Permanent Collection

Sebastian Marek Floats “The Sweet Performance of Bubblegum Plant” Short Film

Posted on Monday, August 3, 2026

3D artist/animator Sebastian Marek, whose last gravity-defying short we featured in Stash 177, is back with a lighthearted take on identity and transformation in this bubblegum-related tragicomedy.

Sebastian Marek: The film explores identity, transformation, and the inevitable pull of our own nature, suggesting that growth begins not by escaping who we are, but by accepting it.

“The film explores identity, transformation, and the inevitable pull of our own nature.”

While my background is rooted in Cinema 4D, The Sweet Performance of Bubblegum Plant was created entirely in Houdini and rendered in Redshift, allowing me to build a fully procedural workflow while preserving the a handcrafted aesthetic.

The original soundscape and voice-over were created by Giovanni Dubini, whose performance brings the flower to life through expressive vocal acting – revealing a distinct personality without facial expressions and demonstrating how sound can make an inanimate object feel alive.

Watch the BTS reel:

Images

Close-up of a pink rose in soft light, showing delicate, layered petals with visible veins and smooth texture—resembling the whimsical beauty of a Bubblegum Plant as captured in a short film by Sebastian Marek. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A potted Bubblegum Plant sits on a pedestal, but instead of flowers, pink balloons float in a playful cluster above its green leaves. The background features ornate white wall molding and green paneling, evoking the whimsical visual style of a Sebastian Marek short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A clay pot tipped on its side with pink, sticky gum-like substance—reminiscent of the peculiar Bubblegum Plant—oozing and stretching onto a white surface. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A plant with green leaves and roots floats indoors, topped with a cluster of pink balloons like a whimsical Bubblegum Plant, under a round skylight in an ornate white ceiling—straight out of a Sebastian Marek short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Broken chocolate pieces with pink filling rest on a white pedestal, placed in a room with green wainscoting and ornate white molding on the wall. A small label is attached to the pedestal, hinting at “Bubblegum Plant,” a whimsical touch reminiscent of scenes from a Sebastian Marek short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Director/animator: Sebastian Marek

Music/sound design: Giovanni Dubini

Toolkit: Houdini, Redshift, Adobe CC, Substance 3D

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: 3D Style, CG, Featured, Short Films · Tags: Giovanni Dubini, Sebastian Marek