The crowd-funded anime will make viewers take a plunge into the inner depths of their psyche, guided by shamanic wisdom and virtual reality.
A bold adventure into the mystic and fantasy genres by the Amaralis Art Group will see virtual reality meet not the mundane but the other side of reality. Their under production animation, ‘Shaman’s Wisdom: The Gates of Eternity’ will take its viewers through techniques such as lucid dreaming into the magical hands of shamanic wisdom, where much else lies in store. Set to be released in December 2016 with the aid of an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign, the animation will bring to life, for the first time, symbols, sketches and motifs found in the works of the American anthropologist Carlos Castaneda.
The other side of reality has always fascinated mankind, and the power of plants and drugs that alter states of consciousness has always been the window to take a peek into what lies beyond. It also inspires many art works and movies such as ‘Walking Life’. The animation team at Amaralis aim to attend the same feat with the technique of ‘lucid dreaming’, which allows the viewer to easily step into the role of the main hero.
The film’s protagonist is a modern, middle-aged corporate worker who explores the ancient rituals and literature of American Indians, and undergoes a life altering experience after an accidental or pre-destined encounter with a great shaman. The warrior’s way is all about choosing a path of life with heart. The protagonist-viewer thus discovers the many ways and techniques to enter into altered states of mind and using the power of inorganic things as personal assistants. This wisdom of the American Indians into the supernatural is their sacred heritage, and today scientists, researchers and ordinary people are exploring and stumbling upon the other side of the world.
The 30-minute film, set to be made in English, Spanish, Italian and Russian, will fuse together 2D and 3D techniques with shamanic motifs and symbols found in Castaneda’s ‘Way of the Warrior’ to create a throbbing, colorful vision whose message holds great significance for today’s world. It’s all about believing in the unknown and the unexplainable, to be able to alter life, live consciously and close to nature and take the celebrated path of the warrior.
As an indie and crowd-funded project, the movie is garnering support and finance from well wishers on its Indiegogo campaign page. The perks for funders include hooded sweat shirts, shamanic energy amulet, digital poster, 360 degree virtual reality pictures, branded digital art book, bumper stickers and desktop wallpaper, e-books and DVDs on plants and places of power, mystical T shirts, personal sketches drawn from photos, the movie in virtual reality format, playing card decks with movie motifs, art tarot cards, and an opportunity to become a co-producer or producer or a spirit friend.
Going beyond the anime, Amaralis will also organize Touch Secret Shamanic Wisdom festivals and parties, where participants will come face to face with real shamans of different nationalities, shamanic objects, plants and drinks of power, and learn to grow and develop stronger personalities.
Based in Glasgow, United Kingdom, the Amaralis group comprises a team of creative artists and animators who have a deep passion for the works of Carlos Castaneda, Solomon parables, folklore about Wendigo, the Knights Templar and Illuminati legends. Give the big role played even today by ancient legends and parables, their work is about reviving and embodying these legends and studies in animation.
“The movie is meant to make the viewers experience an altered state just like the cartoon heroes, feel the power of magic plants, and explore other dimensions. Our animators have done all of this work with modern virtual reality to make the viewer taste a part of the unknown. We wish to show that the state of an enlightened mind and self-energy can be achieved through sincere intention and working on oneself, something that our team has experienced,” said Alex Maystrenko, concept artist in Amaralis Art Group.
