The Wanderer [SFM Short Film]

It's wandering time
This is a side story belonging to the Mission-series, for full "immersion" feel free to watch the other parts before this one! Playlist link: • The Mission-series
Big thanks to ‪@lolripk‬ for helping with the walk cycles!
Become a member of the channel to see weekly behind the scenes material and deleted scenes/projects!
Music from Epidemic Sound, use this referral link to check them out and support my channel (This video is not sponsored) - www.epidemicso...
Tracks in order:
Ruiqi Zhao - The Deal
Experia - One More Chance
Red Dictionary - Dark Skies In The West
August Wilhelmsson - Felicia's Secret
August Wilhelmsson - We'll Need A Hero
Follow the channel also here:
Instagram - / dominzki
Discord - / discord
Twitter/X - @dominzki
#SFM​ #TF2

[@that_1_guy_from_mars939]

“Patrolling the Gravel Pit Wasteland almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter” is the vibe I’m getting from this amazing SFM

[@slippyfruit8538]

Kinda looks like Zion

[@MrAntiexistancerifle34157]

​@@slippyfruit8538 Only with more trees around.

[@alias6789]

Fallout 3 New Vegas!?

[@enovos3138]

*Ukrainian accent "Get out of here courier!"

[@Stretch-xd3ed]

Does he come from Krieg?

[@Spyrocrab]

It's really amazing that, even though 'lonely man haunted by the memories of his dead wife' is such a well-worn concept, it can still tell an engaging story in the hands of a skilled creator.

[@tri-sapien6487]

I think any worn concept can, but some (such as this trope) are easier to grab attention than other worn concepts.

[@netherwalker1762]

@@tri-sapien6487 Wow, you (almost) took the words right out of my mouth!

[@Joe_.]

Truly a washed up grade 9 fixer.

[@cachalotreal]

I thought the woman was an employer who had dirty job for the pyro. I was busy with something else when watching

[@wolfalberto]

I stand again by the opinion that you have a terrific good way to do visual storytelling. I love how you managed to show that the first guy in the truck shot himself without a word spoken nor a flashback sequence. The quality of your content is insane and your channel as a whole is extremely underrated (loved the Mission Home episodes too!)

[@Dominzki]

Many thank! ❤ Why waste time use lot storytelling cliche when few do trick? ;D I've also watched your vids since Pyro Cafe and they *_never_* disappoint to this day

[@wolfalberto]

@@Dominzki Awww, you're too kind

[@FuknKms]

Wait what? My innocent mind didnt pick up on that, ig😅

[@chaseishere8460]

@@DominzkiNow kiss

[@funnyman7670]

​@Dominzki please I need to now how this story for Pyro ends

[@Misantropico]

Lovely job. This really shows that you don't need dialogue to create a story or show a character's face to convey emotion. I also like that it had kind of a happy ending. So nice to see that RED and BLU can respect each other in dire times.

[@Dominzki]

Ty!

[@fredlin481]

@@Dominzki If you do end up needing a voice actor for a future project, I'd be honored to give it a try, regardless of whether I'd get paid or not. I may not be the best at it, and I definitely need a better microphone if I'm gonna get serious about it at some point, but I'm nonetheless very passionate around voice acting and acting in general. -That's a whole lot of big, self-important words to say: "I would be more than happy to help you out if given the chance", and I'm perfectly okay with this leading to nothing more than me making a huge fool of myself, because at the very least I gave it a shot. -Also, in case you haven't heard it enough already: Absolutely PHENONMENAL work on the video. Incredibly beautiful, really touching and a sublimely told story.

[@Dominzki]

@@fredlin481 Thank you for the offer, I really appreciate it! Although I intend to keep this series as "mute" since it fits the narrative and the style I've chosen for it, in case I would need voice acting help in the future for something else I'll let you know about it. Glad that you liked the video ^^

[@fredlin481]

@@Dominzki I absolutely understand wanting to keep the series "mute", and as is clearly evident from this video, it also works really well. I'll be looking forward to hear from you if you ever need me.

