'lifeless' animation film captures technology as a living body

animation students fokke mars, bas jansen, and max van der reethe from the HKU university of the art utrecht present their shortlisted movie ‘lifeless’. after a long and difficult conceptual development, the trio has ended up agreeing on their shared fascination with technology and innovation — making it the core theme of the animated film. 

movie poster for lifeless animation film

being part of the team’s third year project at the HKU university of the arts utrecht, they wish to convey a meaningful idea of today’s society. in fact, they find it interesting how technology is nowadays accepted as ‘normal’ — forgetting how special it really is. therefore, in this animation, the trio has managed to draw a parallel between technology and a living being, so as to give the idea that it can be beautiful and fragile in itself. at the beginning of the production, they got into contact with composer nathan van boeckel — adjusting the movie edit on his music and vice versa. in this way, the background melody has become one with the rolling film.

‘a new kind of organism has been born. it is not made up of flesh and blood, but of circuits and wires. witness the life of this organism unfold as it grows and thrives, until it must inevitably conclude’. 

surveillance cameras

infinite laptops

broken laptops

wind turbines

robot arm factory 

train station

public transport terminal

heart monitor 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom