Ben Oauniche

Ben Ouaniche is an Israeli filmmaker, visual artist, and photographer, best known as the founder of Macro Room, a creative studio specializing in macro cinematography, slow-motion imagery, and experimental practical effects. His videos and short films have been featured on digital platforms such as PetaPixel, Nerdist, Colossal, and Laughing Squid.

His short film Eden received the 2025 Webby Award and People's Voice Award in the Video & Film: Art & Experimental category.

Career

In early 2016, Ouaniche released Pills Dissolve, a macro-cinematography project documenting the dissolution of over-the-counter pills in water. The video used extreme close-up imaging and long-duration timelapse recording to display details not visible to the naked eye. The work contributed to the development of his YouTube channel, Macro Room.

In November 2016, he produced Everyday Objects in Macro, a video examining the surface textures of seventeen common items. Each object was shown first in magnified detail and then in a wider shot to reveal its identity. The production involved experimenting with macro setups, controlled lighting and lens configurations.

In June 2019, he released 360 Slow Motion, created using a custom-built rotating camera rig designed to film slow-motion action while moving around a tabletop set. Ouaniche constructed the device, which required manual control and repeated takes. Production of the video took approximately three and half months.

In early 2021, Ouaniche released a slow-motion video marking his channel reaching one million subscribers. The project recorded liquid-filled balloons bursting against his face and included real-time and behind-the-scenes footage of the production process.

In June 2021, Ouaniche released Playing With Time, a short video employing high-speed cinematography and compositing to create the effect of continuous interaction with slowed objects. He noted that the project drew partial inspiration from the film Tenet and included a brief reference to it within the video.

In 2024, Ouaniche released Eden, an experimental short film using abstract imagery and slow-motion effects to depict themes related to human agency, technological progress, and self-destruction. The film combined practical and visual effects to present a symbolic narrative, and later received the 2025 Webby Award and People's Voice Award in the Art & Experimental category.

Filmography

Short films Eden (2025)

Selected Video Projects Pills Dissolve (2016) Everyday Objects in Macro (2016) 1M Subscribers – thank you! (2021) 360 Slow Motion (2021) Playing With Time (2021)

Personal life Ouaniche is based in Tel-Aviv, Israel.