Reverie
By Kathryn Novak
Albeit incomplete and really in more of a storyboard state, this animation is intended to be a commentary on the concept of permanence; more importantly, its application to our perception of ecological change.
During one of my summer internships in Maine, I worked with a man who spent some time reminiscing to me about these small fish that had claimed a lake/pond near his childhood home: “Just one swipe of my hand underneath the water and I’d have several of them in my palm.” Changes in surrounding habitat and water conditions have since led to a depopulation of what he presumed to be minnow in that area. An individual I had otherwise considered to be rather quiet and reticent, now visibly distraught with the change he has observed during his lifetime; the emotion in his voice was as unnerving as it was compelling, and I wanted to retell this story in some sort of visual format. This was my first attempt at animation, and the location and species of fish were purposefully left ambiguous due to my uncertainty of these details. My youngest sibling—curious with the world and heavily interested in science and art—found great joy in voicing the younger version of the character.
It can be easy to overlook the complexities of the environment in the bustle of everyday life—reassuring, even, to view things as unchanging. It is always worth listening to the stories others have to share, even if it requires acknowledgment of a reality that is a bit disheartening. Perhaps in that acknowledgment, motivation might naturally follow.
