Making Thought Cabinet was a profoundly personal experience for me, as it forced by to revisit a time in my life marked by great mental strife.  

During this period, inanimate objects became manifestations of ideas themselves, which led me to believe that mundane actions such as twisting a doorknob or touching a belt would induce devastating real-world consequences.

 

However, reflecting on this experience inspired me to construct a film that switches back and forth between two realities: the objective world (portrayed using traditional narrative filmmaking techniques in black and white) and the world of subconscious association (represented through a polychromatic flurry of experimental footage).

 

This dichotomous approach to filmmaking presented some unique challenges. As the “objective” world was all shot in the same warehouse space, I had to use a variety of camera angles and lighting techniques to retain visual interest throughout the film. Conversely, the “subjective” segments had no environmental limitations, creating the opposite problem of never knowing what to film. Working on a zero-dollar budget, I found myself driving endlessly across town to collect props and equipment, including over three hundred leather belts from friends and family!