What do humans run away from? One runner, 64 changing worlds. A film about the things we try to escape, from dangers outside us to the fears we carry. Drawn and animated in JavaScript with p5.brush.
Primal Survival Nowhere to hide
A runner crosses an exposed plain at dawn. Teeth in the dark
Eyes watch the runner from a wall of grass. The coming storm
A lone runner is exposed beneath a stormy sky. Dying of thirst
The runner keeps moving across dry, empty ground. Everything burning
Flames rise around the runner. Getting lost
Dark tree trunks block the way through a forest. Rising water
Slanted rain falls as the water rises. The bitter cold
Snow and white fog surround the runner. Myth, Ritual & Superstition What we did
Painted cave walls hold traces of the past. Everyone watching
Masks watch the runner pass. Ancient curses
Carved totems stand along the route. The sacrifice
The runner passes a place of sacrifice. Wrath from above
An enormous eye opens above the landscape. No way out
The route twists through a labyrinth. The dying sun
A darkening sun hangs over the runner. Ghosts of the past
Shrouded figures appear along the way. Empire, War & Conquest A wall of spears
A wall of spears stands in the runner’s path. Being trampled
The runner moves along a chariot road. Prison walls
High walls enclose the route. Iron chains
Iron chains follow the runner. The invasion
Standards mark an approaching army. Their laws
The runner passes beneath the symbols of an empire. Falling in line
Marching figures fill the route. A burning home
The runner passes through a burning city. Plague, Ruin & Collapse Contagion
Plague carts move through the scene. Starvation
The runner crosses a landscape of famine. What fell apart
Fallen columns lie along the route. Funeral pyres
Funeral pyres burn beside the runner. Scorched earth
Drought has dried the land. Nightmares
The runner enters dark woods. Our own grave
Figures of the dead surround the runner. Total collapse
The world around the runner falls apart. Industrial Machine The factory floor
The runner passes through a factory. The daily grind
Turning gears fill the scene. Poisoned air
Smoke hangs over the runner. Being left behind
A railway carries on beside the runner. Caving in
The route descends into a mine. Running out of time
An enormous clock measures the passing time. Being replaceable
An assembly line repeats its work. The war machine
Industrial machinery becomes a machine of war. Modern Metropolis Sleepless nights
The city stays awake around the runner. Rush hour
Traffic crowds the route. Losing yourself
The runner is surrounded by a crowd. Deadlines
Deadlines pile up around the runner. Mounting debt
Debt weighs on the scene. Prying eyes
Watching eyes follow the runner. Red tape
Forms and paperwork fill the route. Empty promises
Billboards compete for the runner’s attention. Digital Overload Glowing screens
Screens light the runner’s surroundings. Too much information
Streams of data fill the scene. Endless scrolling
An endless feed keeps moving. Losing connection
A broken signal interrupts the scene. Unread messages
Notifications gather around the runner. Loneliness
The runner moves through an empty room. Being forgotten
Copies of the runner multiply. Burnout
The scene fills with noise and static. Inner Space & Self Our own reflection
The runner faces their own reflection. Old regrets
Rooms of memory pass by. The unknown
The route opens onto an unfamiliar landscape. Feeling small
The runner moves through an immense empty space. Destiny
The runner searches the horizon. Letting go
The figure begins to take a different form. Starting over
The runner keeps moving toward a new beginning. Ourselves
The film returns to the dawn plain, with the runner facing themselves. Running motion adapted from The 100STYLE Dataset by Ian Mason , licensed under CC BY 4.0 .