Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting: Digital Painting and Expanded Animation

Noah Lasci

Solace

Solace is a somber, narrative animated short focused on the notion that happiness inthe 21st Century society relies to a great degree on the availability of technology. Theplot revolves around a young girl who is struggling to adjust to life at college and whoeventually finds happiness by replaying a memory from a fishing trip at home with hergrandfather through a VR headset, gifted to her by her grandfather. I took inspirationfrom my own experiences, living away from my family during my time in Toronto as wellas the classic ghibli films such as Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa for their focus oncharacters’ emotions and the benefits of time spent in nature. Solace juxtaposesimagery of a technological future with natural landscapes to remind viewers of theimportance of real experiences beyond the virtual experiences offered on a screen.Ultimately, the message is that while digital experiences can provide joy, human beingsneed to value time in nature as a consistent source of happiness throughout their lives.