[@americanpride5540]

The only word spoken in the whole film an anguished "No", fucking amazing.

[@Kidgamer-xl9cr]

oh yeah.... nice.

[@Marco_Diamanti]

Metro, Stalker and a bit of Fallout in there, man, i would stand against god if i was to be told that this ain't one of the most beatiful short SFM films i've ever seen

[@josiearcuri4871]

Wow really you stand against GOD, wow may our righteous Heavenly Father have Mercy on our souls, and May GOD bless you:)

[@bogtrottername7001]

@@josiearcuri4871 There is no god - we invented the concept. Apparently you don't follow the news or know about human history.

[@brodyratliff7441]

​@@bogtrottername7001wow dueshbag alert!

[@_the_spy_8867]

I like how TF2 SFM makers are into Post-apocalyptic theme. Reminded me of a "Endless Rust" SFM, but despite that, your representation of a world seems much bigger. Ambushes, GIGANTIC robots, paranoia of survivors of possible robbers, endless seeming forests and items of the past being left behind. I like it so much, can guess it was inspired by some film or a book, am i right?

[@Dominzki]

Oh I love Endless Rust, it's a genuine masterpiece alongside its sequel! And yup this piece had several different inspirations, such as from games like Fallout, Metro, Stalker and movies like Book of Eli

[@detomnz2024]

@@Dominzki 40k even

[@Dominzki]

Oh yes forgot that, 40K very much too especially on the short vid that introduced the giant robot Soldier

[@corksucker]

@@Dominzkidefinitely get krieg vibes from the wander’s get up

[@jidk6565]

​@@Dominzki It so felt like a titan In the best ways

[@theclonewars1952]

this is honestly a BREATH of fresh air, The fact that this dude was wearing a mask is a COOL detail, and the other fact that he was guided by his own dead wife is really sad.😔 BUT still, this short film is AT LEAST BETTER THAN WHAT KIDS GET THESE DAYS.

[@rellis881]

wow

[@WeatherupStormz]

They Call Me “The Wanderer” Yeah The Wanderer

[@abimanyuputra5185]

I roam around, around, around

[@Kap0wB00M38]

Yeah there's Flo on my left yeah, ans Mary on my right

[@amimoontech7148]

And Janie is the girl well that I'll be with tonight

[@goose1114]

And when she asks me which one I love the best

[@waylonyoung5782]

I tear open my shirt and show "Rosie" on my chest.

[@thedatathief4313]

Bro dropped the hardest SFM today

[@EcoCogNogin]

A perfect example of how not every story needs to be told with words. Very well done 👏

[@Darligt00]

Love this Dominzki, greatly reminds me of the metro series

[@Dominzki]

Metro was indeed one of the big inspirations while creating this ^^ Love those books and games to bits

[@Farinz]

It's always a breeze of fresh air to see stories like this. The pacing together with your ideas for stories is always top notch, the music a very good choice to follow the ambiance. **spoilers** After seeing the whole thing here I am hoping that the guy finds some hapiness with his what seems to be new friends. That's a good story, Domi!

[@Dominzki]

My thanks sir!

[@blueflavoredlemon2683]

I like how before we see his wife we already understand the world he’s in. Immediately I thought the woman had to be hallucination. The perfect clothes, the loving gaze, no way she could be real in a world like this.

[@inquisitorbenediktanders3142]

The artyom vibes are strong with this character, I love it. If the saxxy awards were still held (and vids this long were allowed), this could probably have won.

[@coffejoesmagic8692]

My favourite part was when he said "its wanderin' time" and then proceeded to wander all over the place

[@jarmakbautista4765]

Same

[@PracticallyBlind]

This joke isn’t funny anymore 😔 Remove the emoji and my comment would have it actually meaning

[@jankoblidtke2175]

This is the only time it atleast made sense

[@Ttegegg]

@@PracticallyBlindhey got any spare wrinkles?

