What is the film about?

Have you ever wondered how pictures are made? Obscura looks inside our camera to the creatures within, living lives defined by what they see through the lens. But what comes into focus when things change? Are the photographs they produce really the whole picture?

A little background information...

Told through the medium of stop motion, “Obscura” is a unique take on the inner workings of a camera, creatively questioning how we really see the world.
There had always been an interest in exploring something scientific and rationally understood in an imaginative way. As twin sisters, this was a fitting storyline from our childhood full of creating things and making up our own worlds. As filmmakers, we were fascinated about what makes a camera work, and so came up with these characters Flash, Specs, Zoom, Trigger and Reels who live inside a camera.

How was the film made?

This is a project we embarked on in our parent’s garage. It was our first foray into animation; we were intrigued by the idea of commanding a full set, lights, camera and actors but in miniature. As university students we didn’t have many personal resources. But we did have some borrowed gear, a collection of recycled items, a few grand ideas and just enough to cover the cost of silicone. We also had a twin as a production partner with the same passion and creative drive. Over the course of this project over 10,000 pictures were taken to complete this nearly 9 minute piece (we counted).