The Alphabet is one of David Lynch’s first short films, mixing animation with live action. This film creates an extremely unsettling feeling in my stomach, and I didn’t know films could have that effect on me, so I am very interested in looking into more of Lynch’s earlier shorts.

This experimental film showcases an abundance of bizarre shapes and textures. Being interesting enough that there does not need to be a plot or strong characters. Lynch’s motivation for this film was to portray a nightmare to audiences when they are awake. This surreal nightmare uses its abstract visuals and sounds to create a mood that is almost impossible to describe. Lynch was inspired by the niece of his wife Peggy, who had been reciting the alphabet in her sleep during a nightmare. That’s the sort of simple moment that can inspire a brilliant film like The Alphabet.

 I have always focused on plot in projects that I have undertaken in the past, because I thought plot was one of the most important elements in film, but after watching some abstract and experimental short films over the past two weeks, has really made me think differently. I might use this film as inspiration for sound design, because without the sound design in this short, it wouldn’t have been as eerie as it was. After screening this in class, we also learnt that the wind sound was just Lynch blowing into the mic, which I really didn’t even think of until he said it. So maybe I could explore using vocals as sounds that you wouldn’t expect.