The Secret Life of Everyday Things
Direction, Design & Animation: Sebastian Marek
Music & SFX: Giovanni Dubini
"The Secret Life of Everyday Things" is a surreal animated journey where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary.
With seamless, flowing visuals, household items break free from their usual functions and take on unexpected roles, blurring the line between reality and imagination. It serves as a reminder that even the simplest things can reveal unexpected wonders when viewed through a different lens.
The animation opens with an aerial view of fabric. The camera glides smoothly, drone-like, over this sea of cloth, gradually approaching our first character: a steam iron. But instead of flattening wrinkles, it glides over the surface, leaving behind a trail of creased "waves," like a boat rippling through water.
The cable then quickly unrolls across the floor, building up tension before finally pulling the plug. This action transitions into a side view of the bathroom. The washing machine begins to roll along the edge, moving gracefully. With each turn, the tension builds - until the door opens mid-motion and then slowly closes, perfectly matching the next scene.
The movement moves to close the door of the microwave oven. But instead of the usual warm glow, an icy blue light flickers, indicating freezing. As the light intensifies, a time-lapse film begins: frost spreads across the glass and snow settles inside. The microwave oven becomes a miniature winter scene, and spaghetti freezes under a layer of snow. Then the lights go out, plunging into darkness.
A red radiator emerges from the black in a moody jazz club-style living room. Streetlights stream in through the windows, casting dramatic shadows. The radiator pulls away from the wall - first from the center and then from the sides in a fluid, rhythmic motion. It squeezes and expands like an accordion, moving at a deliberate pace.
The camera slides in, going inside the radiator. Inside, the space swirls and twists. We travel through the tunnel-like interior, pulled forward until the scene opens up into another space.
We are now in the office. In the middle is a group of fans connected to a power strip. As if on cue, the fans rotate and begin to rise, hovering in a coordinated, dancing motion like drones.
Soon, however, the wires begin to tangle. As the fans rotate, the voltage increases - until the power goes out and they collapse, sinking into silence, ending the story
Process video
Explore the journey behind this project.
Maxon Interview
I had the chance to chat with Maxon about this project and dive into the ideas and creative journey behind the animation.
Read the full interview here →
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Maxon Cinema 4D 2024 →