Backroom Effect (2026)

This project starts from an architectural render of a calm, refined interior and transforms it into a surreal Backrooms-inspired scene. Rather than treating the original image as a finished piece, I used it as the starting point for a visual shift into something more uncanny and unsettling.

Familiar elements from the kitchen — cabinets, chairs, lighting and everyday objects — are removed from their original function and reassembled into a strange sculptural composition inside an empty, liminal space. What was once warm, elegant and believable becomes disorienting and slightly disturbing.

The project focuses on the contrast between realism and unreality, using animation to make the transformation feel more cinematic. Instead of a simple before-and-after, the space appears to collapse and mutate into another dimension, turning a polished render into a darker, more conceptual visual experience.

Written and Directed by Massimiliano Scannavacca (UNSEENlab)

Tools: GPT, Dreamina AI, Seedance 2.5