Planit, the Baltimore-based integrated brand communications agency, has been tapped by two high-profile organizations to design and produce 3D animation for a range of projects. The work is being produced by Planit's in-house broadcast design and animation studio.
For the National Geographic Channel, Planit has provided 3D animated shots and motion graphics for five television specials. Designed to work seamlessly with each show's filmed footage, the computer graphics help viewers visualize events that could not be caught on film. To date, Planit has contributed to several National Geographic programs, including: THE PERFECT SWARM, which uses 30 live-action/CG composite shots to depict the 1,875 locust swarm in the western United States; TALES OF THE TOMB, a HD production that uses 3D animation to illustrate the armored generals, chariots and tomb robbers of ancient Egypt; SHOCK AND AWE, an program that demonstrates the usage of high-tech weapons in the Iraqi war; SPIDER SEX, which uses animation to depict spiders' mating habits and behavior; and HOGZILLA, which uses 3D animation to illustrate the evolution of wild boars into domesticated pigs.
"As advertisers and marketers, we're in the business of storytelling and animation is changing the way we tell stories," said Matt Doud, president/co-founder of Planit. "It has evolved from an entertainment tool into a more versatile, commercial communications vehicle that informs and entertains an audience. The demand for this type of innovative service is growing in this marketplace, and as one of the few agencies with rich animation capabilities, Planit is filling that need."
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), a consortium of NASA to study the effects of long-term space flight on the human body, hired Planit to work on their Knowledge Station project, which is an interactive kiosk that will travel nationwide to science centers. Planit will develop the interactive game-like experience that uses CG characters, realistic environments, and an interface to engage high school students and college undergraduates in the challenges of space exploration.
The Knowledge Station team includes MIT Aeronautics Professor Dava Newman and her students, NSBRI, Planit and the renowned space architect Gui Trotti, who created the kiosk. The musician Moby also gave permission to use his song, "We're All Made of Light," as a soundtrack to the interactive experience. Housed at MIT, the kiosk will travel to science centers nationwide beginning in July 2005.
"The challenge was in designing a non-linear story that entertains but still conveys a broad range of detailed information," said Carlson Bull, Planit's director of animation. "We're taking users to the International Space Station, Mars and Europa - one of Jupiter's moons - and introducing them to characters who act as interactive guides at each locale. And while the characters and sets have been designed as they might look 20 or 30 years from now, everything is based on extrapolations of current technology and thinking."
Planit (www.planitagency.com) is a Baltimore-based integrated brand communications agency that provides advertising, design, direct, interactive and public relations services to clients in various industries. The agency, established in 1994, incorporates strategies and real-world tactics to give shape to corporate brands and strengthen organizations by delivering measurable results.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
