FV - Forming Fossil Fuels Diagram

After emailing the client she wanted me to change the way I went about explaining how fossil fuels are formed. I then decided to explain it using a diagram that will be a matte painting and the carbon will come on screen and go into more detail about the fossil fuels. I used pre-existing diagrams as influence and then tried to add the UPA style to it so it matches my art direction.

FV - Final Script

Scene starts with a normal Carbon floating there when the Narrator then come in to explain a Carbon.


This then leads to a zooming out shot of the carbon, which then reveals that it’s a design on a hat revealing the Carbon tourist. Then there’s a still shot made to look like a postcard, which then introduces the Carbon as ‘Carbon the tourist’.

CARBON

“Hi there! Haven’t seen you here before. Oh, so you’re doing the Carbon Cycle too? I’ve done that so many times, been there done that but I can’t help but come back. Anyway, come on let’s go!”

A crossfade then transitions to a map where the Carbon travels from the Atmosphere to the plants, a red dotted trail to show the travel.

CARBON

“Okay, so don’t worry we’re just travelling to the plant, the sunlight is absorbed. Whereas, I move into the plant by diffusion. Before we get there I wanna put on my C02 t-shirt. Ya gotta represent.”

While the carbon is saying this it’s a tracking shot travelling to the plant via the sun’s rays and the carbon is getting smaller to suggest it I shrinking and entering the plant. Once it reaches the plant, we then cut to the cross section of the plant. The Carbon pops up in the corner to explain more.

CARBON

“So we’ve reach the cross section of a leaf cell! Take a look there’s some amazing sights here”

The Carbon then moves out the way so that the equation for Photosynthesis can be displayed next to the plant cell. The Carbon comes back in to continue explaining.

CARBON

“Inside the leaf cell there is this really cool place called Chloroplast and inside there is Chlorophyll which is able to absorb light energy needed to carry out the process called Photosynthesis. You have to check that out while we’re here. Also! Carbon dioxide such as yours truly and water are converted into Glucose and Oxygen.”

“Hey, could you just take a quick pic of me and the leaf cell? Thanks!”


Then the carbon jumps back on screen and takes a “Holiday photo”. The camera then starts to zoom out of the leaf cell until it cuts back to the map showing that the Carbon is now travelling to the animal. Once there we see the leaf from before but now a deer is standing in front of it.

CARBON

“Our next stop is the consumption stage, I get passed on as glucose gets converted into other molecules like proteins and fats and Carbohydrates which is great on a sunny day. Animals, like this deer then eat and gain the Glucose. But, friend don’t worry I come back. The energy within Glucose is trapped but the energy can be released from it, this is a fun activity for everyone! Even the Glucose! Respiration is not through breathing! This isn’t a cheap yoga class (chuckles) it’s when the cells go through a metabolic process which then releases the Glucose.”

“Mind taking another pic? I wanna show everyone when I get back”

Then the Carbon comes back in to take another holiday photo with the deer. However, the animal then falls to the floor dead leading to the next part of the cycle.

CARBON

“This part always gets me (sob) our deer friend is dead…however without this we can’t move on to the next stage (sob). The deer will go through the process of Decay; it’s never fun I’d avoid that excursion if I were you. Living organisms called Decomposers (Bacteria and Fungi) carry out this process. Carbon is contained within molecules such as Glucose, Proteins and Fats which is passed onto to the decomposers as they decay something. They can also respire and release C02 (moi) back into the atmosphere.”

“Nearly there now! Couple more photos and trip is over!”


The carbon takes another photo this time next to the decomposers. The camera then cuts to the fossil of the deer with the carbon next to it. The carbon takes the fossil as a “memento” but the fossil ends up being taken to a factory. There we have a side view of the factory in a sort of x-ray like manner where we can watch the process of combustion.

CARBON

“Our dear friends fossil then goes through a process that takes place over millions of years when the decayed plants or animals are converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas or heavy oils by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust. Once the fossil is burned which releases Carbon Dioxide and Water. That Carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere like how respiration does and that’s the end of trip. It was nice meeting you, but I think I’m gonna go again!”


I feel like I may have lost some of the characterization of the Carbon however to meet what the client wanted I need to do this to make the information as factual as possible.

FV - Deer Rig Development

I had trouble with the neck, but I have finally rigged it and now the whole rig should be finished. I still need to get my broken hard drive back so that I can get the files off it and then begin skinning the rig.

