AN UNSENTIMENTAL FUTURE

ROLE

Director/Writer/Producer/Editor

Writer

Director

Producer

Editor

PROJECT

Animated Documentary

Writer

Director

Producer

Editor

CREW SIZE

7

DURATION

(currently in post-production)

est. 15 min

TIMELINE

Aug 2023 - Present

Aug 2023

Present 

An Unsentimental Future (2025) is an animated documentary that follows a group of elementary students, highlighting their perspective on climate change and the future of our planet. The film blends documentary and fiction through animation, interweaving students' interviews with fictional scenes to visualize their opinions and ideas on the changing world around them.


The film is currently in post-production, which will be completed this April.

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FILM

LOGLINE

World leaders gather for a climate conference to decide the fate of the world’s climate. Six elementary students serve as experts sharing their wisdom and solutions for these leaders. It is up to these children to convince these leaders of a plan of action as the world’s climate reaches a point of no return.

MY PROCESS

Music Score: "Sweeping"

Listen As You Scroll

0:00/1:34

PROBLEM

Climate change is an extremely challenging topic to develop into a film. In recent years, regardless of one's viewpoint, there is an exhaustion towards hearing about climate change. With this context in mind, my goal was to create a humanistic story that spoke to a worldwide fear: caring about future generations. 


QUESTIONS

  • Is it possible to seamlessly create fictional animation from real-life interviews? 

  • Can this blend of styles be structured into a succinct story under fifteen minutes?


STORY GOALS

  • Create a climate change film that avoids redundant themes and messages and offers a unique perspective, while encouraging its audience to take individual action.

  • Demonstrate the disconnect younger generations feel due to inaction by adult organizations and governments.


PRODUCTION GOALS

  • Find and interview imaginative students and listen to their ideas by creating a comfortable filming atmosphere—without strong student ideas, this film would be nothing. 

  • Find an animator with a distinct style that is emblematic of my vision and pairs well with interview dialogue. 

  • Find a composer who can capture the energy personified by the students for the music score to accompany the animation.

Climate change is an extremely challenging topic to develop into a film. In recent years, regardless of one's viewpoint, there is an exhaustion towards hearing about climate change. With this context in mind, my goal was to create a humanistic story that spoke to a worldwide fear: caring about future generations. 


QUESTIONS

  • Is it possible to seamlessly create fictional animation from real-life interviews? 

  • Can this blend of styles be structured into a succinct story under fifteen minutes?


STORY GOALS

  • Create a climate change film that avoids redundant themes and messages and offers a unique perspective, while encouraging its audience to take individual action.

  • Demonstrate the disconnect younger generations feel due to inaction by adult organizations and governments.


PRODUCTION GOALS

  • Find and interview imaginative students and listen to their ideas by creating a comfortable filming atmosphere—without strong student ideas, this film would be nothing. 

  • Find an animator with a distinct style that is emblematic of my vision and pairs well with interview dialogue. 

  • Find a composer who can capture the energy personified by the students for the music score to accompany the animation.

TIMELINE

PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS

Over 10 students were interviewed for 30 minutes each to discuss their ideas on climate change and the future. The goal was to find a singular voice that could act as a throughline and unite the other ideas presented.

SECONDARY INTERVIEWS

Involved selecting two students who excelled in the first round of interviews to complete a second studio interview lasting one to two hours with their guardians present.

ANIMATION

After filming the second interview, the idea to structure the film around a world conference came to mind. A fictionalized visual representation of the nature of the issues and interview setting. Personifying us as the audience in the film and the students as the experts.


Following the completion of the interviews, I began collaborating with animation artist, Sabrina Gessert, to portray these ideas. We first went over a written script that mixed interview dialogue with visual direction for the animation. The entire animation process shown below demonstrates the complexity in this phase.

After filming the second interviews, the idea structuring the fiilm around a world conference came to mind. A fictionalized visual representation of the nature of the issues and interview setting. Personifying us as the audience in the film. The students as the experts.


Next step involved collaborating with animation artist, Sabrina Gessert, to develop these ideas. We first went over an written script that mixed interview dialogue with visual direction for the animation. The entire animation process shown below demonstrates the complexity in this phase.

STORYBOARDS

BACKGROUND/BLOCKING

CURRENT PHASE

Although the film is not yet completed, it has progressed in a way I had only dreamed of thanks to the students we interviewed. The film is set to be completed on schedule and will be uploaded under a private link later this spring while we submit to film festivals.

NEXT STEPS

  • Complete the full animation, which will include polished movements, finished backgrounds, and correct layering.

  • Blend audio tracks, score, and animation together into a final sequence with completely succinct timing.

  • Conduct feedback testing with different individuals for several rounds of revisions.

Strange Embrace