Process Prototype {animation}

Process Prototype_02 {3d diagram}

The 3d diagram was created using SketchUp and Podium renderer. This photograph depicts the prototype for the portion of the animation that will narrate the process as it weaves through closer details.

Process Prototype_01 {storyboard}

Summarized in 9 frames, the process of algae cultivation begins abstractly then moves into a macro-scale depicting a molecular process to a micro-view of the ecosystem surrounding it as people, wildlife, and infrastructure interact within. The final animation for this could certainly incorporate experience as well. The media by which it will be created will be 3ds Max to create scenes of the vertical system and other structural elements as well as Adobe After Effects for composition and Photoshop for touching up. Using particle flow would be useful in depicted movement of the background in the macro camera views.

These frames are thought of like ‘chapters’ at this stage which will eventually evolve into hundreds of sketches to communicate more detail and allow for clarity in representation discussion to guide our ideas.

001 Camera pans down over vertical algae reactors. Style is abstract. The viewer does not initially understand what they see. Begins in gray scale at early morning sun. Light trickles through the transparent hanging structure and slivers of color begin to come into view.

002 Camera movement arcs above the top of a row of vertical reactors. Color is becoming more apparent as time-lapse in the background illustrates the sun’s changing position to high noon. Slight clarity in the algae and spirulina-like molecular forms appear.

003 Still camera shot with high movement. Beautiful shades of green glisten and become darker. Sound  light  and is in  sync with the swift molecular movement. [ idea to being to overlay information in text/graphic form that photosynthesis is occurring..could be with numbers]

004 Macro-view

005 Super Macro-view

006/007 {the next two frames would be two views of the same event (fuel being derived from the algae once it has separated) but one is a still camera shot with transparent structures highlighting the movement and process of the liquid inside and the other is 1st person perspective camera movement following the liquid’s movement. These two move from the harvesting to the distributing phase.

008 This scene is an example of how the harvesting and distributing phases end and transitions from the ‘farm’ out into the larger context. Viewer now understands what the first scenes were about as the camera displays a realistic view of the vertical units.

009 Micro-scale view of the larger infrastructure context of the ecology created by algae cultivation farms. These images will suggest the potential to incorporate clean fuel farms into neighborhoods and focuses on the experience. The message to convey is clean, interesting and most of all a surplus of energy being used. It seems to have a utopian advertising-like imagery concept to it since we are projecting to the future so being as realistic as possible here will be necessary. Using 3ds Max and Vue rendering along with Photoshop will help compile a conclusion to the animation in After Effects.

Inspiration

The beginning our  animation as depicted by the storyboard would pan down over vertical algae reactors. This visual would remain more abstract and use color and light to intrigue the viewer. As the camera view would move closer progressively to a macro-view of the algae, the intention of the next phase of the animation is to enhance curiosity. Beautiful shades of glowing greens get darker as we move in closer to  the molecule level. This animation is inspiration  in its simple, abstract representation of color change to simulate movement within this grid pattern.

Ryan Culligan‘s animation has a ‘tetris’ feel to it. The combination of the gridded movement and the sound has a interesting almost humorous feeling, but you can still understand that he is representing algae separating. This type of abstract use of color will be best for the first frames of our animation where sound and light are used to captivate the viewer.

Study Sketch Animations

This first sketch animation is a rough depiction of how the first scenes could begin abstractly. The movement seems best panning up and down then into a closer scale. The final animations of this would not be so modular and become much more realistic.

collage perspective of possible park, algae cultivation and gas station