Here's a short film I created in homage to Oskar Fischinger, a great abstract filmmaker. I projected the cover of the book, Oskar Fischinger 1900–1967: Experiments in Cinematic Abstraction, which features stills from Fischinger’s film Kreise. Then I printed out the book cover on a clear film and, using it as a filter, superimposed the moving cover on the still cover. The colors and pattern were layered, creating complex visuals. I then rolled up a sheet of reflective mylar to create a tunnel in front of the projection. I also took advantage of the dynamic characteristic of water by filling a glass jar of it and gently shaking it, resulting in a dynamic filter. 

Cover: Stills from Kreise | Kreise (excerpt) by Oskar Fischinger | Fischinger Trust 2012 | Center for Visual Music
Music: Moiety by úlfur

One ordinary Sunday afternoon, I noticed an interesting reflection on my wooden wardrobe. Tracing where it came from, I discovered it was my plastic folder sitting on the edge of my desk casting organic and complex forms. It looked like multiple representations of sound waves weaving together. The shapes suggested dimensions to the space as well. The light and shadow created by this simple mechanism was very appealing to me because the mundane everyday objects in our lives create magic when we’re not looking. 

After my unintentional discovery of the interplay of light and shadow created by an ordinary plastic folder, I have paid more attention to the beauty in mundane objects. For example, when I was sitting in a coffee shop with the sun coming through the glass door, the adjacent wall became a playground of light and shadow as people walked and cars sped by. When I am on the road, I see the sunlight bounce off the metallic surfaces of vehicles, creating light shows everywhere. I can look down at the asphalt and see reflections projected by wheel rims as cars roll by. This delights me. 

I began to experiment with light projection using different filters such as reflective mylar sheet, dichroic film, lens and magnifying sheet to create different projections of light. Using this method, I was able to abstract the visual output. The visual elements were similar to a sound-wave form with some kind of dimension suggested. I was also inspired by the aurora, also known as the northern lights. 

Audio: Singing Bowls Chakra Set C by Sonic Yogi