THE JOURNEY

This project takes the viewer on an immersive voyage through the hidden world of microplastics, exploring their pervasive presence in our bodies and ecosystems. Rather than presenting a documentary account, The Journey was conceived as an experiential narrative, inviting audiences to inhabit the perspective of a single particle and witness the ripple of its impact on the environment.

Commissioned by Merck, this project was developed in close collaboration with director Quentin van der Bossche, cinematographer James Medwell, and the practical effects team at Machine Shop SFX. The work combined meticulously crafted miniature tabletop worlds with in-camera special effects, bringing scale, texture, and movement to life. From intimate studio builds to brisk winter days on the Kent coast, every element was designed to convey the ubiquity of microplastics in our surroundings.

The production presented a unique challenge: scaling each scene to the particle’s point of view while maintaining emotional resonance. By layering practical and camera-led experimentation, the project foregrounded materiality as a storytelling device. Every surface, reflection, and shadow became an active participant in shaping narrative and perception.

Winter led the design and art direction throughout, ensuring that each miniature environment functioned not merely as a set, but as a lived, tactile world that could be inhabited by both camera and imagination. The resulting film invites reflection, curiosity, and a heightened awareness of the unseen forces that traverse our everyday lives.