Take

COMPANY: Gamera

CLIENT: OVO encyclopedia

TASK: 3d animation, compositing

SOFTWARES: Cinema4d, Suite Adobe

SECTOR: Video animation

OVO is an online video encyclopedia available in both Italian and English. The project aims to publish videos on a wide array of topics, much like traditional encyclopedias did on paper. You can find more about it here: http://www.ovovideo.com/take/.

The Istituto Treccani was tasked with verifying the accuracy of the information. The website is organized into five main categories, and I was in charge of “TAKE,” a collection of video commentaries on some of the most debated issues in current affairs. Each video had a duration of about 10 minutes.

My work adhered to a tight schedule: every two weeks, a new script for a video was sent to my agency. Typically, the script consisted of ten sentences. Each sentence had to be contextualized, briefly storyboarded, and then translated into visuals. This process involved modeling, animating, and rendering every character and background prop using Cinema4D. Once the 3D assets were completed, I switched to After Effects to compose each sequence, add additional effects when necessary, and edit the final video.

The process required creativity to visualize the script as actual scenes, as well as a solid understanding of camera movements and animation principles. I learned a lot throughout the project: it was my first animation project and the first time I worked with timelines. At the time, I had no experience with After Effects or Cinema4D. However, during my studies at Politecnico, I had used several other software programs, such as Inventor, Alias, Blender, Cad, Maxwell Render, and Keyshot. This prior experience made it easier for me to learn another 3D program, as they all share similar foundations. The main challenge was simply navigating the new interface and locating the commands I already knew existed.

The real challenge, however, was mastering "timing": how long does the audience need to read this sentence?

How many seconds should an element take to appear or disappear? How do you guide the audience's focus to what you want them to notice? These were the critical questions I had to answer while refining my skills.

I worked on this project for over a year and created more than fifty videos. Despite the repetitiveness of the format, I never got bored. Each new script brought unique challenges, and I had the creative freedom to stage the scenes however I wanted, which made the work both fun and stimulating.

Occasionally, I even played around with the rigged characters, imagining them in different contexts like recently released films. For example, I was working on TAKE when Whiplash was in theaters, and I had a great time staging mashups. I love creating those kinds of playful reinterpretations.