Windows of Feelings
Windows of Feelings is a 2D animation exploring nature as a metaphor for human emotions and inner states of mind. Each window opens into a different natural environment, not as a literal scene but as a psychological space that conveys mood through movement, rhythm, sound, colour, and scale.
Emotions are never labelled; they emerge through the behaviour of the environment, allowing each viewer to feel and interpret them differently.
About the Production
This project explores how environmental animation can communicate feelings without explicit narration, using nature as a metaphor for internal states of mind.
A key challenge was refreshing my After Effects skills after a long break and finding ways to communicate nuanced emotion through simple shapes and animation. I also needed to figure out how to loop animations and manage pacing so that each environment felt alive but not overwhelming.
I used After Effects Expressions and JavaScript coding to automate animations, link properties, and create complex motions without relying solely on keyframes. By iteratively creating multiple variations for each window, adjusting colour, motion, scale, and timing, I was able to evoke a range of moods while maintaining visual consistency.
My Role: Sole creator
Creative Process
Applications
I tested the animation with surroundings to gauge the emotional impact. Viewers reported experiencing multiple interpretations of the same window, confirming that the variations successfully conveyed nuanced moods. The project successfully transforms simple, stylized animation into a medium for emotional exploration and immersive storytelling.
I also researched factual elements, such as eclipses, as well as relevant folklore to ensure the animation remained conceptually accurate and culturally grounded. Overall, the project successfully transforms simple, stylized animation into a medium for emotional exploration and immersive storytelling.
Credits
Designed in Adobe Illustrator • Animated in After Effects • Audio by Pixabay
