Animated Music Video — Direction Case Study

Experimental Sand Animation With Analog Cymatics

The Cabinet is an animated music video I created for guitarist and composer Daniele Gottardo. Developed under my experimental pseudonym, StudioSintagma, this project combines analog sand animation with light cymatics obtained by projecting the beam of a military-grade laser onto a mirror fragment and recording the sound vibrations projected on the wall.
The animation translates sound into physical patterns: vibrations shape light into evolving forms, while the sand-animated sections are handcrafted frame by frame to create an organic, tactile visual narrative. Inspired by the classic German silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, my version tells the story of the Somnambulist awakening from hypnotic sleep and discovering the truth of reality through a microscope.
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Highlights
The Eyes
The Eyes
The Microscope
The Microscope
What Happens Inside The Microscope’s Lens?
What Happens Inside The Microscope’s Lens?
The Somnambulist
The Somnambulist
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope"
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope"
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope" composited on a starry sky
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope" composited on a starry sky
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope" composited on a starry sky
Footage from "Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope" composited on a starry sky
Daniele Gottardo
Daniele Gottardo
This selection features sections created using traditional sand animation, handcrafted frame by frame to produce organic, tactile visuals. The “cinemicrography” used in my animation is real microscope footage, capturing dynamic patterns formed by the interaction of light and microscopic matter.  Cinemicrography is the process of filming through a microscope, where light plays a crucial role in revealing these intricate forms.
This footage is from the scientific film Imaging the Hidden World: The Light Microscope by Bruce J. Russell.
Incorporated into my animation thanks to the permission of Eric Russell and the support of Geoff Alexander, director of the Academic Film Archive of North America.
Sand Animation Process
Below is a sample of the light patterns I generated using projections from a military-grade laser.
Still Frames
Light Cymatics Process
This approach explores the intersection of sound, matter, and image, blending scientific phenomena with handcrafted animation to produce a poetic and immersive experience.​​​​​​​

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