways of thinking that don’t include imagery. People with Aphantasia are more likely to think abstractly, systematically and semantically. People with hyperphantasia are more likely to have experimental, narrative and episodic ways of thinking.

*visualisation and imagination are distinct. You can be Aphantasic and still highly imaginative and creative*

Deliberate imagery is top down. You make the decision to visualise and drive the visual system from above. Dreams imagery is from the bottom up.

This helps explain why many people with Aphantasia can dream visually but cannot form deliberate mental images.

Already happened. Not possible.

Iona Wright: Drama (QMU)

Emily Henderson - sister: music (Aberdeen)

Emily Stewart: photography (ENU)

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/schools-and-divisions/mcpa/mcpa-staff

https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/school-art

Starting with: “Black. When I close my eyes I see black. That’s all I’ve ever been able to see inside my head. Black”

Ending with “Black. That’s all I’ll ever be able to see inside my head. Black”

Or something to that effect so we can come full circle from the first to last line of dialogue in the film.

Additionally starting and ending on a black screen to emphasise the absence of pictorial thought in the mind.

Co - producer: Erin Henderson

Co- producer: Jamie Collingbourne

DOP: Jakub Horak

Gaffer: Dylan

Camera op?

Post Sound: Ezra

On location sound: Ruaridh

production design: Christopher

Editor: Stella

Production design: Christopher,

VFX/ colour grading: Jamie Collingbourne

Iona Wright: Drama (QMU)

Emily Henderson - sister: music (Aberdeen)

Emily Stewart: photography (ENU)

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/schools-and-divisions/mcpa/mcpa-staff

https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/school-art

time: tbc

Interviewees:

• Scott Henderson

• Emily Henderson

• Jack Henderson

• Ela Sinclair

• Iona Wright

• Paulina Trevena (hypnotherapist)

• Adam Bisset

What shape was the table?

What colour was the ball?

What type of ball was it?

What was the gender of the person?

• Contour of the face

• Characteristics of Face

• Length in step of them walking

• Colours or familiar clothes

Doorway.

Going inside.

Emily Henderson (sister): awaiting response

Scott Henderson (Dad): confirmed

Dawn Kerr (auntie): not contacted yet

Jodie Kerr (cousin): Unavailable

John Green

Richard Herring

Penn Jillette

Lynne Kelly,

Yoon Ha Lee

Laura Lexx

Blake Ross,

Matthew Yglesias

Glen Keane

Jonathan Blow

Sheri Bakes

Camera Kit: Film Stores

Production Old tech: Struan Lawrie

- 27th October Microsoft Teams meeting with Adam Zeman

- Shooting 8 & 9th of November

- 8th interviews

- 9th abstract b-roll

- Some B-roll will be VFX generated

Current B-Roll Ideas:

vintage tv unplugged (confirmed access to tv)

red string between pictures

apple

hand reaching out to light with haze (we have access to smoke machine & haze VFX plugins)

muddled cables

jigsaws being smashed/being put together

words cut out of books

cut up photos

brain images (VFX)

- film guided by erin

- we want to veer away from the personal side

- we are focusing on the experience of aphantasia

- the metaphors are the focus of the film

- we already have a plan for the metaphors but Adam Zeman might bring up new ideas, but we have just under 2 weeks to plan this additional ideas

- we are in contact with both the filmhouse & the cameo

- we are discussing potential dates

- we are getting in touch with the department at the University of Edinburgh that has an MRI machine, to see if Erin could get an MRI with them

- Dundee science museum has an interesting brain demonstration

- The interview with Erin on tuesday, will be questions from the entire 3rd year course on Erin’s experience with aphantasia & creativity.

1. Shooting Schedule

• Week 8 (Saturday–Sunday): Filming interviews with participants — both people with aphantasia and creatives without it — to explore their different experiences.

• Week 9: Filming more abstract and atmospheric B-roll material.

• The plan is to capture portraits (e.g., Aaron reaching toward light) and other visual metaphors about perception.

• There’s mention of a projection room and old TVs for experimental visuals and screenings.

2. Concept & Story Direction

• The film will include a test where people imagine an apple (red, green, etc.) to illustrate how imagination differs.

