Where? What? Where? Video Essay

Video-editing, TouchDesigner

Where? What? Where? is an animatic-style film interpretation of the titular short story written by Geoff Dyer. It interrogates the commodification of transcendental searching within contemporary tourism. The project reframes travel as a packaged promise of “elsewhere,” sold through imagery and desire.

Visually, the film draws from surrealist photomontage, assembling fragmented landscapes and symbolic motifs into dreamlike compositions. Using TouchDesigner, I animated these still images through fluid simulations—particle systems, liquid-paint distortions, and continuous feedback—mirroring the instability of meaning in commodified experiences.

Full film (best experienced with sound on)

Keyframes

Keyframes