In Your Dreams Creatives Explain How They Created the Wonderfully Unique World of Breakfast Town

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Netflix’s new animated movie, *In Your Dreams*, is a one-of-a-kind story about dreams. It centers on siblings Stevie and Elliot who discover the Sandman – a legendary figure who appears in everyone’s dreams and has the power to make their biggest wish come true: a perfect family.

Netflix recently gave TopMob a sneak peek at their new animated film, *In Your Dreams*. During a presentation about the film’s creation, VFX Supervisor Nicola Lavender and Production Designer Steve Pilcher explained how they brought the movie’s imaginative world to life. They focused on Breakfast Town, a unique dream location where all the characters are literally made of breakfast foods.

In Your Dreams releases on Netflix on November 14, 2025.

Making the Wonderful World of Breakfast Town For ‘In Your Dreams’

“If a Child Wanted to Make a Little French Town, What Would They Use?”

As the name In Your Dreams implies, a significant portion of the Netflix movie happens within a dream. A central setting is Breakfast Town, a whimsical place populated entirely by characters who are different types of breakfast foods.

Steve Pilcher described their core idea as a straightforward question: “If a child wanted to expand a small French town, what materials would they choose?”

Steve Pilcher points out the amount of detail and effort visible in the project, referencing materials like popsicle sticks and milk cartons covered in construction paper. He asks what a child would use to build a small French town with these materials. He acknowledges the display isn’t likely something a child would create at home, but focuses on the components used. He emphasizes that all the figures feel lively because specific details were intentionally added to create a sense of realism, even within a fantastical setting.

Throughout the movie, Stevie and Elliot face scary nightmares as they search for the Sandman. These nightmares completely alter the dreams they experience.

The team working on the town of Pilcher decided to create a deliberately aged and rundown appearance for the breakfast scenes. To achieve this, VFX Supervisor Nicola Lavender and her team developed a completely new visual effects system.

When things started to go wrong, we focused on how to transition the game into a more unsettling atmosphere. We even imagined it becoming ‘moldy,’ and visualized a creeping mold spreading across the environment alongside storms and darkness – something that would create that feeling. It really requires immersing yourself in the game world, thinking about all the possibilities, and constantly striving to improve the experience.

Nicola Lavender explained that the team created a system to digitally alter the entire set and characters. This involved warping the geometry and simulating mold growth, effectively transforming the world within the visuals.

Someone in the press noticed there were no waffles and wondered if anyone had ever thought about adding them to the town’s offerings.

Pilcher explained that they initially considered using waffles to build the castle walls, but the idea proved impractical.

Steve Pilcher recalled a time when designers proposed building castle walls with a waffle-like texture. He objected, explaining it felt wrong to create structures resembling people’s homes. He suggested establishing guidelines – setting certain limits – to actually encourage more imaginative design.

Pilcher explained that they chose to populate the town using eggs, and this turned out to be crucial for bringing Breakfast Town to life.

As a film enthusiast, I was fascinated to hear about how they planned to fill the screen with… well, creatures! Apparently, the team decided to use eggs as a quick way to populate the scene. It’s a simple idea – just lots and lots of eggs – and they could play with the color to add some variety. You’ll definitely notice them, especially during the chase scenes!

If you haven’t noticed already, Breakfast Town is packed with interesting details. You can spot donuts coming to life and getting their sprinkles added, and even see fruits purchasing little “vanity” stickers – similar to the ones you find on produce at the grocery store.

Steve Pilcher described someone as being like a French croissant. They created a detailed drawing of an avocado – almost like a historical painting – and attached it to the back of the canvas. You might be able to catch a glimpse of it if you pause the footage. He also added some paint to it and placed it there.

Nicola Lavender and Steve Pilcher shared that beyond Breakfast Town lies the Broccoli Forest, a playful nod to children’s dislike of the vegetable. Though it looks great in the finished film, this area was originally part of a much larger scene in an earlier draft of the story, but was ultimately cut.

The brand new trailer for the movie can be seen here:

Netflix is having a lot of success with its animated shows, and their recent release, *K-Pop Demon Hunters*, is likely to be renewed for another season.

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2025-09-25 16:06