What is the film about?

A prison security system detects an explosion. All systems engage to contain the jailbreak. Every decision matters. Every millisecond counts. Panoptic is a kinetic visceral experience that unfolds entirely from the point of view of an unfeeling computer system.

What influenced it?

It was influenced by cinematic genre conventions and animation-driven visual storytelling. I was inspired by the look and feel of real-world security systems and predictive tech, along with the drama and energy of classic prison-break stories. Visually, I’m drawn to remixing familiar animated tropes to help tell a quick, dynamic story.

A little background information...

Katie Finn (Image: NFB)

As an animator, I’m interested in stylized, offbeat storytelling with non-traditional narrative perspectives. I want to animate to emphasize the interaction between form and content.

How was the film made?

It was made at the NFB’s animation studio in Montreal using digital animation software (TVPaint, After effects and TouchDesigner, mainly.) I animated a bank of assets and used compositing to integrate everything.

Image: NFB

The short was created with a lot of support from talented crew and the thoughtfulness of the other Hothouse participants and mentors, as well as others who gave their time and consideration along the way.