[@ninjatanknick6424]

It was funny to begin with?​@@PracticallyBlind

[@Blackimus]

You did awesome work here, Dom! Personally I really enjoy these quiet immersive videos as it can sometimes be better that way. This is one of those cases. Everything looked great, you conveyed body language well which is always a nice plus, lighting was great, particles, animation, storytelling with imagery, etc. It's all good! Funny enough I thought about doing something like this for a TSU episode way back in the day when I first started. Nowadays I can't even imagine myself doing this in the main series itself. But yeah, best of luck on your original ideas - I know sometimes it might seem like nobody cares about that because of the low view counts but trust me, there are people out there who care more about original ideas than a standard funny haha video. Stay strong, don't rush and don't overwork yourself!

[@Dominzki]

Thanks mate! ❤ Oh I would've loved to see your take on something like this for sure too, and no worries I'm making these short films both for myself and the audience, not for the money ^^ Love how you did your Q&A btw, really entertaining to watch the entire thing!

[@Blackimus]

I already respect you a lot more because you actually watched the 3rd Q&A. Thank you! Stay strong! @@Dominzki

[@zetaprime1688]

What I love about this video are the moments when the spirit of his wife was there, visually guiding him through safe passages, being there to not make him feel alone, pointing out the dangers that he can't see and letting him know who to trust is just beautiful. It almost brought me to tears.

[@cap_banana]

pyro looks exactly like ncr ranger from fallout(and yes, that animation is perfect)

[@poopoo-yw8tj]

ncr pyro

[@morbuskid1720]

I love that his subconscious is in the shape of his wife ( who I'm assuming is deceased). She sticks around the back parts of his mind to keep him moving, to motivate him but also act as his moral compass. The wanderer clearly knows better than to attack people living peacefully, but he feels it's the softer side of his wife that keeps his brutal tendencies in check, which wouldn't surprise considering the things he probably has done thus far to survive this long.

[@imadking11]

The wanderer... has wandered into his new home

[@chaos2097]

Great animation story telling 10/10 Love the fight scene and the way you show what happend in a place before the Wanderer came there good luck mate

[@SilverStar1987]

The storytelling and cinematographic photography were impeccable, they perfectly convey the story without saying a single word, and each shot conveys emotions. Also I can't deny that I love seeing the TF2 characters in post-apocalyptic contexts and it is a very interesting resource, the setting is very well done in all the environments. Something that if it would have been interesting would have been to put a little more work into the sound aspect in everything that is sound effects, so that the environments are more immersive. But otherwise I loved the animation and I hope it does very well because it deserves all the support possible. Keep doing great work!

[@Dominzki]

Thank you! The decision of using limited amount of sound effects and relying more on the music was a conscious one, but a version where there were more sound effects could've also been great indeed. This was kind of an experiment in many aspects ^^

[@qaisismail2662]

Is rare to find any outstanding sfm's nowadays but that doesn't mean we can't make our own, sure it won't be easy but will manage it

[@ColonelFanzipantzen]

CALL HIM AIM ASSIST CAUSE HE NEVER MISSES! But seriously though, how on earth do you keep doing it? You're an insanely talented filmmaker dude, your sense of direction and visual narrative are really impressive. Every single one of your damn films are bloody awesome!

[@Dominzki]

These inhumane thoughts spark sometimes I guess x)

[@fidgetjack]

i dont know how, but the ending actually made me somewhat cry, the wanderer finally finds a safe place to stay, atleast he is safe now.

[@natertaterhd7328]

You so deserve a Saxxy for this, this sfm is so good! A simple silent narrative but it's done so cleanly

[@erolaga31]

I respect anyone who can work with SFM, and the fact is you deserve way more subscribers and viewers than you currently have for your skill level

[@bruhmoment3741]

The fact that to this day, there are masterpieces like this being created on the SFM engine with characters from 2007 really shows how the community despite the setbacks is still thriving.

[@screaming_cat2007]

This is why movies like Wall-E succeed, environmental storytelling

[@user-ol2qo2lx5k]

HOW DID YOU MAKE ME CRY ??? An old concept brought to life ... BRAVO !!!

