23 July 2015
Fusing creativity and scientific innovation, the Data Arena is a 360-degree immersive visualisation facility providing researchers a new window to view and conceptualise data. Whether it’s Academy Award Winning film Happy Feet, The Great Gatsby, or BAFTA Award winning The LEGO Movie, Animal Logic is no stranger to the challenges of creating enduring images that engage and resonate with audiences. To showcase the facility’s potential and armed with a brief to transport, engage and inspire users of the Data Arena, Animal Logic had the opportunity to reinvent classic cinematic story telling techniques.
Emmanuel Blasset, CG Supervisor at Animal Logic said, “We are excited by projects that challenge and push the envelope creatively and technically, and the Data Arena was no exception. The culture of movie making is based on very specific aspect ratios and screen sizes, so we follow a lot of rules in order to tell stories convincingly, such as composition, speed of movement and cuts. But in an environment like this, all of those concepts changed dramatically.”
Pictured below, Toby Grime, Art Director at Animal Logic said, “When we started the project, the Data Arena itself was under construction, so we found new ways of visualising initial concepts and testing them from the audience’s point of view. We drew inspiration from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology building, which is encased in a stainless steel exoskeleton featuring a geometric ‘binary code’ with striking green neon lights.”
Utilising a suite of creative tools and Animal Logic’s latest proprietary software developed by its in-house R&D team, the team was able to transcended the challenges and limitations placed before them. Additionally, the use of Oculus Rift virtual reality technology assisted in conceptualising, testing and producing the 3D concept reel for the space.
The result is a thrilling and immersive journey from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology building, past Sydney landmarks, around the world, into outer space and back again. Audiences are left with an awe-inspiring look into the capability of the UTS Data Arena.
Zareh Nalbandian, CEO of Animal Logic said, “Partnering with UTS on the creation of a 3D concept reel for the Data Arena provided a powerful sandbox for the talented artists and technicians at Animal Logic to push the boundaries creatively and technically. The UTS Data Arena points to the way we will see data in the future, revolutionising the way we conduct research forever.”
