Michael Liapun

From the very beginning, the creation of this video was truly inspired — or more precisely, it started as a feeling. Even before the first frame was made, I already had a clear image in my mind: night, the moon, sand, somewhere in the East — closer to Egypt, or maybe Jordan — though overall it is simply an image rather than a specific place.

I wanted to tell a story without words: the movement of the wind, the moon, the way fabric flows in the breeze, a gaze. I believe that sometimes a look can express far more than words, because the eyes are the mirror of the soul, and everyone will probably perceive and discover something personal in this scene.

The main element of this short film is emotion and sensation. I wanted the viewer, after watching it to the end, to ask questions: Who is this man? Why did he come? Who is this woman? What did they speak about? Surely everyone will imagine their own version of the story and their own dialogues. Each viewer will create their own interpretation.

I usually begin all my projects with a feeling — as if a story is asking to be told. It may sound a little strange. I often start without fully knowing what the final result will look like. Of course, I have an approximate script and storyline, but during the process it may transform. Some shots or narrative turns may work better visually or combine differently with already completed scenes.

Music and sound design are also very important to me. The music must reflect the storyline and match the atmosphere, synchronizing with the inner feelings of the viewer.

When I work on a project, I live inside that world for some time. I see through the eyes of the characters, I experience their emotions — it is like a virtual mental immersion. During the process, I synchronize the visuals with my inner feeling; something inside me must say, “Yes, this shot belongs exactly here.”

This particular project was almost entirely created by one person — myself. However, some ideas were suggested by my friend. The image of the Moon Goddess was partially inspired by a real person, but during the process it underwent visual changes according to my own vision of how I wanted the main character to appear.

I often spend a long time adjusting the appearance of characters and even conduct virtual castings — how they look, how they move, what emotions they can convey.

This film is almost entirely made using graphics, and perhaps that is even an advantage. Such a project can sometimes be closer to the author’s pure vision than a traditional filmmaking process.

I have previously participated in real film productions as a technical assistant, and I can say that it is often very difficult and costly. Achieving the desired scene can be extremely challenging, and sometimes impossible due to many factors — budget, time, actors, crew, weather, and countless other issues. In the end, compromises are often necessary.

With projects like this, if there is enough time, you can attempt to realize the original idea exactly as you imagined it — or at least come very close to it. It is similar to a painter who is completely mentally immersed in the atmosphere of the painting while creating it.

Yes, there were challenges. At the time of creation, visual generation and editing tools were far from perfect. There were no advanced generative tools like we have now. Almost all locations had to be created manually — either through detailed hand editing or by generating base images and then extensively modifying or combining them.

Creating locations is a very important process. Every detail — every stone or object — can play a role in how the viewer perceives the scene.

For example, I was surprised that, at that time, generative tools could not properly create desert landscapes, especially ancient ruins under the sand. They produced something, but it looked terrible and unattractive, so I had to build everything manually. I even rendered ancient ruins in 3D, rotated them, edited them, transferred them into images, and then tried to integrate them into video generation tools — which were also far from good quality at that time.

Generative tools often do not understand what you want from them, even with very detailed prompts and multiple attempts. Achieving a good result can be very difficult. The video quality at that time (summer 2025) was also quite mediocre. I tried everything available and spent a lot of time, but that was the maximum possible result. It was a case where the limitation came from the tools, not from the author’s imagination.

There are several scenes I love. The first one is at the beginning, where the woman stands in profile against the crescent moon and the fabric flows in the wind. I wanted exactly that scene — and it turned out exactly as I imagined it. It is one of those rare cases where I would not change a single thing.

The second scene is when the woman looks directly into the camera at the man approaching her. That gaze happened almost accidentally, but it fit the image and atmosphere so perfectly that I rejected all other versions. In her eyes there is so much expressiveness, mysticism, and superiority at the same time. She is a Goddess looking at a human in a very particular way — it is hard to explain, but it was exactly what was needed.

I also like the scene where a snake falls from the flowing fabric over the sand. And the silent duel of glances between the man and the woman near the end — that wordless exchange feels very powerful to me. And finally, the very last frame.

Of course, today I would make many scenes more expressive, but that is connected to the more advanced tools that have appeared recently. At that time, I could not do better. In general, my principle in creativity is to do the absolute maximum of my current abilities, so that later I can honestly say to myself: at that moment, this was the best I could do.

Yes, there is a project I really love called “Shadows of Forgotten Memories.” It is a musical track with cellos, which I consider one of my best compositions. The video also has no dialogue and takes place in an old Gothic garden.

The story is built on imagery and symbolism of past memories. The old Gothic garden represents something long forgotten yet strangely familiar — something that awakens the feeling that it existed not only now, but perhaps in past lives.

A woman walks through the garden encountering various images of the past represented by Gothic statues. The first version of the video was created when technical possibilities were very limited. Recently, I tried to remake and update it with modern tools, and it almost worked — although there may even be a third version.

Most location concepts were created manually, because again, no tool gave me exactly what I wanted. For me, this is a very special project. The combination of video and soundtrack makes me feel something unique that cannot be expressed in words. The symbolism — the woman with an oil lantern, evening light, Gothic statues, cello music — I deeply love that atmosphere.

I am still a beginner myself, although by education I am a designer-artist. I can see visual quality well — compositions, locations, overall aesthetics — and my standards are quite high, especially regarding my own work.

Perhaps the most important thing is not to stay within the same limits. Always try something new, go beyond what you have already done. It may sound simple, but originality and unconventional thinking can truly distinguish a project from the mass of template content.

I would love to work on a project like this with real actors. I think it would be wonderful — expressive, artistic, with long shots, strong feminine presence, flowing fabric. I hope one day I will have that opportunity.

Initially, I composed one track while imagining this night desert. But when I started working on the video, I realized it required a different approach. I had to remake almost 60% of the soundtrack to match the visual narrative.

I would gladly collaborate with a professional sound designer, but unfortunately, I do not have one at the moment, so I do everything myself as best as I can. I am not a professional musician, although I believe I have a decent ear.

Feedback did influence the final result. I initially wanted to include elements like a scorpion and more ancient architectural fragments under the sand. However, after showing a demo, I was told that it would overload the scene and create too many associations. It was constructive feedback, and I decided to remove those elements. The scene became lighter and more mysteriously atmospheric.