Smile
A small room, cramped and shadowed, holds a man silhouetted against a window. Outside, the world shimmers with vibrant life, a painful contrast to the quiet desperation that suffocates the room. The window closes, a desperate attempt to shut down the promise of something more. Fingers curl at the edges of a mouth, forcing a smile, a futile attempt to create laughter – but the heart knows its own truth. Laughter rings hollow, a desperate echo against the encroaching darkness. A weight rests in the hand, a burden heavier than steel, the crushing weight of a soul teetering on the brink.
And then, a pivotal moment. Will the silence be shattered by a gunshot, leaving behind only the echo of what was? Or could there be another sound, a hesitant knock at the door? In this moment, darkness waits, ready to claim its victory. But even the smallest flicker of hope could choose to fight back.
The answer lies with you. This isn't simply a story; it's a question painted in stark shadows, a plea echoing from a fragile heart. What path will you choose?
Process and Inspiration:
These animations are born from a place deep inside me, a place where loneliness, anxiety, and childhood trauma echo loudly. some of my darkest thoughts, thoughts that made me anxious and feel paralyzed over the years, and issues I dealt with and still try my best to overcome.
Edward Hopper's paintings, especially "Nighthawks," have always haunted me. That stillness, that feeling of being surrounded by people yet completely alone – it resonated so strongly that I knew his style was the only way to tell my own stories.
My Creative Journey:
I began by writing detailed scripts, exploring multiple endings to allow viewers to shape their interpretations. I used Midjourney to create 300 initial images and upscaled and edited them to match my vision. Using these images, I trained a Stable Diffusion model to generate my unique animation style. I brought my world to life with 3D animation, created inside Unreal Engine 5. After the animations were ready I used Deforum Stable Diffusion and after trying multiple settings, found the ones that work best for these. Then All the clips were compiled and edited and the sound design was done inside After Effects.
How the NFT works:
This is an HTML that is minted on Transient Labs Contract, and all the files are stored on arweave, this NFT holds both endings, a reflection of the way even the darkest stories can have different paths. It also holds a piece of my soul, laid out in those written passages.
Once Collected, the collector can choose the ending that speaks to them.
Once that choice is made:
The chosen ending will be airdropped as a Video NFT and also an image will be inscribed to the NFT showing the change in the diary
How can you make the choice:
You can contact me through X: Pegasus_vfx or my Website Pegasusvfx.com
If you wish to stay Anon, you can also inscribe your choice on Launchpad by Transient Labs (require gas)
1. The Mask We Wear
"Smile" began with an uncomfortable question: How often do we perform happiness when we're breaking inside? This animation offers two endings: the 'good one' everyone expects, and the darkness we often hide. The viewer gets to decide what's real.
2. Translating a Mood into a World
I needed the room to feel oppressive, a cramped reflection of the character's mind. I drew inspiration from classic film noir and the gritty loneliness of "Taxi Driver." Using AI, I explored different lighting styles and color palettes to find the perfect tone of despair.
3. The Room Takes Shape
Every object in this room tells a story. I modeled everything in 3D with meticulous detail: the rumpled bed, the flickering neon sign outside... each element was designed to amplify the character's isolation.
4. Movement as Memory
The character at the center of "Memories" needed to feel tangible, vulnerable. I recorded my own movements, infusing the raw data with my own emotional landscape. AI helped create the initial 3D animation, but refining it by hand was where the real soul of the character emerged.
5. Sculpting the Style
This animation demanded a visual style that matched of Edward Hopper's Oil paintings. I generated hundreds of unique artworks to train an AI model that could translate those emotions into brushstrokes.
6. Transformation
Using Deforum, I fused the 3D animation with the raw, emotionally charged style I'd created. It was an unpredictable process, requiring many iterations to find the balance between disturbing and evocative.
7. The Final Touch
Music and subtle effects are the breath of this animation. The soundtrack sets a wistful, melancholic mood, mirroring the bittersweet tone of the story itself. In After Effects, I brought together the final visuals and sound, fine-tuning the experience.
8. A Choice Made Permanent
I didn't want "Diner" to be a passive experience. With HTML, I crafted a dynamic NFT, a digital diary where the viewer's choice becomes part of the artwork itself. The collector selects their ending, and the NFT forever reflects their decision, removing traces of the path not taken.