[@JM-zd6ml]

Wow that really gives of vibes i rarely get from games, like Metro, especially Exodus. Just finished it and this hits just the same. Keep it up good sir

[@EndThusIAm]

Another beautiful example of how much you can convey without seeing a character's face nor even have any dialogue with the right visuals and cinematography. Very well done, had me sitting still to watch from the start!

[@MCToons918]

This is one of the most well told SFM's I've seen in years, You outdone yourself as an animator. I hope the video gets more attention soon, You deserve it for this Master Class of a SFM.

[@zolden37]

How do you plan out your films?

[@Dominzki]

Usually I get inspired by some movie/series/comic, or the idea just comes out from picturing neat looking scenes in my head, out of which I then build the story however much it needs to make sense as a video and what I deem interesting

[@zolden37]

@@Dominzki So basically just jumping into it. Making the scenes and then making what goes in-between?

[@Dominzki]

@@zolden37 Basically yes in terms of the script at least, as I always write that before touching SFM other than scouting for suitable models etc.

[@UsernotFound2018]

​@@DominzkiThat's amazing

[@ihavespoken9871]

@Dominzki Do you have any tips regarding writer’s block?

[@brobot1099]

The story telling and how it was well put together actually made me tear up a bit, seeing raw emotion without any dialogue telling the tale of a broken man having no place to call home, finally finds peace

[@zoro4661WasTaken]

Absolutely amazing. The sound, the animation, the story - I love it. I also love how, despite everything that happened in this world, it seems that Earth and its inhabitants will endure. The Wanderer and the people he met. Whoever the Sniper and Soldier of the Crow's Nest were with. The animals themselves. The crows. C17 and whatever life she may unleash into this world. The metallic titan still being around is absolutely terrifying, but aside from that...there's hope. I dig it.

[@atom_bomb_77]

What I thought was an interesting detail was when the giant was walking by he chose to raise the gun to his own head. Telling us that he knew he’d have no chance against it so he’d rather make it quick than whatever that thing could do.

[@Dodsodalo]

I LOVE wordless stories. Animation can SHOW so much better than books to tell a story. And couple it with atmosphere and music, and mmf. Perfect stories, the less words spoken the more dramatic the story told

[@amideos8]

ENG:A wonderful animation describing the survival of not many people who survived after a turning point. The beginning of the story clearly shows that someone wanted to solve everything with one pull of the trigger and someone continues to live, either because he just wants to survive or reach his desired goal despite the fact that Everywhere you go, death awaits you. In part, the story is reminiscent of the film "The Book of Eli" where the main character also followed his own landmark, regardless of the risks and dangers that met him along the entire path and the wounds received as a result of this long journey, he reached the end point. An interesting significance of the ending is the fact that he left the revolver in the place where it lay, marking the end of his journey. It all started and ended with the revolver, excellent attention to detail. RUS:Прекрасная анимация описывающая выживание не многих людей выживших после переломного дня .Начало истории хорошо показывает что кто-то захотел всё решить одним нажатием курка а кто-то продолжает жить, либо потому что он просто хочет выжить либо дойти до желанной цели несмотря на тот факт что везде куда бы ты не пошёл тебя ждёт смерть. Отчасти история напоминает фильм "Книга Элая" где главный герой тоже шёл по своему ориентиру невзирая на риск и опасности что встречали его на протяжении всего пути и раны полученные в результате этого долгого похода он добрался до конечной точки. Интересным значением концовки является тот факт что он оставил револьвер на том месте где он лежал обозначив конец своего пути. Револьвером всё началось им и закончилось, прекрасное внимание к деталям.

[@Xsyara]

Dat was very, very strong one, mate. Magnificent work. I always like your vids so much, and this one over hits me to the small tears. Keep dooing, bro.

