This project was a true test of my adaptability and passion for animation. Working largely independently, I handled every stage of production: from previsualization to post-processing while learning new tools and techniques along the way. Motion capture, a new process for me at the time, became a central part of the workflow, with my actor and friend Adrian helping bring emotional realism to the characters. Though the project faced challenges, from reworking the concept to meet tight timelines to navigating technical setbacks, I managed to preserve the core heart and intent of the story.

Music played a vital role in setting the film’s atmosphere. The original score perfectly captured the dreamlike tone I envisioned; however, due to copyright constraints, I created a second version featuring royalty-free music while maintaining the same emotional resonance and pacing.

The Strangers Within follows Shinobu, a Japanese salaryman trapped in isolation, struggling with fractured memories and buried guilt. Sitting unnoticed on a city bench, he flips through his journal, where a crumpled childhood photo and small sketches hint at his lost creativity and longing for connection. A tiny flower growing through concrete catches his attention, reflecting both fragility and resilience, a mirror for his own existence.

Suddenly, reality fractures. Faceless figures from Japanese folklore, the noppera-bō, appear, blurring the line between dream and waking life. An encounter with a childhood acquaintance, Kiki, reveals her as one such faceless entity, plunging Shinobu into panic and a surreal descent through shifting, labyrinthine landscapes.

In the dreamlike desert, Shinobu encounters MAMA, a grotesque manifestation of his mother. Shinobu’s confrontation with MAMA forces him to confront his own guilt, fear, and longing for connection. As the surreal world fractures around him, Shinobu faces a final, harrowing transformation, becoming faceless himself before reclaiming his identity. He awakens back on the bench, disoriented but resolute. Clutching his journal, he reaches for his phone, making a small but meaningful step toward reconnecting with his family marking the beginning of healing and self-acceptance.