PER ASPERA AD ASTRA is an introspective immersive film that explores the encapsulation of various human emotions, with a special focus on the journey through anxiety toward self-reconciliation. With its overall structure based on Plato’s cave allegory and theories taken from Carl Jung and Friedrich Nietzsche, it seeks to disclose the personal, unseen inner struggle that many people have experienced at some points of their lives and offer a contemplative reflection.

The self in PER ASPERA AD ASTRA is depicted in an architectural manner: it is not only the mind, nor the body, but the mixture of both, along with all the dynamics both inside and outside. I would like to impress this idea upon viewers, hence I integrate a lot of metaphors and patterns often seen in people with anxiety and art therapy sessions to help people better connect with their internal sensations. My goal is to expand the possibility of creating an atmosphere that draws the viewer into the subject.

Furthermore, since my theme surrounds the issue of anxiety and the achieving of self-reconciliation and inner peace through reflection, I would like to lead the audience through this journey through symbols, shades of colors, and sounds that create resonation at every stage of this journey.

I utilize Optitrack for motion capture, importing FBX files into Unreal Engine as Metahumans via IK Retargeting. The motion is then synchronized with Metahuman's A pose in Maya for efficient retargeting. Python scripts and XML are additionally utilized to characterize the Metahumans in Maya.

Here is the link to the scripts: https://github.com/kromond/OptiSkelForUEScripts

I created storyboards and animatics for the film with allusion to Plato's cave allegory. The protagonist escapes, navigating a 3-level architecture within a fallen angel's body before entering the dreamy forest where her inner peace lies within. My scene designs draw from Surrealism, Yin-Yang, and 19th-century impressionism, using different colors and lighting to represent the ambiance and the underlying tone of the story.

The architecture mirrors the body, serving as a metaphorical prison for the mind and spirit. The first level, "the Cave," features the protagonist and identical companions chained. The second level, with Roman-style Hall and surreal eyeballs, which the protagonist climbs through metal chains to the top. The spine tunnel of the third level embodies vast emptiness, with white "ribs" against a black backdrop, representing solitude and an uncertain future. The forest outside the architecture is the materialisation of the protagonist’s peaceful mental state as they finally reach self-reconciliation.