[@Twenty_Third_Nerd2347]

I thought this would be a Fallout thing, and i mean it kind of was in a way, but let's be honest this animation is STELLAR with or without fallout's influence in the genre. Excellent work dude

[@docstrife3749]

Wow I'm lost for words on how beautiful the visual story telling is It would be utterly disrespectful if this sfm didn't get a saxxy reward. Something like this needs a TV show built in your name dominski. I need more of this you opened a hole in my stomach and I hunger for more and all you did is leave me on a cliff hanger.

[@Dominzki]

Should I do the Valve treatment and leave the story at the cliff hanger? xd Nah, the next part of this series has already been started but is just on a temporary hold at the moment because of other projects. More will come! _Oh and btw_ I usually hide Easter eggs and coded messages in some of the videos, hinting towards this series and others ;)

[@stikkippy1481]

Already liked the video, i saw that little glass shatter on the truck back window and knew this was going to be an amazing ride.

[@hkh4-onehandedvidya]

Twas a great little story made me vaugelly recall some older sfm

[@Kiloburn]

Hauntingly familiar, with great cinematography, lovely music and some really well done storytelling, this manages to cover a lot of well-worn tropes without feeling unoriginal, boring or thin. Very well done!

[@MissJellyBee]

Absolutely fantastic short film, the story of The Mission series is becoming so much more along with this side story to tell!

[@Dominzki]

The plot thickens

[@BerdSocks1]

Had me holding my breathe the whole time. Excellent short film.

[@MrHydesAlterEgo]

Oh man, I love no-dialogue visual storytelling. This is an EXCELLENT SFM and I am subscribing immediately!

[@alexsp4853]

7:20 i know this is a decisive scene but the way our wanderer just dropped to the floor. Despite the bold atmosphere that put a smile on my face

[@A_Pinocheat]

Reminds me soo much of Endless Rust! Way to tell a story without dialouge!

[@Ghostly_scarf]

Man when silent story telling is done right ITS GOOD. This was a fantastic job! We learn so much about what the wanderer is like, a skilled fighter, survivalist, grieving and being guided by his dead wife. The music choice was also really nice! And the changes in seasons and environments with each scene hints that the wanderer has been traveling for a VERY long time. Always great to see another animation with genuinely great storytelling!

[@CrimsonKnight79]

"A man with past but no purpose will Wander the Earth till he finds a place to call home" - A wise man

[@The-Lion-Of-Feronia]

I like how he points the gun towards himself when the robot was looking in his direction but not when the medic is, I wonder what the robots do with People they find?

[@ledadir2111]

You are so underrated! This short film is fire! 🔥🔥💯

[@cobbington773]

This is fucking gorgeous, it's so impressive that you were able to do all of this with source filmmaker & tf2 assets

[@pepsiatlas5452]

ive been hoping for a longer cut from you, your work has phenomenal atmosphere and subtlety, this did not disappoint! Genndy Terchovsky would be proud!

[@crontogr822]

This is a hidden gem. I hope you will reach 500k subscribers one day. Keep it up!

[@Anonymous-73]

If the Saxxy Awards were still a thing this would be a Unanimous winner.

[@Riadguy]

in a world were its filled with bots no updates you can stumble upon a sfm masterpiece

[@brianj.stephan2080]

This was amazing! Seriously, you should be proud of yourself, this was a gem to watch

[@Kidgamer-xl9cr]

the *CLICK* before the music kicks in is amazing. (4:46)

[@notispadiko8371]

truly incredible story telling with only 1 word spoken and some music. bravo

[@connerthewubbzler1062]

I don't know if the Saxxy's are still a thing, but you would 100% get my vote! This was super beautifully done and fantastically handled, I loved everything about it!

[@MeestahreL]

This is..... Simply put, amazing. And I can't put it in another way.

[@eragon0734]

The small love story made me almost cry , amazing work.

[@Unknown-lf2kl]

Very well made animation and not a single word made.Very well done.

