Maria Shamonina

Eccologia

Bachelor of Design 3D animation Photogrammetry Video Environment Sustainability Non-narrative Abstract Health and Wellbeing Technology Dystopia Climate Change Science Fiction Experimental

A short 50 second animation video exploring the connectedness and disconnect between humans and nature by depicting a harmonious scene of the integration of nature and human then glitch into a destructive scene depicting the chaos and corruption which humans bring to the world due to their misuse of power over it. I explored these themes through a more so abstract and non linear 3D animation style. I approached this animation with a more contemplative still camera set with minimal animation yet maximum communication of ideas through composition and symbolism.

Eccologia is a metaphorical and more contemplative approach to the traditional concept of animation. This is not storytelling, this is the subtle exploration of a concept. That concept being the connectedness and disconnectedness between humans and nature. A vision too broad to explore in one animation, I chose to focus on solely the control and misuse of power that we have over nature whilst also heavily portraying and reminding the audience of our equality and interconnectedness with it within this animation. I display humans' sense of hierarchy over nature by placing the scenario in a technological, man-made laboratory setting. Technology is no other but a human made creation and it has contributed a great deal to the disconnectedness we feel from all other living organisms. With the automation of agriculture, the creation of mass destructive weapons, and the fast growth of a consumerist and capitalist society we are over-exploiting all other organisms and our natural resources. The overconsumption and unsustainability of our modern day way is due to the overwhelming individualism and a corrupt and god-like view over all other organisms which we forget that we are ultimately interconnected with.

In stating this I didn't have the capability to portray all separate concepts in my one minute animation therefore I chose the strongest and hopefully most obvious symbols and motifs which portray the closeness and distance between us and nature. I chose to focus on such a topic as it is very relative to basically all of humanity. The more our world gets modernised the more evident it is that we are straying further and further from nature and forgetting that we are part of it. We need to respect it and recognise our interconnectedness to thrive. It is evident on a larger scale in the decisions that people make, especially large corporations that put their money gain and growing business above the harmful impact that it makes on the world's resources and organisms.

I was heavily influenced by Bjork's music video Tabula Rasa with her heavy elements of organic components creating her face and figure and having these elements such as an orchid plant almost have a fluid ‘breathing’ motion effect. Also, for the capsule part of the animation my most important visual and conceptual influence was Fredrik Heyman, a 3D artist who commonly uses photogrammetry in his 3D compositions. His style is incorporating 3D scans of his models within highly technological and conceptual 3D spaces, only slightly moving the camera and adding a small amount of animation to the subjects, just enough to create a realistic scenario or to feed into a concept if needed. This more so compositional and conceptual approach more than anything influenced my animation, from (attempting) photogrammetry, using human models, placing the scene in a more technological setting and basing my concept around bigger questions on humanity's nature (mentally and literally).