Fantastic Voyage - The Immune System, and Why I've Chosen It.

The subject, of which I have started to work on for my project, is The Immune System, or more specifically "The Adaptive Immune System", here is a brief explanation of the process.

"The antigen first must be processed and recognized. Once an antigen has been recognized, the adaptive immune system creates an army of immune cells specifically designed to attack that antigen. Adaptive immunity also includes a "memory" that makes future responses against a specific antigen more efficient."

(Source, http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/tutorials/immunology/page3.html)

Here is the process explained in a diagram I made, that includes figure numbers to refer to underneath for explanation of the process.

1. Antigen "A" enters bodies blood.

2. Eventually it is consumed by a  Macrophage (Greek for Big Eaters).

3. Said Macrophage turns into a Helper T-Cell, and produces Interleukin's, containing information about "A".

4. These Interleukin's are consumed by B-Cells, this process kills the Macrophage, essentially sacrificing itself for the cause (note, this comes up later).

5. These B-Cells then use this information to turn into Plasma Cells.

6. These Cells will then release millions of Antibodies into the blood stream, but these are no ordinary antibodies, these are "A" Specific Antibodies.

7. The next time an "A" Antigen appears, the "A" Antibodies will swarm it and kill it with ease.

8. Antigen "A" is now removed from the body, which is now Immune to the cell.

What I found interesting about this process is the clear objective, and the means of how it achieves this. I feel like the sacrifice that the Macrophage makes, to let itself be killed to teach other cells how to effectively kill the alien cell, is rather heroic and I think this would make a good focal plot point of the film, a bitter sweet victory if you will.

And in terms of theme and stylistic choice, I thought it would be interesting visually to convey this process in a style similar to the Newsreels from the 1997 film "Starship Troopers". They effectively convey the plot, but also they go out of there way to fill the viewer in on subsidiary information, that include scientific information on the alien threat, and the progress of the war.

I feel like they do there job very well, not only keeping the viewer informed, but entertained, with its clear throwback to WW2 propaganda, and general cheesiness (and social commentary on modern america, but that's not important right now).

I have included these Newsreels below.

I feel the a way I may want to convey the visuals is through drawing parallels with other beings or objects. For example maybe this could be a story similar to the theme in Osmosis Jones (2001) which is based on a society inside a body. In this film they replace certain cells and other bodily functions with more relate-able objects, like some cells being humanoid, while others cars and boats.



For example, like Starship Troopers, the antigen could be an Alien Spaceship, while the Macrophages and Antibodies are the Space Marines, a modern classic film trope. Set in a space battle like environment.

(Example of what I mean by a space battle, Source :http://www.thescifiworld.net/img/wallpapers/stargate/mirko_stoedter/mirko45_1024x768.jpg)

Here are just some rough ideas before I begin work on visual development, hope this all makes sense, trying my best to get my thoughts down. Looking forward to feedback!

Fantastic Voyage - Introduction!

For this new project, we have been tasked with animating a process that occurs at a microscopic level, the cycles of cells. We have been given four scenario's to work with, those being:

1. The Zika Virus Infecting Cells
2. A HIV Infection
3. How The Immune System Works
4. How Bacteria Grow Resistance to Antibiotics

Of these four scenarios I have done extensive research, to better understand each of the processes. I have looked at them all from a technical, and artistic standpoint, taking into account overall interest in the process, how this can be represented visually in a creative way, and the potential to form a coherent narrative and story, with a beginning middle and end.

Bellow I have some brief notes of each process, taken from the project briefing and personal research.

After proceeding with my research and feeling like I have a suitable understanding of each cycle, I made the decision of which I wanted to start working into creatively.

I have decided to start work on the Immune System process. This is due to a initial idea I had when first hearing of the process from Dr. Klappa. The way certain processes occur, which I will go into in a separate post, sparked a focal point for a narrative, and something to work to set a foundation with to start work on developing the rest of the story.

A dedicated Immune System post will be uploaded next, where I go into the findings of my research, the process itself, some sketches, and a plot idea, including inspiration for my visual style and presentation.

Script to Screen - Crit

Script Crit Heavy

Story Board

Script to Screen - Final Animatic.

Script to Screen - The Inventor's Room - Finished Props

Script to Screen - Egor (Landlord) Final Design and Colours.

Here is my final design for Egor, and the three colour pallets I made, from the start I had a clear idea of how I waned Egor to look, and a part of that was ex militaristic, I feel that I have accomplished this through his design and a way I have achieved this is with his colour's.

The three designs I made are based on the colour's of different divisions in a military faction. From left to right being Naval, Infantry, and an Officer. The design I am going to use is 2, the Infantry design, I like how it came together and I think the Black Military Boots really enforce the ex military vibe. I was also trying to get it across the Russian nationality besides the name, so I worked on his features and looked at famous Russians from history to shape his face more, also his eye colour and complexion.The badge on his workshop apron also can drive this idea home too, but this may be too direct, so may just bare a more subtle image.

Script to Screen - Inventor Final Lines and Colour Test.

The colour I have gone with for my Final Colour Composition of the character is the first.

Script to Screen - Scene Final Concept Art, Pre Colour

For my concept art I have decided to compose the opening shot of the film, which is of the street and Thin House. Here is the final line art, Colour Next.

Bonus ! As a test I have included a small time-lapse of the drawing of this piece. If this is received well I will start doing them with all my digital painting pieces.

Script to Screen - Character Concept's

Here are my development and Character concepts for The Inventor and Egor

The Inventor

Egor

Script to Screen - OGR 2.0

First power point is the Storyboard, Second is the Script

OGR2 by BradKompany

Heavy Metals Script by BradKompany

Script to Screen - "Heavy Metals" Pre Script Story Concept.

