John Babu, York alumnus, released his latest short film Optillus on Dec. 30. As an exciting amalgamation of genres including sci-fi, crime, psychological, philosophical, drama, and thriller, this work explores how optical illusions can interact with the psyche.
“There were many inspirations for it, including various optical illusions (such as the Dress Illusion, the Rubin’s vase) and the Rorschach test,” says Babu.
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology, and later a master’s degree in molecular biology, Babu’s knowledge and passion for science culminates into his filmmaking. He explains that a certain course during his time at York was so impactful, it sparked the initial idea for Optillus.
“The Sensation and Perception course, PSYC2220, taught by Dr. Martin Steinbach was a very unique one. We looked at all our senses (vision, hearing, smell etc.), and traced how the input from these stimuli is then perceived by our brain to convert it into the human experience. Optillus explores exactly this point where our previous thoughts and experiences shape the stimuli we are receiving and outputs a particular perception,” says Babu.
“Dr. Steinbach was a great teacher and I still remember looking at many optical illusions, trying to break them down to understand why we perceive them in a particular way.”
Despite not receiving formal training in filmmaking, Optillus is the largest production that Babu has ever partaken in. He says, “The budget, the runtime of the film, the length of the production itself, the number of cast/crew, the number of locations we filmed in, all of which exceeded my previous productions. Right from conceiving and writing the project, to filming it, to its post production, everything was new and a learning experience for me. Looking back after the film’s release, going through the entire process step by step, believing in the initial vision, has been our biggest success as a team.”
Bryna Weiss, an actor and aspiring editor based in Toronto, plays the leading role of Ailia Perls. She says, “My experience working on Optillus has been wonderful! Ailia is a challenging type of character that I’ve never played before. I got to work with friends I’ve worked with in the past as well as make new connections.”
Weiss adds that while working in film typically requires long and demanding hours, having a great team makes those days enjoyable.
To see more of Babu’s work, click here, and to watch Optillus, click here.
