FX NOW

Creative Direction
Additional Design
Technical Direction

Design: Diffan Norman, Paul Kim & Joshua Harvey

The compelling illusions of symmetry are undeniable. Repetition of form, as simple as it is, seems to dance on the edge of rationality. All life an almost perfectly repeating fractal that grows inside a randomized world. Our vision, keen at spotting it’s patterns, is equally confused by them. Thus opening questions about the mind’s perception of the world, allowing us to play with the idea of reality. Our thinking for the visual language for FXNOW starts here.

Symmetry, however, is hardly a new concept in art. Rotational symmetry, translational symmetry and reflective symmetry can be found in ancient cultures and is apparent in most forms of architecture. The latest versions finding their foothold by abstracting their subject matter. Our approach to the concept of symmetry aims to bring a new dimension, literally, to the latest form. By creating an evolving line of symmetry that is no longer bound to the viewing plane, we can create a surreal visual language that is fresh, immersive and ownable.

Script:

A man, dressed with a functional style that speaks to his creative, sociotech peer group, enters a train car. Walking directly across the car to prop himself against the opposite door. His morning eyes skim over the passengers on the train, enroute to whatever their day holds; looking deep into their small devices, listening to music, digesting bite sized
news. Instinctively, he reaches for his own device, only his experience is a little...different. His eyes dilate.

Character’s POV: The transition is a little disorienting. We blink a few times and look up, ready for… Suddenly a gust of air hits us as the doors across the car fly open, the tunnel racing past in a blur; as if by some gravitational pull, the train fractures, the side opposite us pushes back. In the middle of the space a column forms, the train is splitting in two. The doors behind us give way, as flight takes hold us; caught in the middle of the trains repeating symmetrical routes and pathways. The train now appears and disappears in multiple facets of perception. A wonderland of symmetry. In the midst of the illusion, the background begins to open up, revealing a tunnel.

Drawn through the tunnel, we find ourselves beneath the canopy of trees as we enter an unfamiliar parkscape. The serenity of flora is broken by faceted fauna that haunt the periphery, penetrating our psyche as we are lulled deeper into the park. Our pace quickens down the dimly lit path as we pass a couple that looks over to us strangely. We follow them as the man turns to say something, we quickly spin back around. Right as we do we are bumped by a man in a hoodie who turns and looks at us with disdain. We turn back to the path as we approach a large fountain with an unnerving sculpture. The ground creases and the fountain splits into multiple facets. The lamps surrounding the sculpture convening above. The glow of the lamps turns to a beam, dust begins to fly by. The light seems to be traveling 100 miles an hour, but goes nowhere at the same time. The lamps converge and reform to an ultra smooth surface.

The object takes the shape of a car, the glossy surface rolls away from a central divide that multiplies the car in two. We find ourselves inside of a beautiful classic porsche, racing alongside our symmetrical counterpart in the middle of a salt flat. The engine roars as the luxurious interior softens the passing scream of the scenery. A dangerous swerve brings the cars back towards themselves and in a surprising jolt the parity of the duo is broken. A rubbing of metal on metal, the other car tries ramming us into an early demise. No! In a calculated “Death Proof” move, we turn and clip the rear end of the car. Spinning out of control, the vehicle flips and rolls. The swirling twist of metal sends us into another visual fit. Shards of glass and hunks of metal split. Within the cacophony we catch a pair of eyes...something about her.

Her allure pulls us ever deeper through the looking glass. The shards of the environment become mirrored and expensive. We hurry to catch up. The elevator she approaches divides, the woman then enters both elevators. Which do we choose? Left...no, right! Empty? We spin around to find the woman in the elevator across the hall. The doors close on us before we can exit. The reflective walls of the small space begin to roll. Details of the woman spawn in our visuals; lips, breasts, eyes and hips - she’s a pill that’s come up all too strong.

In the height of excitement the visuals coalesce. We find ourself staring us back in the face through the black reflection. A crisp lungful of air forces the black depths of our eyes back into our mind. What a fucking ride. Through the reflection we see the doors behind us open. The device is slipped back into our pocket as our reflection turns and walks into the office we travel to daily. The doors close leaving the POV camera alone in the elevator. The edge of reality stretches away. Flashbacks of the trip rush back in. The converging shapes boil, resolving on a lockup of the
FXNow logo.