• The focus is shifting away from personal stories toward the experience of aphantasia itself — how it feels and how people describe memory without visuals.

• There’s discussion about “active memories” and how memories are conceptual or verbal rather than pictorial.

• The ending may involve directly addressing the audience — something like “Close your eyes. Picture an apple.” — prompting them to experience aphantasia from the inside.

3. Visual and Technical Ideas

• Gaussian Splatting and C2Ks plugins mentioned as part of visual experimentation.

• Plan to use lighting setups and silhouettes to express imagination and sensory experience.

• MRI imagery was discussed — possibly filming or visualizing differences in brain activity (though not actually doing scans).

• Emphasis on textures, projection, and layered imagery over literal representation.

4. Logistics

• Follow-up needed with Perniak and others regarding funding and technical support.

• Some conversation about equipment, Webex recording, and ensuring professional sound setup.

• The team agreed to confirm specific shoot dates soon via shared calendar.

• Mention of University of Edinburgh as a potential collaborator for scientific elements.

5. Miscellaneous

• Discussion about photography sessions, actor scheduling, and sound recording logistics.

• Casual talk about “ship-hosting” and “professional alcoholic” — likely jokes during the meeting.

• Overall tone: collaborative, slightly chaotic, but productive; focus on locking the schedule and refining the film’s message and tone.

Discussed:

• Recce for Filmhouse

• Visuals

• Class exercise

• Storyboard

• Voice of the film

• Next steps

25th - Cameo shoot 2

patagonia on 35mm film

skeleton crew

green screen one day

28th - Zeman interview

had to move back one day

at jamie’s house - good wifi, can ensure it is quiet

just jamie & erin

November ————————————-

3& 4th - filmhouse shoot

10-2 each day

screen 1 auditorium

screen 2 projection room - biggest projection room

skeleton crew

8th - Interview day

napier tv studio

9 people, 30 minute slots

people with aphantasia & people who work in the creative industry

will shoot the visuals but the plan is to use visuals shot on the 9th, interview shots recorded as backup

one of the interview subjects is a hypnotherapist

get everyone closing their eyes so we can match cut them

9th - visuals day

napier tv studio

• plug being pulled from old tv monitor (access secured to monitor) do we want something on the screen or just static? do we want to bring in a background or use the black tv studio curtains?

• jigsaw incomplete - do we put a family photo on it?

• projection onto a white wall, nothing on the wall - we have a producer

• post it notes on the wall, with different things written in, find a way to make it move

• erin walking through a vfx tunnel of images - shot on green screen, need to see if jamie can figure this one

• black paint dripping on photos

• photos & thread with some newspaper clippings - we already have pictures, but going to source some more abstract ones, need to source newspapers

• bubbles & bubble you can hold - already sourced, looking into a bubble machine - do we shoot slomo?

• glitter - have some but could do with more, need a plan to cleanup - do we shoot slomo?

• cables not being connected - we have access

• words being projected against erin’s back - we have a projector

• paper shredder jammed - we have access to a paper shredder

• different shaped balls on different table, erin’s visualisation test - need to source ikea table, do we want a dolly?

• words cut out of an old book - need to source

• variety of apples - need to be sourced at the time

• door opening to the mind - what door do we use?

This draft was mostly just the opening & closing segments. Our director wanted to create the ‘script of the interview segments herself, so i worked on this while waiting on that. I did add some segments i particularly liked in the middle. The goal of this draft was to get feedback on the start & end of the film.

Based upon Erin’s Script. I focused more on the audio segments and their order in this draft, rather than the visuals. This is quite a short draft as I hadn’t started adjusting pace.

Erin recorded a draft of her voice overs so I was able to add them. I got access to archival footage from Erin but was having issues with aspect ratio went I imported them - I was having a tutorial with Susan the next day so I left them in so I could ask her for help. This also why I left in some of my personal archive that I was using as a placeholder till i got access to Erin’s.

Susan had never came across aphantansia before and I didn’t give her any additional context before she watched the draft as I wanted to know if the film would make sense to viewers who had never heard of it before.

