06 | Animation: Lizards of Influence
Brief Summary
In groups of 5-6, students we were required to research, conceptualise, script, storyboard, design and animate a 40-180 second ‘Vox/Kurzgesagt-esque’ infomotion. The theme for the brief is ‘I’ve always wondered ...’. Think of times that you’ve wondered why a mechanism/process works or functions in a certain way, why/where a certain ‘law’ or ‘rule’ came to be, or
where/how humans have developed cultural stereotypes, for example. It can also be something that you ‘sort of’ know the answer to, but would like to investigate further to gain greater understanding. Students could make use of any media/medium, as long as it is appropriate to the concept and is presented as an info-motion (that is, an informative motion piece).
where/how humans have developed cultural stereotypes, for example. It can also be something that you ‘sort of’ know the answer to, but would like to investigate further to gain greater understanding. Students could make use of any media/medium, as long as it is appropriate to the concept and is presented as an info-motion (that is, an informative motion piece).
Deliverables
- Process Work
- Storyboards
- Final Infomotion
Rationale
According to a Public Policy Polling survey, around 12 million people in the US believe that interstellar lizards in people suits rule their country. We use this conspiracy theory to explore the idea of control by extraterrestrial beings, potentially on the brink of an invasion or already living among us. The info-motion subsequently transformed into a social commentary video, aiming to expose the idea that our lives are not manipulated by aliens or lizards but rather by influential individuals within our own society.
Departing from the conventional approach of presenting data and statistics, we adopted a narrative storytelling format to convey this information. The info-motion comprised three micro narratives, all connected by a central theme—poison. This poison manifests in three forms: through the consumption of fast foods, exposure to harmful sexual/explicit content online, and the toxic influence of social media promoting unattainable beauty standards. These premises were pivotal in illustrating the dominance of the metaphorical 'lizards' in our world. Subsequently, we crafted a unique story for each narrative, forming the foundational structure of our info-motion.
Stylistic Inspiration
Character Mood-board
* Characters are intricately designed, with their appearances often reflecting their personalities.
* The show's colour palette varies to match the mood and setting of each scene.
* Visually striking, surreal world inhabited by anthropomorphic animal characters coexisting with humans.
* The show's colour palette varies to match the mood and setting of each scene.
* Visually striking, surreal world inhabited by anthropomorphic animal characters coexisting with humans.
* distinctive brand of humor and social commentary.
Environment Mood-board
Process Work
To view all the process work, click here
Rough Storyboards
Final Storyboard
Infomotion
