In a tundra where everything is frozen or freezing, a young boy must defy his natural instincts in order to do what's right.
Steven Wang’s “The Star-Catcher” paints an immersive picture of a freezing tundra that’s hostile to life itself. The story follows Ori, a young boy who witnesses this fact firsthand. Despite his resolve to make things better, he is not immune to the effects of the tundra and must summon the courage to act before it’s too late. Symbolizing feelings of detachment and fear through the setting, “The Star-Catcher” communicates its themes of empathy, resolve, and free-will through a surreal goal: catch the sun to save the tundra. Set to an original, orchestral score that takes viewers into the spirit of Ori, the highs and lows of the music are deeply intertwined with the rises and falls of the story. “The Star-Catcher” gets to become a dark representation of a world without warmth, but it always maintains a certain hope; a hope we all must have in order to keep our own worlds from freezing over.
FAQs
What was your inspiration for this film?
My own feelings of both empathy and detachment. I wanted to express the feeling of knowing what you must do but being paralyzed by fear. I wanted to bring hope to icy relationships and inspire people to break free of their stasis.
How long did the project take?
This project took about 8 weeks. 2 weeks of storyboarding, pitching, and testing. 4 weeks of hand-drawn animation. 2 weeks of painting backgrounds, compositing, 3D animation (for the ice effects), and sound design.
What was your favorite part of production?
I really loved working with Lina, and I am proud of the score that she created. We were given the wonderful opportunity to have it played and recorded by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, which breathed a warmth into the music, just like the sun did to the tundra. Having the notes come off of the page was truly a thematic triumph for this film.
Director's Note
It can often feel like we're always trending towards silent acceptance of our given circumstances. We may let an icy aloofness creep over us, trapping our words in our mouths and our feelings in our throat. These moments where everyone is frozen may be without conflict, but those unspoken feelings still exist, wrapped around us—suffocating us slowly. Then, the cold seeps deeper and deeper into our subconscious until our every interaction is just a painful reminder of what hasn’t been said. Why do we let ourselves succumb to the ice?
So much of our lives is a psychological battle with ourselves. It’s only human to be beat down by life, to be trapped by the ice. Yet, never should we forget about our agency to change things for the better; the world in which we live is only as cold as we make it.