[@brunosilva1844]

Wow, it's really nice seeing the tf2 community still doing long SFM, I'm pretty sure that if this was submitted to the saxxy awards you would win

[@user-fb3gw8vt5q]

Truly a masterpiece, this narrative has meaning, and that revolver is special

[@mandysmith7619]

That was so sad, yet sweet....his dead wife's spirit kept him safe by being his guide whilst he was "wandering"...BUT it was time to move on, settle, become apart of another family in a time when bonds within humanity is much needed most, even more so when it's against an enemy, no idea who they were but evil bad A.i or Alien...!! Frightening yet Beautiful story.... would love to see more 👏

[@corvuscyrus]

No words needed, the short animation tells a story on its own.

[@2WARDEN2]

Unparalleled visual story telling. When he wordlessly chose to leave the revolver, and the weight of suicidal temptation that clung to it, was just 🤌

[@toadboydude5015]

FANTASTIC AGAIN, great work as always.

[@Wiki-cq6fc]

Good stuff! I wanna see more of this, no words but a great atmosphere.

[@ZeDitto3]

He’s really the type of guy, that like to roam around. He never in one place, he roam from town to town.

[@TheGrayfrog100]

That was amazing! Brought a little of Randall Clark from Fallout to mind.

[@lambdrey]

It felt like a lifetime. Don't take it a bad way. It got me so much into the story that I felt like I've lived the span of a lifetime, seen beautiful, horrifying, a lot.

[@Dominzki]

Then it has been a *_Great success!_* x)

[@davidofglenbrook4487]

I just totally freaked. It blew my mind. After watching this I hurled chunks.

[@CopperBoy_tv]

its was perfect! perfect! down to any single minute it was perfect!

[@sasha1mama]

And so, KS-23 in hand, the dispossessed Desert Ranger wandered, seeking resolution.

[@The_Nocturnal_Raven]

The ending of this reminded me of Remnant 2's Ward 13. A smidge of hope against the dark. Well done with this.

[@Kujirai-B]

the visual storytelling!!! that was insane!

[@tremolo_painter]

beautiful; the music, visuals, tenderness... incredibly emotional. thank you

[@zericle1]

I've watched every single one of your videos since I came across your channel. Never have I seen a harder working SFM creator who's so underrated. I hope you get millions of views eventually, you deserve it, dude.

[@MamBitch]

I'm hopeful and really looking forward to the next episode. Please don't give up this project

[@ShOwOba]

I audibly gasped after that first scene, my god that is an amazing why to start a short film.

[@ShockedTaiLung]

This looks sick as hell

[@Unknown_Bag]

I applaud you for this. Genuinely its great writing.

[@captainash1297]

Damn, barely a word spoken and yet such amazing story. Fantastic work!

[@AllThingsFilm1]

No words spoken, yet so much was said. Excellent story and visuals. Subscribed.

[@LordNorth13]

Fantastic animation! really loved the whole Fallout New Vegas Ranger look to Pyro. Keep up the great work!

[@kubel83]

You are amazing at story telling. I even cried a little that the only thing that kept him going was because the memories of his dead wife, and she was being his guardian angel leading him to safe haven. Sure it was the opposite faction but they took him in when he lowered his gun thanks to his ghost wife. Really amazing story and video. Not a single word spoken but you manage to tell the story so beautifully. Subscribed! 😊

[@alang.bandala8863]

I love how he keeps a small revolver, not for defense but for himself. Just in case

[@firebadwatergood431]

The Wanderer found Home. No place like home rather than being a stranger in your own land.

[@DaftSpunky]

1:44 gave me chills, I hope this blows up Domin it deserves so much love

[@vaksik7588]

Really nice work. I can see other details have been already pointed out, I also noticed that at the end he didn't take his weapons from the table. Like he was going to retire from the life of a violent survivor-scavenger and live peacefully from now on.

[@FiYx55]

Amazing and inspiring. So much said without a single (almost) word. Thank you.

[@HumbleTrooper]

As a Team Fortress fan it’s like the world’s greatest game of Eye Spy trying to find all the TF2 assets you used, great animation!

[@solav46]

"This was beautiful, a nice an wonderful design to share. Thank you~!"

[@billping6712]

A+ for how well you utilized the available assets