Kofi Opoku

What is Déjà vu? – An explainer video by Lindsey Gentil

May 19, 2025 by Kofi Opoku

Another semester of teaching motion graphics is in the books. I really enjoyed this year’s class—they were a talented and dedicated group. I was especially impressed by their research and communication skills. For one of the projects, students were tasked with creating an animated video that explained a topic or concept from a non-art field. The goal was to push design students to explore unfamiliar subjects and use animation to make complex ideas accessible. One standout piece came from Lindsey Gentil, who created an explainer video on the phenomenon of déjà vu. I found the work impressive, not just in terms of art direction but also in clarity of communication. I reached out to Lindsey to discuss her project.

Final explainer video by Lindsey Gentil

What drew you to the idea of déjà vu for this project?

I was bouncing ideas off of one of my roommates and she brought up how she has trouble picturing things in her head. Aphantasia became the topic of conversation, and that at first was my chosen topic. I then asked her questions about how she sees things and we compared our experiences, first starting with memories. She talked about how they don’t play like a movie in her head, and it’s more of a description of the events that she thinks of. This sparked my interest in how random memories pop up, as I experience déjà vu quite frequently. She said that she has gotten déjà vu maybe once in her life and she barely remembers it. I then went down a rabbit hole after our conversation, and got super into the psychological causes.

Objective slide stating the goal to inform about déjà vu. Text explains the objective is to inform the audience about possible causes and general explanations of déjà vu, bridging scientific study with deeper philosophical questions about time, reality, and consciousness.
Persona slide featuring Jordan, a 23-year-old avid traveler. A photo shows Jordan, a young woman with dark hair. Text describes her as a psychology major who frequently experiences déjà vu during her travels, sparking her curiosity about its causes and interpretations.

Slides from Lindsey’s class presentation on the topic

Can you describe the art direction and what you aimed to achieve with it?

Déjà vu is usually a dreamy out-of-body experience where the mind attempts to make sense of things that likely didn’t happen. I really liked the idea of including design elements that sometimes didn’t make sense, like you couldn’t quite place what you were seeing. I wanted to include lots of texture that added to the fuzzy, mysterious vibe.

Abstract illustration of a human head and shoulders, rendered with overlapping, translucent, colorful shapes in pinks, blues, and greens, creating a dreamlike or psychological feel. Simple black line art, including circles and a squiggle, floats around the head. The background is a light, grainy pink.
Stylized illustration of an autumn tree with vibrant orange foliage. A swing hangs from one of its branches. In the background, a sketchy fence and a distant construction crane are visible against a light beige, textured background. Orange leaves are scattered on the ground.
Minimalist illustration featuring a large, textured yellow sun. A small, silhouetted human figure walks up a white staircase that leads towards a white platform extending from the sun. The background is a pale, textured yellow.

Lindey’s visual research for the animation

What inspired your choice of color scheme, and how does it support the mood of the animation?

Shifting gradients and brighter colors were essential to the mood. I weirdly thought of Ratatouille when he eats the cheese and grapes and those bursts of color come over his head almost like fireworks. I wanted these colors to move and change from cool to warm to illustrate the mind processing information, almost like a computer.

Abstract, grainy image depicting a recessed doorway or portal. The background is a gradient from speckled off-white on the left to deep blue on the right. The doorway is a lighter blue, suggesting an opening into another space.
Abstract illustration on a dark, grainy background, showing two symmetrical faces. A white, upward-pointing arrow is positioned between them at the bottom. Green concentric circles, suggesting sound waves or a focal point, radiate from the center top area between the heads.
Abstract, grainy image depicting a recessed doorway with a silhouetted figure standing at the entrance. The background is predominantly blue, and the doorway is blue with speckled white grain.
Abstract illustration of three stylized, colorful human heads arranged side-by-side. The left head is grainy green, its eye featuring a green iris. The center head is grainy purple, its eye containing a blue and purple question mark. The right head is grainy orange-yellow, its eye featuring an orange-yellow iris. They are set against a soft, blurry pink and lavender gradient background

Visual treatment showing gradient shifts and texture for the mysterious vibe

Were there any creative challenges in telling a complex story like déjà vu within a short video format, and how did you overcome them?

I had a hard time deciding how much information should be included in the animation. Before the class presentation, I wished I could explore the theories and get into the science a little more so it was definitely difficult to strike a balance between keeping it engaging and also informing. I ended up prioritizing the most prevalent theories and knocking out the extra information that felt a little bit awkward, like I was trying to force it in there.

Storyboard with nine panels illustrating an animation sequence about déjà vu, with sketches and text descriptions below each panel
Lindsey’s storyboard sequence for the project (truncated)
Lindsey’s animatic for the project


Do you think animation has particular strengths when exploring themes like déjà vu?

I enjoy the smooth, slightly “squishy” movements of the elements and how there’s not a lot of literal representation. My favorite part is the use of sound and secondary sounds to create a serene, whimsical vibe that supports the imagery and is able to react with what viewers see. The repeating sequences at the end also add to the déjà vu experience, reflecting what people experience when it occurs.

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