The importance of this project goes beyond any description I can add here.
Working with Dream Theater is a dream coming true, since they first got in contact with my work back in 2015.
Throughout the following years, I was able to create covers, logos and other graphic visuals for Jordan Rudess and James LaBrie, and even an animation for John Petrucci's solo album.
- Context -
I was contacted by Wayne Joyner (motion designer who creates their live visuals) to create the intro and outro animation for Dream Theater's live visuals for their Parasomnia tour, in 2026. The animation was shown during the first part of the set, where they played the Parasomnia album in its entirety.
- Concept -
The challenge was to create a brief animated story that could depict all the sounds and atmosphere from these sections.
Parasomnia is a theme album about creepy tales revolving around sleep disorders, such as the famous case of a sleepwalker who killed his wife while dead asleep, or the Shadow Man, a widespread paranormal phenomenom experienced by many people during sleep paralysis.
The first 56 seconds are from In The Arms of Morpheus, an instrumental intro which starts with sound effects to set the mood of the story - moments before someone gets ready to sleep.
The remaining part of the animation (where the pocket watch shows up) ended up not being included during the set, but was meant to be played during the last track - The Shadow Man Incident -, which also ends with sound effects representing an abstract display of nightmares and someone waking up as an alarm goes off.
The animation will be featured in the DVD recorded during the Chile concert on April 2026.
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Special thanks to:
Gustavo Agostini, my amazing friend and concert brother. The blessed soul who introduced me to James and Jordan back in 2016, changing the course of my career;
Wayne Joyner, my incredible and talented friend and work partner. Thank you for trusting my work and giving me this (and many others) amazing opportunity to work with my favorite band;
Jordan Rudess and James LaBrie, two beautiful souls and out of this world artists who I'm grateful to call my friends;
To my mom, dad and sister, who, needless to say, have supported me since always and have been my driving force behind every struggle and victory;
And to Stefhany, mi pequeña, my love, my homie, my good morning message, the reason of my bad poetry. The only path in an infinite corridor of possibilities! ♥
In the Arms of Morpheus intro
The Shadow Man Incident Outro
Finished frames
Process from storyboard sketch to finished frame
Storyboard planning
Early animatic
2D animation sketches
Photo from the live visual - Brazil, 2026 (taken by the author)
Live footage from São Paulo - 09.05.2026 (recorded by the author)
