Brain Damage: Synopsis
Brain Damage is a narrative-driven, artfully crafted animated music video that reimagines the iconic Pink Floyd song, 50 years after its release on the legendary album The Dark Side of The Moon (1973).
The animation smoothly intertwines multiple narratives and themes that ultimately explore the overarching pervasive unease that one can experience while living in an era of compound crises – such as climate change, cost of living, and war. The drawn images are directly inspired and synchronized to the poetic and skillful lyrics of Roger Waters, which are shown to remain profoundly relevant in today’s world.
In the face of these dark forebodings, the animation brings forth imagination and creativity as beacons of hope in overcoming adversity. This theme is particularly underscored by Albert Einstein’s insightful quote that suggests, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” – challenging us to envision a different future.
This animation is the result of an 11-month solo project by Australian artist Lauren Edmonds for The Dark Side of The Moon 50th Anniversary Animated Music Video Competition (2023). Brain Damage was created using a combination of 2D and 3D animation techniques, with many elements drawn frame by frame, including the rotoscoping of footage that was directed and recorded by the artist themself.
Method
A large amount of the animation has been drawn frame-by-frame in Photoshop and then edited in Adobe After Effects. In character scenes, I’ve manually rotoscoped frames from live-action footage, nearly all of which I recorded personally. Certain background environments and elements in the animation are 3D rendered, with drawings layered over the top. The majority of the 3D modelling created by myself using Blender, while a few assets were purchased.
Software used:
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Photoshop
- Blender
Participating in this competition has reignited my passion for animating and has equipped me with new valuable skills and knowledge. The connection with my initial inspiration has made this creative endeavour all the more meaningful.