Animation

When I Return

Jaiden Su

Duration: 2:32min

Medium: 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Stop Motion

Role: Director, Animator, Project Manager

LOGLINE

A child playing alone becomes enamoured by a ring. Chasing after it they gradually grow grotesque with each encounter.

Artwork Statement

When I Return is an expression of the experience of putting energy and effort into the wrong places or people. The film expresses the drainage of energy, the feeling of morphing, changing into someone you don’t recognise in the pursuit of what you want. The visual representation I have chosen, such as the shapes, the light and darkness are motifs that have appeared in my work when I express these emotions in a raw manner. Inspired by the surrealists, I have decided to incorporate these elements to connect the work with my subconscious experience of these emotions. Rather than a traditional narrative expression, I have decided to go for a more visceral, more metaphorical representation of the experience.

Individually, each cutaway has it’s purpose, the stop motion representing the pouring of yourself until there is nothing left, eventually breaking even the vessel that once stored who you were. The main animation symbolizes the endless, unforgiving chase for something that just always feels just out or reach, continuing on this pursuit despite losing parts of yourself and becoming a creature you dont recognise. The fire represents the feeling of infatuation, a moth flying closer and closer to the flame that will kill it. It’s obsessove journey only ends in death.

Artist Biography

Jaiden Kin Long Su is a filmmaker from Hong Kong, currently living in Vancouver after graduating from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. He works with 2D and 3D Animation and has created multiple projects involving a mix of different mediums. In his spare time, he enjoys the sport of Kendo, ceramic wheel throwing among other miscellaneous hobbies.

After graduation, he plans on creating other 2D + mixed media animated films, animated short form videos as well as illustrative work.