Desolation.
Storyboard
Working with Cinema 4D
To achieve a complete deflation of the duck while avoiding distortion, I utilized the freeform deformer, enabling precise manipulation of the deflation process. The most challenging aspect involved manually keyframing these deformers throughout the sequence.
Apart from the duck, another pivotal character is the environment, crafted to evoke a sense of sublimity and solitude. Each setting was assembled, either through block by block construction or the integration of diverse elements, all bathed in dim, evocative lighting. The choice of orange and blue hues serves to emphasize the contrasting emotions of loneliness and isolation. The desaturated blues evoke a sense of emptiness and solitude, reflecting the abandoned nature of the space. Meanwhile, the subtle hints of orange add a touch of melancholy warmth, hinting at the remnants of human presence in an otherwise barren environment, enhancing the overall mood of Desolation.
“Desolation" is a poignant motion graphics sequence that tells the somber and reflective journey of a lonely rubber ducky. This animated sequence takes viewers through a series of liminal spaces as the rubber ducky floats aimlessly, eventually leading it to the vast and unforgiving ocean, where it is lost and forgotten.
To achieve the organic water flow in Cinema4D, I utilized deformers on planes, abstaining from liquid simulations and third party plugins throughout the entirety of this project. In order to get the duck to flow naturally with the water, it needed to be pinned to the water using pin tool.
Fish animations were crafted by applying bend tool physics to the fins of pre existing fish models, enhancing their realism and life like movement. Glass glass shattering scene was created by adding weight to the duck and veroni fracture to the glass.
Realistic environments were achieved using Redshift rendering, referencing real world lighting and textures for authenticity. Redshift environments were particularly instrumental in creating dense fog and atmospheric scenes. Symbolic imagery such as the childlike play area, frog, smiley face, and water slide, represent an abandoned, innocent human presence, evoking feelings of desolation tinged with an oddly familiar sense of nostalgia, as if we've wandered these spaces before in our memories. The presence of the underwater statue imbues the scene with a sensation of being watched, adding an eerie yet compelling dimension to the duck's surroundings.