Susan was able to follow the film and understand what Aphantasia is from the draft.

She liked the fast cutting but suggested varying the pace more.

Suggested scrapping the apples at the end of the film.

She found some segments repetitive.

Susan liked the introduction.

Susan found Erin’s vo a little confusing and suggested adding a bit more where Erin introduces herself could help with this.

Susan didn’t like the tip of my fingers metaphor and suggested we change this. Further discussion with Director & producer ultimately decide to keep this metaphor.

Solved the issue I was having with archival photos & videos, so i was able to add in more & replace the sections from my personal archieve. Also adjusted the order. Tried to vary pacing more throughout the film. Added in credits and a flash warning. Adjusted the pacing of segments and made flashes more rapid. Swapped out the shots of Erin with her feet up as they looked too casual. Slowed down the bubbles shot to highlight a bubble popping and create a more dreamlike feel. I was given more VFX so i added that in along with using the VFX glitter more throughout the film. Took away the apples at the end of the film. Swapped out some shots that the director didn’t like. Susan gave some helpful feedback about introducing Erin, so some new voice over was written, recorded and added in.

I was give more VFX footage to replace some of the placeholder VFX, so this was swapped. Also swapped out some VFX shots for other VFX shots that the director preferred. Tried adding in a photo of a freind and a kitchen where Adam Zeeman talks about being able to visualise them. Increased the speed of the second half of the apples flashing, so it is a tiny blip onscreen. Replaced segments of the glitter as it was overused. Reorganised the opening segment where Erin is sitting in the cinema seat, added more shots and faster pacing. Removed the 1st shot of her from behind in the cinema. Added in flashes of faces in the Jigsaw section. Changed the stationary shot of the oscillacopes for a moving one. Added in the shot of the balls being dropped. Took out some shots of the memory board as it was a bit overused. Changed the grandad section to exclusively photos. Changed the ending of the grandad section to Erin and Her grandad hugging. Added more breathing room between interviewees. Added footage of the interview subjects talking at the end. Changed the style of the credits.

1st attempt at glitching section.

Added in the glitching photo section. Took out the painting style VFX placeholders from the advantages section and added the faces of the interview subjects again. Added in some very basic fluid morph - definitely needs some refining. Cropped in all the portrait footage so that everything is landscape.

found more archival material, which was added in for more variety. Swapped out some VFX that Erin didn’t like. Added black flashes to jigsaw section. Added more glitching in the glitch section. Created an additional glitching section with footage of Erin Skydiving. Adjusted the pacing. Varied the length more in the video memory section.

Sana didn’t like the first shot of Erin from behind’s placement and suggested we cut it. She also suggested staying longer on the pan around the theatre. She suggested not having the hand reaching shot flash. She thought some more space after Scott says the word ‘gone’ might be good. She suggested holding the jigsaw pan for longer. Sana didn’t like the balls shot, as a team we discussed and decided to keep it in as it worked metaphorically well and we had gotten good feedback from others about it. Adding a longer pause before Erin Speaks after the last Zeeman section. Sana felt that some of Erin’s voice over was rather repetitive, so we decided to cut some lines. She also suggested that our credits should be a bit faster.

https://youtu.be/jwJmIXFaQVU?si=mx7zVj4YoXbb0GOC

This is the picturelocked version of the film!!!!

I held the flash warning onscreen longer. Added in the better quality Adam Zeeman Audio. Changed some of the archival footage. Reduced the credit runtime to 45 seconds. Added in the VFX film strip as it had just finished being rendered. Rearranged the end section in the cinema visually & cut out some repeated audio. Held some shots in the film for longer. Adjusted the Erin in the cinema sequence at the start.

Update - Unfortunately we can’t interview Louis due to scheduling issues.

update - unfortunately Beth won’t be in the uk while we are shooting and having one interview subject (apart from Zeeman) online would be a bit odd

- [ ] More rapid build of flashes, should speed up more obvious pace increase and less time on screen

- [ ] Do you have the glitter footage Jamie sent? Maybe a very shot flashes of this and the rest is black for intro? Potentially a flash or two of the white line stuff Jamie made but might be more impactful with minimum tk no image in this beginning section

- [ ] Do you have Filmhouse projection booth stuff too?

