Hippocampus
2025, Animation
This is one the first abstract experimental animation produced for the Virtual Reality platform. It draws on the discipline of abstract experimental animation, that roots back to the early era of cinema. Animators experimented with music and silent film and aim to create effects that resemble the audio in the image. Since then, it has developed in accordance with visual media, always pushing the boundaries of the medium and the technologically possible.
For this project a new conceptual workflow has been conceived, that applies the concept of map-projection for the production process with conventional 2D editing tools. First, considerations were made, based on the spherical/globe-like quality of the VR space. These 3D animation concepts were projected onto a 2D storyboard, akin to a Mercator projection of the world map. Then, the video footage was shot with a conventional 360° camera. The camera footage was edited in its equirectangular form using after-effects and premiere pro. From here on the animation effects were created with traditional tools. Using VR camera compositions in after effects, the results were previewed.
The final animation embodies the visual qualities present within the artistic discipline, drawing on the style of animators like Páraic McGloughlin, Max Hattler and Maarten Isaäk de Heer, while also incorporating visual references to the earlier entities of the discipline.
The topic plays with the spatial orientation, as the hippocampus is the area in the brain where the inner map is constructed, helping us to navigate our environment. This draws on the animation technique that applies the map projection to the video projection. The chosen music by Japanese artist Chickenpox Car is titled “海馬“ wich means both sea horse as well as hippocampus, due to their resembling shapes.
The animation can be downloaded from this google drive, there is also a tutorial on how to view it with in VR.
Thank you, @motoyakawami aka Chickenpox Car for supplying me with his music "海馬"!!!
This is one the first abstract experimental animation produced for the Virtual Reality platform. It draws on the discipline of abstract experimental animation, that roots back to the early era of cinema. Animators experimented with music and silent film and aim to create effects that resemble the audio in the image. Since then, it has developed in accordance with visual media, always pushing the boundaries of the medium and the technologically possible.
For this project a new conceptual workflow has been conceived, that applies the concept of map-projection for the production process with conventional 2D editing tools. First, considerations were made, based on the spherical/globe-like quality of the VR space. These 3D animation concepts were projected onto a 2D storyboard, akin to a Mercator projection of the world map. Then, the video footage was shot with a conventional 360° camera. The camera footage was edited in its equirectangular form using after-effects and premiere pro. From here on the animation effects were created with traditional tools. Using VR camera compositions in after effects, the results were previewed.
The final animation embodies the visual qualities present within the artistic discipline, drawing on the style of animators like Páraic McGloughlin, Max Hattler and Maarten Isaäk de Heer, while also incorporating visual references to the earlier entities of the discipline.
The topic plays with the spatial orientation, as the hippocampus is the area in the brain where the inner map is constructed, helping us to navigate our environment. This draws on the animation technique that applies the map projection to the video projection. The chosen music by Japanese artist Chickenpox Car is titled “海馬“ wich means both sea horse as well as hippocampus, due to their resembling shapes.
The animation can be downloaded from this google drive, there is also a tutorial on how to view it with in VR.
Thank you, @motoyakawami aka Chickenpox Car for supplying me with his music "海馬"!!!
