Silence Breaks is a CG 5-minute short film that was created during my Master's at Victoria University of Wellington at the Miramar Creative Centre in Wellington NZ. Within this project, I worked as the Director and Lead FX artist in a team of 5, with a particular focus on developing simulation-based visuals that helped communicate the emotional narrative role of sound within the film. All the Particle FX, except for the blue, bird particle simulations, are what I developed. 

Synopsis:

In a dystopian future where its people are stripped of their voices and sound itself is used as a weapon against them, Vera, a powerless yet rebellious government worker, is tasked with the collection and destruction of noises not approved of by her omnipotent employers. After unwillingly erasing a bird song she had just previously harvested, Vera receives a new directive to traverse beyond the walls to a set of old abandoned bunkers in the city's outskirts. During this expedition, she discovers the remains of her predecessor, alongside a previously unheard-of sound with the power to fend off the government's weapon. Ultimately, Vera must decide whether to submit or defy the laws of the government.  

Want to see how the film was developed, have a look at our Behind The Scenes!