Friday 21 September 2012

Commission: Animatic


Commission: Partial Playblast


Commission: Cell Render


Commission: Art Of The Cell Cycle

Art Of

Commission: Screenplay

Title Sequence

The title sequence begins with the title; "The Cell Cycle", becoming 'digitally reconstructed' as it appears. The title then 'desynchronises', as the interface becomes visually apparent with various on screen prompts about the system's status. These prompts then fade away, as the cycle is about to begin, the cell is constructed.


Scene One
FADE IN as the cells and structure assembles.

On-Screen Text
The Cell Cycle is the process of events that occur in the cell, that result to it's own devision and duplication. The Cell Cycle can be divided into three phases;

CLOSE UP of the circular map, that was in the lower left corner of the screen, which tracks the progression of the cell. The map highlights the Interphase section, which clearly distinct the Interphase from the Mitosis phase and Cytokinesis.

On-Screen Text
The Interphase. The cell begins to grow, obtaining nutrients for the process of duplicating the cell's own DNA.

The Mitosis and Cytokinesis phase of the map, now becomes highlighted.

On-Screen Text
The Mitosis phase is when the cell divides itself into two individual cells, known as "Daughter Cells". Cytokinesis is when the cell separates completely, forming distinct cells.

Camera PULLS BACK as the map returns the Interphase is highlighted to show the current location, and the cell is animated on the track path. As the cell is in motion, various prompts will appear that highlight specific sections and how they are functioning or what their property is.


Scene Two
The cell begins to expand in size, during this phase, as it gains nutrients in the stream from the ducts located in the corners of the ceiling. The nutrients are found to be 'littering' the path for cells to collect.

CLOSE UP as the path soon meets a 'virtual' barrier, beyond is the path that continues along the G1 Phase and on the floor lies a failsafe door that leads towards the G0 Phase. The cell in front, of the tracked cell, does not satisfy the requirements thus falls through the failsafe door.

Camera PULLS BACK as the tracked cell comes back into focus. The cell approaches the barrier, to which it is granted access to proceed. The cell has now entered the Synthesis Phase, where the DNA is replicated.

CLOSE UP on the cell, as the lights in the following section begin to dim as the neon lighting in the cell is used to emphasise the physical changes.

CLOSE UP on the chromosomes as they replicate in this stage.

Camera PULLS BACK on the cell, the lighting returning to the previous state, to which it comes across the next barrier. The cell passes through the barrier, so that it may now begin the G2 Phase.

The cell progresses through the stage, continuously growing much like the cell did in the G1 Phase. The cell is still in movement, and the map will indicate the change in phase once it has come to that stage.

The cell comes across the barrier to the Mitosis Phase, and passes through successfully.


Scene Three
CLOSE UP of the cell, as it now undergoes the changes in the Mitosis Phase. The Centrosomes separate, that form a mitotic spindle in between the gap of the other Centrosome.

The Chromosomes then connect to the mitotic spindle and the nuclear envelope becomes fragmented. The Chromosomes lie in the middle, all of which are connected to the spindle, with the Centrosomes at polar opposites.

The Chromosomes are then separated to either Centrosome, that can be referred to as "Daughter Chromosomes".


Scene Four
In the last stage, Cytokinesis, the separation of the cell becomes more apparent, the nucleolus begins to form as well as the nuclear envelope. The cell then separates into two individual cells.

Camera PULLS BACK on to the new formed Daughter Cells, to which they then leave the passage and multiple Daughter Cells can be seen in the background, before the simulation deconstructs itself.

FADE TO BLACK.

Commission: Storyboard



Commission: Interface Borders





Commission: Cell Re-design


The initial design (left) is over-complicated in practise, and doesn't portray the Cell design as well as the re-worked design (right). 

Commission: Initial Concept




Commission: Influences


Commission: Idea Re-Thought

I had a quick initial idea of a "hi-tech tour guide", which would demonstrate the life cycle. However, I wanted to give the animation some motion and become more "life-like" as well as becoming more visually apparent as to the actual cycle process. So, much like giving the racing driver experience to an audience through simulations, that is the approach I intend to go towards.

Unlike a simulation, though, this won't perfectly re-create the cycle nor depict it but rather a virtual playthrough. As such, there would be an interface around the animation that also analyses and assess' the cells as they progress through the cycle. The progress is displayed, and the cycle is effectively a circuit or track that will come across checkpoints. The cell materialises, to initiate the cycle, and the view will be magnified at specific moments throughout the cycle to examine the cell in a more focused condition.

The target audience would be teenagers and young adults, as such it would be informative yet influenced by the large appeal to modern day technology. The process needs to be both explained and shown, in a manner that isn't too direct in text as well as not becoming over-complicated in it's visual presentation which may lead to mis-direction or mis-communication of the process.

Commission: Cell Designs


Commission: Influence

Charley Harper




Commission: The Cell Cycle

This is just some information about the cell cycle, condensed down and simplified for the purpose of this animation.

The cell cycle is a series of events, that happen within a cell, that ultimately lead to it's duplication and division. These cells develop into a "mature" organism, that is a part of a process of which the cells are "renewed". Such is the process in hair, skin and blood cells. The starting cell, by the end of the process, becomes two individual cells.

Interphase
The Interphase is the beginning of the process, and it has three sub-phases. 

G1 is the first phase, and the cell grows in size. This phase is to primarily ensure that everything is ready to begin DNA synthesis. 

The S(ynthesis) phase is when the cell replicates the DNA.

The final sub-phase, is the G2 phase. The cell grows in size again, and much like the G1 phase, it primarily ensures that everything is ready to begin DNA synthesis.

Mitosis
After the Interphase has finished, the Mitosis phase begins for the cell.

Cell growth stops at this stage, and the cell focuses on it's division into two daughter cells. Another 'check' happens, to ensure that everything is ready to begin DNA synthesis.

The chromosomes are divided between the daughter cells, of which become genetically identical cells.

Commission: Initial Ideas

A couple of quick ideas came to mind, most of which were targeted towards The Cell Cycle as the subject. Using the teaching environment as a basis;

Technology was the first thing that came to mind, taking a "high-tech" approach towards the process. Like the film Innerspace (1987), and would see a spectator role of a tour guide through the cycle. 

The next idea, was to animate and manipulate ink on a whiteboard or chalk on a blackboard. Taking something that the target audience is familiar with in their past or present, and giving it an interesting perspective. The ink on a whiteboard concept would feature a blank white space, and would manipulate written words transforming them into illustrations, representations, or a metaphoric drawing to illustrate a point in simpler methods. The chalk on a blackboard would operate under a similar manner, but would represent a more 'sketchy' and 'imperfect' feel.

Metaphoric illustration of vehicles along a road, were another idea. It is one that can be incorporated into the previously mentioned idea, above. Cars come in contact with traffic lights and intersections, determining the cycle of that cell.

Commission: Subject

For this unit, I will be using The Cell Cycle as my subject. After researching both the Ageing Process and The Cell Cycle, I began to start thinking of possible ideas more naturally with the subject; The Cell Cycle, rather than the Ageing Process. With that in mind, I began to think of a target audience for either topic, and what artistic style would be better suited for both the audience and the topic.

So thinking of a target audience, I aim to direct it towards young adults and teenagers. Namely because, when trying to be taught about such subjects, few may consider it "boring" or "not worthwhile". However, that attitude is mostly directed towards how it is taught. It's very plain, and normally just read about in an old textbook or rather on a whiteboard. If it were animated though, in some way or form, then it can draw interest. More importantly, theirs.

With that in mind, the art style should reflect with something that a young audience can associate with.