Indie Spotlight: Dream Catchers

 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDreamCatchersShow

I fell in love with this indie animated web series by the end of the first scene. It opens on our protagonists' - our team of Dream Catchers' - bedroom. It's a cozy little room composed of cool colors and dreamy, nighttime aesthetics. Nothing can be seen of the outside world; darkness lies beyond the borders and the windows. This room rests atop a small ship floating on a sea that reflects only the night sky. 

Within the sea exists the ephemeral dreamscapes of sleeping people. Fields, voids, towers, all crafted with care and passion. But the slumberland-like, outer space-inspired aesthetics of the core setting drew me in immediately, and set this show apart from anything else I'd seen on YouTube. It looks the way drifting off in the safety of one's bed feels. It is soft, dark, and somehow warm at the same time. It is a lullaby made manifest, a feeling of nostalgia for a place I've never been. It is a summer night looking up at the stars, listening to Lo-Fi beats through headphones, savoring the warmth of a cigarette and trying to forget the imperfections of today and the pressures of tomorrow. It feels like home. 

I find it breathtaking. It creates a sense of isolation, but also of security. It's a comfortable little cerebral space in the middle of nowhere. When I was a kid, I wanted to exist in a place like that. I still do sometimes. I used to read more than anyone else in my class. I wrote stories I knew I would never share. I lived in my head more than I interacted with reality. I also had very vivid dreams growing up, usually nightmares, to the point that I rarely slept through the night when I was in elementary school. It gave me a deep appreciation for media that explores dreams in a way that's not afraid to be profound, but still feels comfortable. 

I hated being scared. But I loved dreaming. The two seemed inseparable when I was young, so I learned to take the good with the bad. Dream Catchers presents that dichotomy with an impressive level of maturity. It is thoughtful and psychological, but always with a light touch. It expresses curiosity more than it claims to offer insight. The world it presents is mysterious and obscured, yet the dreams themselves feel grounded and intimate. The anxieties and fears of daily life project themselves onto the abstract logic of the dream world. Yet they're handled patiently, calmly, with levity free of judgement or condescension. And at the end of it all, we return to this small, cozy room that wears the infinite darkness of the cosmos around its borders like a blanket. And this familiar sliver of a vast world brings us back to serenity. Dream Catchers gives me a feeling I wanted desperately as a child but never managed to hold onto. For that reason, I don't want to summarize or review it. I only want to express gratitude for its existence. 

The series was created by a relatively small group of students from CalArts, yet it rises high above its humble origins with a brand of creativity and craftiness that frees it from the constraints of its production resources. In every scene and setting, it is immediately evident how much love and care went into the project. Beneath the surreal and endearing art, and the soothing music, it harbors a carefree and unapologetically experimental spirit. And to top it all off, the character design is absolutely adorable. 

Every episode shows immense growth as the artists refine their skills and grow more comfortable with the universe they've created. The story is compelling and ambitious, exploring an immense world of cosmic oddities and ephemeral boundaries. Yet the sentiment is simple, and never wears itself out. The expectations of our world cause us to exert pressure on ourselves that darken our minds, and numb us to the beauty we contain within. Yet beyond the twisted constructs that fear manifests within our dreams are opportunities to find peace, to embrace the vulnerability and uncertainty that burdens us rather than drowning beneath it. Dream Catchers acknowledges that these moments are fleeting. Yet their importance is immeasurable. In that respect, it's very thematically similar to Dream Corp, LLC, another underrated piece of media centered around dream exploration. But it addresses said theme with warmth rather than detached discomfort, which allows it to handle a familiar concept in a uniquely personal and honest way.

If you're a fan of indie animation, you'll like this series. If you're not, try it anyway, it might resonate with you like it did with me. And if anyone who worked on this series reads this, thank you for making it, it brightened my life and left me with a childlike awe. Also, if you're looking for unsolicited requests, maybe put the iconic bedroom on a T-shirt or a poster in your merch store. Or maybe a blanket, that would be cool. I don't know, I honestly just want more merch, and the aesthetic has plenty of mass appeal. I'd love to look at that setting every time I walk in my room. 

If you like this series and want a way to support the artists, there unfortunately isn't one. All merch store proceeds go to charity and there's no associated Patreon or anything like that. I'm not sure if that's a result of altruism or the limitations of university backing, but if I could throw money at them, I would in a heartbeat. So all we can do is like and subscribe, the classic YouTube currencies of recognition. The team is apparently working on season 2, and I hope that by the time they release it, they'll have gotten the attention they deserve. So check them out for me. Throw it on the TV and get cozy. Sweet dreams, dear readers.