Regardless of our amazingly advanced CGI technology, it’s rare to see a piece of CGI artistry that’s so masterful it makes one stop and question whether it’s actually real footage. The short film The Third & The Seventh by Alex Roman is a gorgeous CGI journey through the art of architecture that inspires one to ask “is that really animation?”

The video explores constructed spaces as main characters, taking the technical aspect out of architecture and looking at it as straightforward, uncomplicated art. The stark interplay of light and shadow, the complex nature of surfaces, the infinite grace of open spaces: these are the compelling ideas that make this short film so mind-blowing.

Set to a truly beautiful score, this enchanting photographic exploration delves into the sometimes-tense balance between man-made and natural spaces. Here they intertwine peacefully in the skilled hands of Alex Roman.

Roman animated the entire short film using 3dsmax, Vray, AfterEffects and Premiere. Not one bit of the film was photographed or filmed – it is all computer graphics. Knowing that every single element was created by the filmmaker makes the incredible artistic achievement all the more impressive.