- [ ] Don’t use me with my feet up on the seats if that’s possible as I don’t like that shot

- [ ] More breathing room before we first hear adam zeman

- [ ] See apple on “see the apple” that’s is

- [ ] Bubbles popping can this be slowed down and be a shot of a bubbble popping infront of the camera? Like not on screen for long more flashing throughout section

- [ ] Jamie also has some other cool stuff for flashes like the white lines stuff

- [ ] For flashes section can you

more of Jamie’s glitter footage and white line footage

- [ ] More breathing room aftwr “ I can’t picture my mums fsce can you”

- [ ] Don’t use bubbles in firsy section only on flashes section

Loving the memories section, this is how I want the whole film to feel! More flashes throughout the firsy section.

- [ ] I don’t like the second shot of the board with words cos u can see the pin board in it

- [ ] Hold on the throwing stuff a little longer till it drops

- [ ] “Lots of pictures and little box of clues” can this be more of the pinboard of memeoires

- [ ] Yeah defo play around with order of the archive

- [ ] Slow don’t with the grandad stuff this is a good time for pace to slow down and start with older photos and then newer ones? I can help with this

- [ ] Maybe we see interviewee faces during faces section but only little flashes ans not of them actually speaking what’s on screen?

- [ ] Or maybe try them in tv section and move tv to beginning about flashes section?

- [ ] Don’t cut to me in cinema until

- [ ] Don’t go to black until I say the “ black” of “dor me it will always be black”

- [ ] No flashing hand this time? Or not flashing of hand firsy time?

- [ ] Also there is new footage of the hand

- [ ] Shoudl we jusy end on black and no more apples?

- [ ] Defo room for breathing room

- [ ] Could the memories strip Jamie is making go over me saying about how it feels like all my memories have been lived by someone else etc. like that section of me speaking

- [ ]

Notes from 2nd watch

- [ ] When zeman talks about memory, I don’t think we need to see him, just keep flashes of memeories etc otherwise it gets confusing

- [ ] Hoarder bit- slow down footage or hold on it longer for stuff falling and then when ela is saying about a wee box of memeories stay on the memories board and keep coming back to it a few times for short moments

- [ ] More breathing room aftwr grandad bit

Ahhh yes I will work on a voice over tonight as I’m just about to head back through to Edinburgh, would be good to introduce me in a simple way

Adam Zeman refers to it as being on the tip of his tounge but I really like the on the tip of the fingers as it’s how I often describe it

I will look at the bit about “that’s just life”, I get what she means maybe there is a way I can refine it that will make the point better! Will let you know once I’m back in edi and have another look at it!

All good feedback tho thanks for passing it along

- [ ] Maybe try slightly less of the glitter falling/ flashing? But it’s looking amzong sk don’t change it too much maybe jusy a tiny tiny bit less

- [ ] I want the first shot in the move theatre to be me from henind sayint the image doesn’t make it tk the screen, can you get rid of the shot before of me sitting watching?

- [ ] Maybe more rapid moving around seats? Can repeat seats? Play around with pace here

- [ ] Like the pacing of the hand reaching good job

- [ ] Yeah maybe we don’t cut to an apple? Or we cut to all three of the things mentioned?

- [ ] @jamie is the background of the morphine apple gonna be black? Not blue?

- [ ] I don’t like the flash of this image see below and the orange be glitter before it I don’t like as much either can this be changed?

- [ ] Pacing here is perfect tho!

- [ ] Can you try to find a bubble that pops right infront of the camera?

- [ ] Red thibg thag looks like backward bubble wrap can this go, see photo below, maybe just replace it with an apple or something? A different visual? A ball on a table?

- [ ] Don’t like the lava one either but couldnt get a photo?

- [ ] Love the rest of this section with the pacing etc! And the hand, perfecr! Mainly just swapping out some visuals

- [ ] Maybe need to have some flashed of faces of faces in this faces section, I like the pan of the jigsaw but this section is the only one that doesn’t really have any flickering or flashes?

- [ ] Also can we use the shot whith movement in it for the osiliscppes? Like either the push or pull in or out or the tracking side to side?

