References
collaborationwork – Just another myblog.arts site
Idea
The ocean is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth which is extremely rich in biodiversity and nutrients. It plays an important role in regulating the Earth’s climate.
As a key link in the ecosystem, the carbon cycle is very important for maintaining the balance and health of the marine ecosystem.
As the largest animal on Earth, whales store 22% of the Earth’s carbon. Whales eat krill and photosynthetic plankton at about 8,000 pounds per day; The excrement of whales after digesting their food contributes to the reproduction of krill and plankton, as well as increasing photosynthesis and depleting atmospheric carbon stores; Even if a whale dies, the carbon contained in the carcass is transferred to the deep sea as it decays, replenishing the biocarbon pump.
Goal
Creating a scene of ocean that players can using VR equipment to interact with, in order to introduce 52Hz whale’s story and whale fall to players, and introduce the important role of whale fall in ocean.
Technique
Use maya/camera 4D to create the base model, and Unreal Engine to lay out the scene and animate. Interact using Unity and Visual Studio rig characters.
Final outcome
The story follows the growth of whales as a timeline, and as time changes, the climate of the ocean also changes. The player takes on the role of a spectator fish, following the whale in the third person. Calves swim in the middle of the sea and grow in size with each predation.
When the whale breathes at the surface of the water, the player follows to the surface to see the scene beyond the surface of the sea, and shows the material exchange process of the whale’s ventilation through some carbon symbols.
Whales defecate. The player can see phytoplankton blooming after the whales defecate, and the photosynthesis of planktonic algae can be shown through some carbon symbols. Whales can use symbols to represent the process of feeding in shallow waters and transporting carbon dioxide in deep waters.
As the whale grows, we can join the changes in the coral. As time goes on, coral bleaching becomes more and more severe, fewer organisms are nurtured, and symbiotic algae can no longer absorb light for corals.
Whale falls. The whale dies eventually, and after the whale falls, many marine animals inhabit here, forming a whale fall circle.
Conveying meaning：For the popularization of ocean life, enhance the audience’s awareness of the protection of the ocean environment.
Concept images
