I Feel You is a personal 3D animation project exploring communication, perception, and the search for connection between people who experience the world in different ways.
The project was created by Ivan Ganin and Mike Laptev in collaboration with the Meshcheryakov Family Center in Sergiev Posad, Russia, where deaf and blind children study and receive support.
01 / PERCEPTION
The project began with a question:
how does a person build an understanding of the world when sight or hearing is unavailable?
How is space perceived through touch, movement, vibration, sound, and systems of signs? What form does an object take in someone’s mind when it cannot be seen or explored as a whole?
02 / SIGNS & COORDINATES
For deaf and blind people, signs have a particular significance. They are not only a means of communication but also a system of coordinates connecting a person with other people and with the surrounding environment.
“I feel you” expressed through hand gestures in Russian Sign Language
A familiar sound can become a spatial landmark, a gesture can form an independent concept, and a tactile impression can become the primary image of an object.
Clay sculptures created by blind children
03 / FROM THE CENTER TO THE FILM
To research the subject, we visited the Meshcheryakov Center several times, spoke with its teachers, and learned about Braille, sign language, educational tools, and the creative practices used by the children. Many elements in the film are based on real objects, gestures, spaces, and stories that we encountered during these visits. Nothing in the visual world of the project was intended to be purely decorative: each image refers to a particular form of perception, learning, or communication.
A wooden Braille pegboard used to learn and form letters by touch
04 / BUILDING THE VISUAL LANGUAGE
I was responsible for the entire 3D production of the film, including modeling, materials, lighting, camera work, rigging, animation, and rendering. Much of the motion was built procedurally using Blender Geometry Nodes. The hand was the only pre-existing asset; I created the rig and all of the gestures and animation specifically for the project.
06 / A CONNECTION BETWEEN WORLDS
Hands became one of the central visual motifs of the film. They represent language, touch, movement, conflict, and the attempt to establish contact. The final scene is based on the sign for “internet.” Its composition recalls the meeting of hands in Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam and represents the moment when a connection emerges between separate worlds.
Credits
Concept, script and direction
Ivan Ganin & Mike Laptev
Art direction and sound design
Ivan Ganin
3D motion design
Mike Laptev