- [ ] I think balls like all of them being dropped on the table should be in this section about memory?

- [ ] I prefer how the memory section was last time, I was wrong I do not like comjng back to the words and memory board so often but I do like it when they pulled focus doen the memory board and the initial shot of the words on string use both of those but make it more similar to last time! Also only use videos in this section and only photos when it’s my grandad please!

- [ ] I love the fairy lights

- [ ] Yeah I prefer memory section last time, I take back what I said about inserting the memory board more!

- [ ] Balls all of them being dropped on table shot when “ there are so many things I wish I coudl remeber”? Maybe????

- [ ] Memories section shoudl be faster and maybe focus on videos and then you can try some photos when it’s “I wanna rember them how they were, that’s a machines pov” part

- [ ] Liking the grandad section but maybe Finnish on the ohoto of me hugging him!

- [ ] Or just the photo of him now without me in it?

- [ ] If we see the interviewee faces in the last section about advantages then we need to have everyone say a line so we see them all?

- [ ] LOVE THE ENDING!!!!!

We think the jigsaw but should come in at rhe piecing thingd together and have more flashy stuff before it, like moving osilscoped etc and the section ends on the jigsaw? Gives it more of a build up!

Also we think you should see faces at the last section about advantages and disadvantages

Also only videos not photos because it feels a little janky when we use both at same time?

Also film can be 11 mins with the extra 10%

So focus on breathing room between words too

- [ ] Also maybe we don’t cut back to Zeman between, apple, friend, kitchen?

- [ ] Love love love the flashes section!!!

- [ ] I think faces wxtion looks better but maybe having flashes of faces? Like flashes of interviews faces? Or cropped in elements of a fsce? And also end on the jigsaw panning doen for this section as it’s nice

- [ ] Waiting on memories strip tk put into start of memories bit

- [ ] I like memories but way more

- [ ] Maybe playing about with ehat videos are used a little?

- [ ] I feel like motives eduction becomes repetitive, maybe bring back some flashes stuff from earlier and maybe we have a video section and a photo section?????? Defo needs somethibf tk break it up as it’s quite chunky rn

- [ ] I wonder if it’s better to have the faces of interviewee in faces section and use some of the footage from faces section currently in memory???

- [ ] Right now I’m not liking the faces at the last section like seeing the interviewees?? Idk

Maybe some of the videos could play then stop and glitch like when a dvd is scratched?? Jusy a thought? The audio would continue but not the video???

Little box of clues for pinboard and tv longer with a pause before my dad, his audio should still be on the next clip of the stuff falling

I’m so so so so impressed with this

You have worked so hard and it’s really paid off

Let me know if there is any of this you don’t understand and we can talk about it. We are so close to being

• Spinning Film 1 - beautiful footage, lots of continuous movement

• Spinning Film 2 - camera shaky, not much continuous movement of the reel, the projectionists face & beard often appear in frame

• Spinning Film 3 - Nice shot but quite short, projectionists tattoos are very visible

• Spinning Film 4 - wonderful angle, leaver is the focus of the shot, continous movement, part of the way through it is zoomed in a bit, tattoo is slightly visible but in background

• Spinning film 5 - multiple angles in one, the first angle is across from the projectionist, slow non continues movement as he finds the frames he wants, slightly shaky. angle 2 is looking down the reel as it spins, again slow non continous movement, focus off occasionally.

• Spinning film 6 - beautiful angle, continuous spinning during the whole shot, no shaking

• Spinning film 7 - very interesting shot, the film reel is spinned backwards and forwards while the camera pans up and down, could be useful for a segment about how confusing it can be to experience aphantasia

• Spinning film 8 - film spinning from over shoulder, quite fast continous movement, zooms in and out, stays closer in

• Spinning film 9 - film is spun at a continuous pace, focus is on projectionists hand holding the passing through film rather than the reel, tattoos are visible but not prominent

• spinning film 10 - similar to 9 but from the opposite side, i prefer the angle but it is more shaky

• spinning film 11 - film is continuous being spun quite fast, close up shot of part of the reel with hand holding in background, moves in closer throughout shot, there are long enough segments to use at a couple angles

