An Industry Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: Simulacra
Genre: Experimental; 3D Animation
Length of film: in word(s) / number(s)
Date: 05/15/2020
Director: Curry Sicong Tian
Producer: Sekinat Yusuf, Alexa Velasquez
Writer: Curry Sicong Tian
Cinematographer: Hark Xu
Editor: name(s)
Composer: name(s)
Production Company: University of Southern California
Budget: $15,000
Financing: $9,000
Shooting Format: HD Digital Red Cmaera
Screening Format: HD
World Premiere: Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival 2020
Awards:
– Student Academy Awards 2020- Best Experimental
– Norwich Film Festival 2020
– Video Art and Experimental Film Festival 2020
– Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival 2020
– HollyShorts Film Festival 2020
– Liverpool Film Festival 2020-Best Experimental Film
– Montana Film Festival 2020
– CineCina Film Festival – Project Horizon-Award Winner
– ADAF Online 2020 | 16th Athens Digital Arts Festival | Video Art
Website: https://currytian.com/, https://currytian.com/Projects/SIMULACRA
The Official Trailer for Simulacra
Watch The Trailer for Simulacra directed by Curry Sicong Tian
A Short Biography of Curry Sicong Tian
Curry Sicong Tian is a US-China based multidisciplinary visual artist, whose talent ranges across director, concept/digital artist, 3D mographer, and fashion photographer, not in a segregated way but artfully blending the vastly different mediums into a seamless harmony of leading edge expression.
In 2020, Curry won a Student Academy Award for her short film Simulacra, and in such a short span of time created masterful works for clients such as Mercedes Benz, Apple BEATS, Canon and more. Born and raised in China, Curry’s mission is to bridge the gap between eastern and western cultures through video art and film all led by the art of story.
The Curry Sicong Tian Interview
Simulacra comes from a philosophical treatise set forth by the sociologist Jean Baudrillard in which he explores the connections between reality, society and symbols. In order to reflect and expand on these themes, the film also incorporates a prayer from Won Buddhism in Korean, Chinese calligraphy, Japanese Butoh the Noh play from Japan. All of these mediums examine the relationship between truth and society, especially the symbolism of culture and media involved in constructing a shared existence. In this film I would like to pose the question – which world is truly real?
indieactivity: Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?interview question?
Curry Sicong Tian (CST):
Logline: An elderly Buddhist woman recalls a ritual from her past, undertaking a journey of duality expressed through her many identities.
Synopsis: Simulacra is a multi-immersive experience which integrates live action/motion capture/3D scan and 3D motion digital art. The film depicts an elderly Buddhist nun’s journey through her memory, a journey to a moment in her past where she and several of her identities enacted a sacred ritual to transform a dark entity into a graceful spirit. The film explores concepts of birth, multiple personalities, struggling with self awareness and ultimately using the power of one’s will to turn obstacles into complementary forces.
Inspired by nature’s movement and the sacred Japanese dance, Butoh, the film transforms classical movement into a synesthesia of immersive experience using a variety of visual and graphic technologies and modes of design. With the use of motion graphic visuals and captivating sound designs, Simulacra even entices touch and smell as part of the viewing experience.
Development & Financing?
Curry Sicong Tian (CST): Based on my personal story/script, Everyone is working for free and we did get financial support from USC finish funding and AEF scholarship. And we are definitely looking for any upcoming financial support since SIMULACRA is not merely a 6:10 mins short visual film, it will also expand beyond into experimental theater, immersive performance, 3d motion graphic, installation and alternative modes of storytelling in the future.
Production?
Curry Sicong Tian (CST): My working process takes on many forms. While I work and conceive, I’m truly and fully led by imagination and intuition, not so much a specific structure. There are always fresh ideas building upon an ever-changing, very much alive visual direction. In terms of this film, I have very much been a “one girl team” in the animation aspect of the film.
I executed almost all of the 3D design/texturing/lighting/models/rendering by myself. However, of course, I had endless questions to ask friends, colleagues and technical masters for help. In addition to that, I worked with a VFX supervisor to help me with parts of the difficult comping shots and collaborated with a Houdini artist to handle the simulation aspects of the creation process. I was truly fortunate to collaborate with a highly skilled and creative production team from USC who brought the live action sequences to life.
I’m a director who is involved in every aspect of the production process. From sending hundreds of Instagram messages to dancers we cast, to attending every location scouts to ensure production design moves forward with the most specific directions possible. I actively enjoyed all the working pieces of film creation and I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by collaborators and colleagues who worked with me patiently to bring this surreal and exploratory concept to life in the past five months of work.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
Curry Sicong Tian (CST): I have to say a big thank you to my talented producers Sekinat Yusuf and Alexa Velasquez, We just won the Student Academy Award Gold in the Alternative/Experimental category. We’ve played at festivals including Spark Animation, Liverpool FF (winner Best Experimental Film), Norwich FF, Montana FF and the HollyShorts FF.
The Release?
Curry Sicong Tian (CST): We’re planning to release the film online, and we are open to any resources like Indieactivity, Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere, Disney searchlight etc.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
CST: Stay foolish, stay hungry, keep doing passion projects. Especially for 2020, we def have seen a lot of “surreal” going on this year, I would also view this as a challenge and an opportunity for creators, and I think film is a great medium to convey the authenticity that we gonna create, record and spread the enlightening ideas effectively, it should be the micro reflection of the real world.
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