Animator Ray McCarthy Bergeron's upcoming short film, re÷belief, is a mesmerizing compilation of zoetropic 3D-printed sculptures, combining [ancient animation techniques](http://Rock Out Using An Ancient Animation Technique With A Modern Spin ) with the cutting edge of artistic fabrication. Produced for McCarthy Bergeron's MFA Thesis at the Rochester Institute of Technology, re÷belief's looping animations bring the hypnotic quality of a standard zoetrope to the next level in order to construct a narrative that asks, according to the trailer's Vimeo description, "if recalling memories can break a cycle."
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"A personal story told in a cyclical way begs for zoetropes to be used," McCarthy Bergeron told The Creators Project. "With a focus on relationships, faith, and love as a reoccurring motifs, I wanted to manifest these haunting, memory cycles into physical forms, and the best method was to combine 3D printing with animated zoetropes." The result is a truly unique aesthetic style: the increasingly familiar filament stacks associated with 3D-printed objects energetically brought to life through a seemingly antiquated animation mechanism.So far, only the brief trailer above is available to the public, but McCarthy Bergeron is planning on taking re÷belief to the festival circuit as soon as possible.Watch the full trailer below:
Now take a glimpse at a set of exclusive GIFs from the upcoming film, a few intensely detailed freeze-frames from the trailer, and some of McCarthy Bergeron's behind-the-scenes images zoetropic mechanisms.
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