• spinning film 12 - continuous spinning, the handle is at the centre of the shot, very steady

• spinning film 13 - a segment of the spinning reel takes up the whole screen, continous movement, beautiful shot

• spinning film 14 - shot from above, camera doesn’t stay still

• spinning film 15 - the reel being spun takes up most of the shot, bit shaky to start with, it is being moved forwards and backwards

• spinning film 16 - shot from above & to the side, reel is not in focus - the focus is on the hand holding the passing through film, nice continous movement, camera isn’t shaky but the reel is quite shaky making the shot feel shaky

• spinning film 17 - the focus is on the hand holding the film, the reel is in the bottom left corner, bit shaky

• spinning film 18 - like 13 just a slightly different angle

• Film Cut 1 - projectionists body often gets in the way of the short, there are usable segments but quite tiny ones

• Film cut 2 - very intimate angle, really nice shot, shaky to start with but steadys as shot goes on

• Marking film 1 - focus is great, slightly shaky

• marking film 2 - film is moved through contraption in prep of marking , goes out of focus as the film is moved into the contaption but the rest of the shot is usable, the 5,4,3,2,1 countdown is visible

• marking film 3 - very similar to 2 but the movement is more continous, there is a some panning

• marking film 4 - projectionists hand gets in the way of us seeing the marking

• marking film 5 - film is spun to find point then pressed down, initially focus on hand & spinning film, then to the side of the reel when the film is marked

• marking film 6 - projectionist marks the side of the film as he spins, his hand holding the marker is in focus - not the spinning reel. the later part of the shot is just film being spun.

• Film 1 - focus of the shot moves about a lot, don’t think this is a usable take

• Film 2 - shot as film moves through the projectionists hand, bugonia logo is pretty visible in a lot of the shot so probably unusable

• Film 3 - film is dangling and being shook

• 
  

- I think there’s too big a gap between “even know when I try to visualise what this film will look like, I can’t see it” and me begining to talk about they guy working away in the back? I think this dialouge should start after a few moments in the projection room do there isnt as big a gap? Maybe around 01:01:13:00.

- ⁠I think the end of this speech is cut off “and I’m just sitting there” then goes right onto “and it’s just on the tip of my fingers” but the line isnt over yet, it should say “watching nothing happen, no matter where I look or turn my head I just can’t see it”.

- ⁠it feels a little abrupt between reaching for hand then Zeman?

- ⁠I think less sound design when I’m speaking directly to the audience may may the dialoge more impactful at those moments like “ I can’t picture my mums face can you?” Maybe a sort of swelling up of ambience as a built to these moments? Not an extreme one but subtly.

- ⁠I’m finding the ‘background voices’ etc a little distracting when Zeman is speaking, it’s quite hard to take in the heavy info he is saying with subtle design underneath, maybe there’s too much going on there?

- ⁠slightly more of a build in begining of memories section.

- ⁠I think the sound at 01.04.47.00 is a little creepy, I like the concept but not the way this specific part sounds.

- ⁠I like that’s it’s becoming chaotic here

- ⁠omg when we see the moniter the sound design made my jaw drop!!!! I want more moments like this.

- ⁠perhaps in memories section we could have sounds of laughter, archival sounds if that makes sense like the type of audio that would be in home movies or recording that you would hear playing back in your mind? Not constantly throughout this section but a little bit of this would be nice to hear.

I think the key thing is that I LOVE the design, I think it’s just playing about a little with when we hear it? Like I enjoy it during the interviewee aphantasia stuff but I think having quite absent design in areas may also be jusy as impactful if that makes sense just so the film isnt so ‘busy’ all the time.

Ending feels a little too echoey for my voice? End maybe needs to sound a little more positive when I’m speaking. And then I want silence and just my voice “so I ask you again to close your eyes…”

OVERALL IM SO HAPPY THO LIKE THIS IS AMAZING!

I’m just trying to be as detailed/ clear in my feedback as possible but it is not a criticism of you or your work it’s just to make sure i give you enough information to work with!