FV - Deer Rig

FV - Matte Paintings

Used for the scenes with the Deer

Leaf Cell 

Intro with Carbon atom

Later when the Deer Dies 

Film Review: E.T.

                                                               (Fig 1: E.T. Movie Poster)
Steven Spielberg's 'E.T. the Extra Terrestrial'  is one of the most heartwarming and engaging of the Spielberg film series. Spielberg takes the unknown and turns it into something lovable and that an audience can rally behind. The story follows a 10 year old boy who encounters an abandoned Extra Terrestrial.

                                                      (Fig 2: Movie Still)

Spielberg reuses sections of children's works, such as; 'Peter Pan', 'The Wizard of Oz'. the Wizard of Oz elements are seen throughout the plot. This is also pointed out by Canby, "Mr. Spielberg and Miss Mathison have taken the tale of Dorothy and her frantic search for the unreliable Wizard of Oz and turned it around" (Canby, 1982) This helps provides the adventure element of the film and it works very well. In this case the weird world of Oz (this being E.T.) comes to Kansas. Also another well done element in this film are the visuals. The scene where E.T. is communicating that he wants to go home, is easy to understand through the ways that Spielberg uses the camera. Focusing in on key objects to suggest this message. 

                                                     (Fig 3: Movie Still)

Spielberg is known for having family elements in his films such as; Jaws, Jurassic Park and Hook. In this film the family are dealing with the father recently leaving to be with his mistress. As pointed in the Empire review,  " how modern it was. The divorce subtext reflected Hollywood's acknowledgement that marital   breakdown was starting to define US society" (Harris, 2000) This film works well in having a recently broken family pulling together and the ways that the siblings interact genuinely shows the on screen connection between them. 

                                                         (Fig 4: Movie Still)

This film does something interesting which is quite subtle but definitely noticeable. The whole time we are looking in from the kids perspective. Spielberg uses the camera well to emphasis this. "until the final 20 minutes all the adults except for the mother are seen either from behind or cut off above the waist" (French, 1982) This is also supported by another point about the scene where Elliot is in school. "the film is shot from a child's perspective — the teacher, for example, is allowed no more exposure than the maid in Tom & Jerry" (Harris, 2000)

Bibliography:

Canby, V. (1982). Movie Review - - 'E.T.,' FANTASY FROM SPIELBERG - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0DEFDB143BF932A25755C0A964948260 [Accessed 13 Mar. 2018].

French, P. (1982). ET – The Extra Terrestrial - review. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/12/features.philipfrench [Accessed 13 Mar. 2018].

Harris, J. (2000). EMPIRE ESSAY: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. [online] Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/empire-essay-et-extra-terrestrial-2/review/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2018].


Illustrations:

Fig 1 - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/et-the-extra-terrestrial

Fig 2 - http://invisibleinkblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/what-i-learned-from-reading-et.html

Fig 3 - https://drafthouse.com/show/aspen-grove-family-film-night-e.t.-the-extra-terrestrial

Fig 4 - http://www.thebrvtalist.com/zeitgeistandpoltergeist/2016/8/13/zeitgeist-and-poltergeist-trainspotters-in-the-uncanny-valley-of-stranger-things

FV - Textured Protagonist and Render Test

FV - Leaf Cell

FV - Carbon Protagonist

I tried using a torus for all the lines around the Carbon atom. It seems to be fine since all of it will be seen from a side view. Except for when the Carbon spins I'll need to refine the model which I'll try to do in lesson.

FV - Carbon Atom

This model is quite easy to make and should be finished very soon, I just need to ask Simon how I can add a toon line to create a 3D version of the UPA style. I was thinking of possibly using a surface shader and a torus instead of the toon line. Something I'll test before talking to Simon.  

FV - Deer Model

This still needs tweaking but it is the base of the deer model. I'll talk to Simon about improving the toon lines and making a rig.

FV - Tree Model

@Phil FV - Glucose Designs

FV - Leaf Cell

The previous leaf cell looked too painterly as pointed out in the pitch. I corrected it by applying the upa style to it so it matches my art direction.

FV - Bag Designs

After the pitch the client wanted me to have the Carbon atom picking up bags to then become Carbon Dioxide. I think 6 works the most or even 5.

FV - Pitch

Presentation 1 by Alfie Gunter on Scribd

FV - Animatic

FV - Concept Art

@Phil FV - Storyboard / test animatic

I forgot to post my storyboard, but since I already had it in a format to go into Premier pro I just thought it would be easier to have a storyboard and animatic test.