How do you perceive those around you? How do strangers perceive you? How do we perceive reality compared to dreams? How do humans perceive time? We rarely take the time to contemplate or fully understand perception and how it is unique to all of us is something we might not always fully understand.

For this book trailer based on Sputnik Sweetheart a Novel by Haruki Murakami, I wanted to embrace the challenge of figuring out how to portray the intense feeling of love toward a romantic interest or that of a close friend and companion on screen.

Through special effects, texture, and music I wanted to create a sense of excitement towards the novel. I wanted to capture the raw emotion and love that is interwoven throughout the novel while maintaining the mystery and confusion of not knowing the entire story.

The use of the mannequin-like people detaches you from making conclusions on the character, while the unknown draws you in, eager to learn more.

Murakami’s writing is often influenced by magical realism, in the similar way that this video is influenced by his style. This book trailer communicates the “odd-ness” of Murakami’s style while also allowing the viewer to interpret the different aspects of each scene.