HOWEVER

I do feel the mix could still do with some refining even in the final locked film for submission. The dialogue in the first section with the interviewees isn't clear because the design is too loud and occasionally throughout the design is too high in volume compared to the voices which takes away from their impact.

We shot a clean plate of a white screen for lighting and reflections, and then composited Adam Zeeman using Adobe After Effects or similar software. We then used plugins to emulate an early '90s VHS look, ensuring optical accuracy. Then we animated the flickering and the CRT look because we could and so ti had animation

Advances in Vulkan integration in Blender 5.0 allowed me to offload the majority of the workload to the GPU, making these simulations far more efficient than in previous versions. This enabled real-time iteration and practical use within a student production pipeline.

A key technical learning was scale. By working with particles at approximately a thousand nanometers in size, I was able to achieve the desired visual density while keeping simulation costs manageable. This approach significantly reduced compute overhead without compromising visual complexity. This reduction in compute allowed for us to add in lens simulation and bloom effects in a single render pass, reducing time even further

110 VFX-affected shots out of 290 total; My highest shot count on a single project yet.

These shots included lighting augmentation, focus manipulation, environment extension, particle simulation, VHS, CRT and 8mm emulation, CGI takeovers, Volumetric rendering, particle swarms and more.

Software used:

- Blender 4.5 / 5.0 — CGI takeover work, particle simulation, and GPU-accelerated workflows

- DaVinci Resolve — editorial integration, grading, and compositing

- Fab: asset sourcing and rapid environment prototyping

We settled on this. The initial rendering took place in Blender before any lighting tweaks were made, prior to the final rendering.

One of the ways we approached it was through this. I started with a model, and then used volumetric shaders in tandem with NPR emission shaders and fractal noise to create the naimation all inside blender 5.0

Then in resolve film emulation and bloom was applied before completion

Then we applied lighting replacement and bloom and film emulation before lens replacement

The effect was completed in resolve through a power grade, and we used a wide vartiety of VHS tools such as overscan and much more

Some of the silent scenes included

Sequence of a film projector being loaded and played

Black screen with flashing images of apples and brain scan imagery

I wanted to use as much sounds that I'd recorded and designed myself for this project to test myself. This included many ambiences I'd recorded (sounds of Ocean, rain, bells etc.) - contact microphone recordings I'd gotten of electronics, mechanical movements, trains - A lot of bell recordings which I'd recorded then manipulated often by cutting off the initial strike of the bell to just have the decau which I'd duplicate and reverse the second one and splice together to create a drone like effect which I could layer with pitch shifter to create some sort of 'chords'

HOW TO UPMIX FROM STEREO SESSION

Change all routing folders to 5.1 by duplicating and changing the empty duplicating folders into 5.1

Move all of tracks into new routing folders

Adjust all buses into 5.1

All mono sounds just therefor come from centre speaker

Move all ambiences into 5.1 space through panner - and or 5.1 reverbs

Add 5.1 reverb auxes and a LFE aux

MAIN POINTS TO CONSIDER

When mixing in stereo just use 5.1 outputs and folders types and use front left and right speakers to reduce amount of work when upmixing

Use LFE sparingly - just for big FX moments or ambiences

If mono sounds are in ambiences or other non DX or Folley sounds then just duplicate track and pan each one to far sidde to make it stereo so it doesn't muddy up the centre speaker

POINTS TO CONSIDER

Dialogue should have been mixed slightly better - it's slightly difficult to hear at some certain points

Should have had more sound to image for some bits which instead just had ambience and drones over

Should have dealt with bad location sound problems better - shouldn't have just tried to stop a whole interview being put in - perhaps slightly audacious upon further reflection

MAIN TAKEAWAY

Should have spent much more time mixing trying to get correct volume levels for dx

Should have followed intuition about filling in some empty space a bit more - Perhaps didn't because it was easier to just hold ambiences over it

They describe knowing what happened, but not being able to 'see it' so we decided to represent that through glitching. This was so that the audience could work out what was happening, but not get a clear picture tyign it into the aphantasic expirence

We fully simulated them inside of a browser, and played a variety of sounds to produce art-directed sound waves. Then the final image was comped together in resolve