Kayla Lehman
MFA Digital Animation and Interactive Media, 2022

Abstract:
Self in Progress is an animated short film project that investigates how the aesthetics of Surrealism and Surrealist animation can be used as inspiration for visualizing a multimedia animated film centered around a woman’s journey with anxiety and mental illness. The film illustrates the protagonist’s experience with anxiety and her journey to a healthier mental state through acceptance and self-compassion. Surrealism was an art movement with a focus on dreams and the mind, which makes the art movement a great source of inspiration for visualizing the mental and emotional experiences in this animated mental health narrative. The film explores the relationship between aesthetics, narrative, and theme and how these elements combine and strengthen one another.

Committee members:
Kyoung Swearingen, Maria Palazzi, Mary Anne Beecher