Fantastic Voyage: Research and initial thoughts

So I narrowed down my research and picked the slime mold. I feel like the other three examples we can choose from are way too malicious and serious, and after my last script for the previous project I feel like I need something more positive to focus on.
The thing that triggered everything for me was the youtube lecture of Dr. Peter Klappa saying that when starvation occurs, the amoebas mold together and turn into slime. This gave me the idea of a village full of amoebas that eat happily all summer and co-exist in a peaceful place (maybe on top of a tree trunk?) until the food runs out and they need to form a different organism in order to survive. I really like this idea of transformation and I think there is very rich narrative in outside stimuli that trigger the good qualities in a community. So perhaps the amoebas are a bit selfish at first and egoistical but they soon discover that they need to work together if they want to survive.

 This video explains a lot about the slime mold, as points of interest:
-Scientific Name: Physarum Polycephalum (a lot of character names could be derived by those two words).
-Largest single cell organism on earth.
- Primitive life forms with sophisticated talents.
- Slime molds can solve simple mazes.
- Slime molds love oat flakes
-Constantly pulsating, almost resembles breathing (maybe breathing can be the sound for the slime mold?)


In this video, the narrator, mentions that slime mold forms mostly in Autumn, which is perfect for my little story, the citizens can have feasts all summer and when the first leaves start to fall in the distance, hunger strikes and the slime mold forms.


I love the direction of this video, it represents the slime mold as "more" than just a mold, it touches upon powerful words which the viewers can relate to - intelligence, self-sacrifice, the music is powerful in its simplicity as well and I love the black and white, "grainy" quality of the video.

A picture of the amoeba before the transformation into a slime mold:

The art direction I want to follow is definitely from the game "World of Goo" where you need to solve puzzles by combining "slime balls" into a bigger creature (or a bridge), the style and music are just perfect for the tone of the animation I want to create too:

 ("world of goo" screenshot)

and here is a quick trailer for the game:

Images:

Slime mold amoeba: Microbeworld.org, (2015). Slime Molds. [online] Available at: http://www.microbeworld.org/types-of-microbes/protista/slime-molds [Accessed 27 Feb. 2015].

"World of Goo" screenshot: Gm1.s-ports.ru, (2015). [online] Available at: http://gm1.s-ports.ru/files/images/styles/upload/world-of-goo-impale-sticky.jpg [Accessed 27 Feb. 2015].

Exploring Storyboards

I did a storyboard based on a scene in "The Lord Of the Rings" (the return of the king). Started digitally, using a tablet but I didn't get the results I want so I ended up doing it in my sketchbook. It is surprising how a 3 minutes scene has so many camera views. Was surprisingly fun though, it sounds like the perfect hobby - film storyboarding on a Sunday afternoon :)

WIM Maya Experiment

I created this model last night, I know it isn't textured at the moment and looks very basic, but it will help me with the perspective of my concept painting. 

I think using photoshop I will paint and add all the details and make it look more like a building from the Metropolis based on Heath Robinson.

All feedback is more than welcome and maybe some tips on interesting angles :)

Also find the pants around the building and you win a special prize :)

WIM Metropolis thumbnails 76 - 91

Feedback will be greatly appreciated. My personal favourite is 78

"What If" Metropolis - Influence Maps

My first influence map, based on William Heath Robinsons' work. There is already a sense of something happening in a city, a lot of steam, a lot of machinery and people frantically adding more to it, experimenting and pushing the boundaries of their own metropolis.

Second influence map is about the transportation of the people. Thankfully H. Robinson spent a lot of time on the subject - I think the Metropolis should be surrounded by water. Boats and submarines, and strange looking and over-sized bikes and vehicles on land.

The last influence map is concerned with the colour palette of the Metropolis. Since the overall feel is cartoony - the colours are blocky - with not a lot of shading involved and a welcoming palette of warm colours.

New Influence Maps for Octavia

After a lot of research, the exterior influence map:

And interior one:

Source Material Research

Vlad Yankov Source Material Research