Our opening sequence 'And Then I Vanish' 

We think of poetry as words on a page, or perhaps even something akin to music and lyrics. But poetry exists in other forms too... such as imagery. Why not create 'visual poetry' that encompasses all of the above: words, sounds and imagery?

Jumbla's Senior Motion Designer, Cornel Swoboda, did just that with And Then I Vanish. It’s a motion poem that he created purely in his spare time. His ambition: to compose a "mesmerising, slow-paced piece of surreal imagery”.

“I love working with clients, helping them execute their briefs – but at the same time, it can be liberating to work purely for yourself, to see where the creative process can lead you,” Cornel said.

The poem was written by Cornel himself, alongside a friend, Ron Weaver. The visuals (100% digital) were created using Cinema 4D, Octane Renderer and After Effects. Cornel used a few guiding principles, such as only depicting portraits and close-ups, and maintaining the same light direction.

Cornel says the inspiration was fashion photography, as well as the work of his beloved wife, a make-up artist. The symbols are open to interpretation, but Cornel tells us his motivation to use some of the motifs.

“I liked snails because of the way they move. I think they embody a sense of patience and time, which ties into the themes of the poem’s text," he said. "This is juxtaposed by the coins which later replace it, which I felt represented wealth and greed."

He says the look and feel of the work adapted over time, as new elements came into fruition: “The whole thing evolved with every new shot rendered.”

It builds towards one final image before she vanishes: a face with many curious “alien-like” eyes. Cornel said this was his desire to introduce something less human: “A glimpse into evolution, perhaps.”