Dreamstate
Exploring consciousness through AI-generated surreal animation
Production
- Role
- Director / AI
- Format
- Horizontal / AI
- Year
- 2026
- Tools
- Runway Gen-3MidjourneyComfyUIAfter EffectsDaVinci Resolve
The scene
Dreamstate began as a personal experiment: could AI tools create a coherent, emotionally resonant animation that explores the nature of consciousness? The goal was to produce a 12-minute short film entirely through generative AI, guided by human creative direction at every stage.
The challenge
Maintaining visual consistency across hundreds of AI-generated frames proved enormously difficult. Each generation introduced subtle variations in style, color, and form that could break the immersive quality of the piece. Creating fluid motion from static AI outputs required developing a novel workflow.
The process
The pipeline involved generating key frames in Midjourney with extremely detailed prompts, then using Runway Gen-3 for interpolation and motion. ComfyUI handled style transfer to enforce consistency. Over 4,000 frames were generated and curated, with roughly 60% being discarded. Final compositing layered multiple AI passes for depth.
Visual approach
Deep teal and magenta form the core palette, with organic luminescent forms suggesting neural activity and dream imagery. The visual language deliberately avoids photorealism, instead embracing the unique aesthetic artifacts of AI generation as a feature, not a flaw.
The completed film screened at 3 international digital art festivals and was featured on the AI Art Gallery platform. It demonstrated that AI tools, when directed with strong creative vision, can produce genuinely moving cinematic experiences.
Edit rhythm
Research & Story
Finding the question worth asking. Subject research, visual references, location scouting.
The Shoot
Camera, light, and performance. Capturing the raw material with intention.
The Cut
Building rhythm in the timeline. Structure, pacing, and the moments between moments.
Grade & Delivery
Color science, sound design, and final output. The film finds its atmosphere.