Heavy Metals

Opening shot is of a few buildings across a road, in the middle of frame is a thin house with a sign on it, that reads “Egor’s - HEAVY METALS” . The house sits between two larger buildings as cars drive bye into frame then out. From the left side of the frame a young adult comes running towards the centre, mildly avoiding running into a passerby, he hastily turns left and heads up the steps of the thin house. The camera cuts to him fumbling with his keys to open the door which he unlocks and slams behind him, leaving a paper that fell out his bag floating downwards, which is the grabbed by a hand that shoots out from the post slot and is pulled in.

The camera cuts to the Hallway looking towards the door, the man walks towards the camera collecting himself and the camera pans backward with him, he slows and looks around the corner, the camera quickly cuts to him peaking down the hall, then to the back of his head looking down the hall, so you can see what he see’s, he begins to slowly walk forward towards a set of stairs at the end of the hall, and the camera follows, you can tell he’s being careful with his movements and trying to fly under the radar. As he walks past a door on the right side, but as he steps down the door creaks the slightest bit, the sound of a chair sliding back can be heard and you see the mans posture jolt up, before slumping down.

The camera cuts to the perspective of someone opening the door, they are very tall, you can tell by the way the camera looks down on the man, who looks over at the camera with a surprised face before guilty smiling, the camera cuts to the mans perspective looking up at the figure, who is revealed to be a large elderly man Egor, who looks more like a human shaped brick shed then a man. He holds out a few sheets of paper, most noticeable reading “RENT DUE” but also less so the words “NOISE COMPLAINT”, “GLOWING LIQUI...”, “BURNING SMELL”, the man is scowling, obviously these belong to the young man, The camera cuts to the hallway again showing both men, the young man gestures as if to say “I got it I got it” as the elderly man growls and pushes them closure to the young mans face and taps them aggressively with his finger.

The young man is comedically against the wall at this point, without moving his body closer he grabs the papers with his hands and shimmies along the wall until he is can stand up again, he then smiles and dashes up the stairs, looking back once then goes off screen. The camera cuts to the elderly man who frowns then slams the door. The camera shows him sighing, then sitting down at his work desk, surrounded by many metal objects, before he picks up a large padlock and continues working on its mechanisms.

The camera cuts to a door with many signs on it, a thud is heard before rattling, then it bursts open and young man practically falls forward through it then closes it behind him and we are shown he locks it with an extreme close up. The camera cuts up and the man looks at the papers before tossing them on a pile of garbage, he walks forward and grabs his papers from his bag, which he inspects and puts his bag down, the camera pans around his room as he walks bye, still reading the papers he heads towards his window, which his countless wires coming through it, where he hits a large switch while still focusing on the paper, he lays the paper on a desk and while still staring at it, enters series of commands onto a keyboard then hits enter, a machine starts up from somewhere and he reaches down bellow the desk and pull up a strange, plate like, spherical object which he slams onto the desk.

Looking back at the computer the camera cuts to the pc, then his face, then the device, then his face where he puts on a oversized pair of dark sunglasses, and he hits key on the keyboard. The device starts spinning like a a gyro and glowing the camera pans back. Suddenly everything on the desk begins to shake and levitate slightly. Downstairs the elderly man is working on the lock with a screwdriver, in the background you start too see the other metal objects and tools begin to rise without him noticing. Back in the attic the objects start to begin to float, the man pokes one which is pushed away but stays in the air. The man exclaims in excitement as the camera then shows that he is also floating.

Back in downstairs, the padlock starts to shake on the table, before slowly floating up, the elderly man, confused quickly grabs it back down, he looks around confused, then again the padlock starts to rise out his hand, he grabs it and you see him struggle to pull it back down as he looks around to see all the tools on his work bench floating up, including the screwdriver he was using which barely misses his face and impales itself into the ceiling.

The camera cuts back to the attic where we see the man floating past, while the camera stays still, he flies from one side to the other, first on his own, then with a broom in air guitar pose, then spinning past on a skateboard. The camera cuts back down where we see the elderly man standing on his chair, trying to pull the padlock down with both arms, using all his strength and stopping its ascent. Suddenly upstairs the man looses his footing, and the skateboard goes flying into the computers screen. It sparks as the device stops, the young man hits the floor, and everything downstairs looses its magnetism and falls back into they’re places like nothing happened, and the elderly man puts the padlock back onto the table, looking contempt but then looks upwards and scowls, knowing this is the young mans fault.

The young man dusts himself off and heads over to the device fearful for the damage he has caused. He taps the device, then tries to pull the board out the computer screen. Suddenly it sparks and everything starts up again, but the device is spinning faster now. Suddenly downstairs the padlock begins to shake again, the elderly man looks down at it, but it suddenly takes off and flies through the ceiling, cutting to the young man we see it come out the bottom of the desk and collide with the device, sending them both up, a large crash it heard and we see debris fall. The young man covers his head then looks up, we see a large hole in the roof, and the device disappearing out of site with a small sparkle. The camera shows him then looking down at the hole in the floor, in which we see the elderly man was holding onto the padlock before it hit the device, and his head and arm are sticking through the floor.

The camera then shows him looking progressively more angry as one of the pieces of paper from earlier he gave the young man falls on his face. The young man smiles guiltily before he is grabbed by the neck by the elderly mans arm and pulled down. Cut to Black, Fin.

Life Drawing - Term 2 - Week 5, Colours

10 Minute Poses

30 Minute Pose

30 Minute Pose