Imagine a reality constructed around you, built on everything you know and desire. There is no need to take risks. There is no need to grow, as you have obtained true comfort. But at what cost? What are you giving up for this comfort? There is no way this could be causing more harm, right? Right? Shingles is a 3d animation depicting this very concept. The animation focuses on a house in which someone lives. This house is infected by a parasite known as a shingle bird. This is a creature that looks like both a shingle and a bird, but in reality is neither. This bird slowly replaces parts of the house with itself until only flesh remains. The person that occupies this house is unaware that this replacement is occurring. They continue living their life even as the parasite begins to take control of them. This piece was made in Blender. All of the models and animations were created in Blender. The final edits and composite were made using After Effects and Premiere Pro. The music was written using Ableton Live and includes a synthesizer I coded. This piece is inspired by Existentialist philosophies. It aims to question the harm that a person causes to themself and the others around them by seeking to maintain a sense of “comfort”. This imagines a world in which a person finds themself “trapped” by this notion. In reality, it is the person who actively seeks it out and perpetuates this cycle of oppression and stagnation. Cycles and repetition happen because people are afraid to leave the safety net, so they choose to either live life as it is or retreat back to past behaviors. People stay blinded and lie to themselves in order to obtain “comfort” out of the fear of unease.