Sophie Smrcka | Scenic and Projections Design
Project in Lieu of Thesis:
Animation Study
The Process
Using a software called DeepMotion by Animate3d, I did motion capture of myself "drilling holes". I created 5 variations of every action. I uploaded these motion capture files to Blender, where I transferred the action to a character of my design, and cleaned the keyframes to create seamless animations. I added objects, and exported the animations.
I then used Premiere Pro to create animation of holes appearing and water dripping out of them. I used After Effects to insert these hole/water animations into the people animations, and I compiled the variations of people into the storylines I projected.
Meanwhile, I 3d modeled my bathtub and bathroom in Sketchup, and 3d printed it using a Bambu Studio filament printer. I painted and glued the pieces of the 1" model together, and filled the bathtub with "water" - resin.
The bathroom was put in an installation style setup - inside a black box with a black curtain to go over the viewer's head for full immersion. I programmed my projections using WatchOut, and made my full process available for people to view.
See the process and product below!
The Installation
When our Earth has been warmed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, there will be irreversible damage to our planet. There is a clock in New York City that counts down the time we have remaining to prevent this. The project was launched to help raise awareness of the urgent situation that we as a society face today – to save our home. For me, this clock raises a deep and impending panic, and a hopelessness. I have spent every day of my life that I can remember deeply aware of the doom that faces me. I have recycled, and ridden my bike instead of driving, and even gone vegetarian in an attempt to create any level of change. None of it ever feels like enough. I am just one person, and even when my whole community comes together to fight for a chance to save our planet, those who have the power to create real change just aren’t listening. My hope is that this installation will communicate the desperation that I feel. But maybe, it will also communicate the unyielding determination I feel. We have to keep trying. Even if we cannot see the change.
