Plastified: An Ode is an experimental short film. made in CG and 2D animation. A deep-sea dive through an oceanic trench shows places we haven’t yet been. A landscape is digitally eternalised by plastic – the material which
both toxifies and encases its life forms, artificially preserving them. The film expresses feelings of eco anxiety and offers a space to grieve what’s being lost before it’s found. Much like in the Amazon rainforest, here the rate of destruction outpaces the rate of discovery. Drawing inspiration from research on early experimental animation artists, biology and philosophy, it was developed from a conceptual framework rather than a traditional storyboard, with animation created straight ahead. The ecological relationships within the film were mapped in collaboration with marine biologist Ines Guedes, depicting a food chain of real and imagined creatures, where plastic toxin accumulation ultimately leads to extinction.
The soundtrack, composed in collaboration with sound artist Barney Kass, follows a similarly experimental approach. A foley layer adds realism,
materiality, and depth, while the general BPM aligns with the most common wave rhythms and oceanic timings. An additional atmospheric musical layer
underscores the film’s emotional narrative.
ALICE AIRES IS A PORTUGUESE LONDON-BASED ARTIST WORKING
WITH CG ANIMATION. HOLDING AN MA IN ANIMATION FROM THE ROYAL
COLLEGE OF ART, SHE TAKES AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO DIGITAL MAKING. HER WORK OFTEN DRAWS FROM INTERDISCIPLINARY INFLUENCES, INCLUDING BIOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY, TO EXPLORE THEMES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ALIENATION.
HER FILMS HAVE GAINED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION, WITH
SELECTIONS AT FESTIVALS INCLUDING THE LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL AND CINANIMA. ALONGSIDE HER ARTISTIC PRACTICE, SHE WORKS AS A FREELANCE 3D ARTIST AND MOTION DESIGNER.