There are arguably some moments in one’s life that make you take stock and question whether you are making the most of your time. Undergoing diagnosis for cancer and then subsequent chemotherapy is probably one of those times.
This musician certainly made the most of his time when he created this stunning music video during his 5-hour chemo sessions, using the CT scans themselves to create this captivating video to accompany his latest composition, ‘Hellbrunn Automatons’.
Cellist, composer, and now cancer survivor Justin Wright was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year. He underwent thorough CT body scans to check where the cancer had spread. Wright then used these images as the basis for his music video, putting the slices together in a stop-motion form.
Justin then teamed up with his close friend, 3D animator Max Kaplin, who assembled the slices into 3D models that morph to display different tissue types.
“I began making this music video as something to keep me occupied during my daily five-hour chemo infusions,” Justin writes. “I was really determined to make something beautiful out of this whole ordeal, and when I played around with my scans on the medical imaging software, I knew immediately that this was how.”
“These images – detailed, thorough, and repetitive – were the perfect representation of one of strongest feelings I had throughout my treatment: the relinquishment of my body to the multitude of experts examining every inch of it, a slightly morbid ego-death where I nearly stopped seeing my body as my own.”
Justin explains that they lit the 3D models like museum displays, and then used an AI colorizer to color each of the 2D frames however it wanted.
The track, ‘Hellbrunn Automatons’, was apparently written long before Wright’s diagnosis, but he says that its “repetition and optimism as it falls apart ended up pairing perfectly with the visuals.”
It’s an astounding pairing of music and visuals, and one that sends a powerful message. You’ll see from Wright’s Instagram feed that he is pretty young. Testicular cancer generally is not an affliction of the middle-aged and elderly but is predominantly found in younger men. Fortunately, it’s also one of the most survival with a great outlook, especially if caught early.
Thankfully awareness campaigns have begun to pay off, and Wright caught the disease early on and was able to receive treatment swiftly. He is now currently cancer free.
All of us at DIYP wish Justin all the best and look forward to more innovative music videos in the future. That and I’m going to re-assess how I’m using my time to its fullest from now on!
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