COMMUNICATION DESIGN SENIOR PROJECT 

THROUGH THE LONESOME VOID

 

​​“Through the Lonesome Void” is an animated short film examining an unwitting story about smartphone users and the underlying loneliness underneath the facade of screens.

 

In an era where smartphones have now become a companion rather than mere object, these little devices have slowly diminished human’s innate capabilities to maintain attention, to engage in contemplation and reflection, or even to be alone with one’s own thoughts and feelings. Gradually, smartphone users, oblivious to the impact being inflicted upon, have developed the “I-must-have-my-phone-with-me-at-all-times” mindset.As a smartphone addict myself, this project was first initiated from self-experimentation of living without a smartphone for a period of time. Ultimately, the experiment has led me to conclude that the true source of my addiction is actually loneliness. This realization has then become an inspiration for the plotline of this animation.

 

This animation aims to inform audiences about the hidden truth behind the pretense of “always being connected”. What is often overlooked is how smartphones are so psychologically powerful that they do not only alter what we do, but also who we are. We are deceived into thinking that being connected all the time would make us feel less alone, thus eradicating the emptiness within. However, on the contrary, in the veil of ignorance that we are faced with inability to be alone, to appreciate solitude derived from the privilege of being “offline”.

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Duration: 3.00 min