davidarmsby
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"Sea and Sky" | Early Patreon Version.
🕑 Added 2022-01-26 18:08:53 +0000 UTCHere we finally have the fourth film of my Dinosauria Animated Series! :D
As mentioned in a couple of my previous posts; the mainstream media depiction of pterosaurs is very outdated, far more outdated than the pop-culture depiction of dinosaurs. Pterosaur depictions remain mostly unchanged since the Ray Harryhausen days, being portrayed as squawking, flapping, evil sky vermin and that's not right at all.
"Make pterosaurs inspiring" was essentially the brief I gave myself for this project! XD
I have also always avoided water in my animated short films as it's an incredibly hard thing to animate in my particular style.
For this film; I decided it was time to finally face my fear and set this film during a thunderstorm, on the coast, and in the sea. Sea and Sky, on a shot-for-shot basis, was one of the more difficult and time-consuming films I've ever worked on because of this. This film doesn't have a single simple shot.
But I learned A LOT of new tricks and knowing I can pull off underwater scenes opens the doors to so many more storytelling opportunities in the future! :D
To me, "Sea and Sky" is most realistic feeling film in the Dinosauria series, and that was the intention. I wrote this one to mimic exactly the type of scenario you'd see play out in a nature-documentary segment. I wanted to portray Geosternbergia as an inspiration and I felt stripping back as many fantastical elements as I could was the correct way to go about doing that.
Overall; I really like this little film. FAR more than I expected to. I think it has grown to become my second favourite of the series, just after "Our Frozen Past". It was a massive learning experience and I can't wait to finally get down and evaluate it all in the upcoming "Making Of" video! ^_^
Music Used:
"Precipice" - Scott Buckley
https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/
Comments
It really reminds me of the way that the WWD stories could invest so much life and tension into the extinct creatures without anthropomorphizing them. What really makes this shine is how inhuman the pterosaurs are while still remaining relatable. Without a parent-child connection or the typical monogamous pairings we "like" to see in animals, we still feel deeply for these creatures.
Wow, what a wonderful episode! I couldn't tell that this was a challenging piece for you as each shot looked amazing (from an amateur animator's perspective). I was surprised to see how far they dived! I suppose it makes sense since they don't have to worry about feathers getting waterlogged. Looking forward to seeing your next one!
Ian Pendleton
Short or not, this was a very interesting story, and I like that you went with a lesser known species of pterosaur in place of Pteranodon. The episode as is looks a little unfinished, but it's still very good, and it's really just the splashing effects that need to be fixed. They look a little unnatural compared to the rest of the water effects, like they were added on top instead of animated with the rest of the water if that makes any sense. Still, excellent episode, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next.
I love this so much. Can't wait to see the making of video, they are always so motivating.
absolutely gorgeous! thank you!
Spiritstrike
This was really heart-stopping and had me on the edge of my seat! This was amazing and intense with gorgeous animation and perfect music to go along with it! Absolutely amazing!
George Starr
Once again, an absolutely stunning film! I adore that you put as much emphasis on the gorgeous visuals, the beautiful music, and the brilliant storytelling as on the superb scientific accuracy! Bravo!
Geosternbergia is believed to have a polygynous mating/social system similar to modern elephant seals, where one dominant male competes for the rights to mate with a large group of females. The species was also heavily sexually dimorphic, males being twice the size of the females with larger crests and proportionally narrower hips. The group of pterosaurs depicted in this film are all female except the lead, dominant male.
Xavius Night
Amazing! I loved it ^^ I do have to wonder if the one with the impressive crest was just an adult amongst youngsters, the leader of the flock, a related and more robust species, or just an apex member of the same species. Regardless, I loved every second of this short film, and I hope you enjoyed making it even half as much as I enjoyed watching it!
Bravo! That bit of tension you put in had me squirming in my seat! Your projects are well worth the patronage.
What like hwow0lwkwks I love it so much
I'm really glad you liked it! I was eagerly anticipating your response considering you study pterosaurs.
As far as pterosaur depictions in visual media goes, this is by far my favourite! You've blown Jurassic World out of the water with the designs, accuracy and behaviour exhibited by the Geosternbergia.
Best one so far.
Omg, i love it! As always
Mikail Afridi
Yo I’m first to watch full of it
