This is a proposal for visual materials around MBARI’s Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology and the Geo-Sense prototype. Included in this proposal are tech demos, style guides, and a rough timeline. The team behind this proposal is animator Justin Hamrick and science communicator Rhea Ewing. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
All images and videos in this proposal are for demonstration purposes only and are not final.
Elegant, professional, and engaging.
MBARI’s public facing materials are professional, elegant, and engaging. These videos and images will fit right alongside MBARI’s existing materials and branding.
Our visuals will be geared towards both scientifically literate experts in related fields and for the general public. They will showcase what DAS and the Geo-Sense prototype are capable of, how they work, and why MBARI is a cutting edge institution.
Submarine Sedimentary Flow
A dynamic animation that shows the movement and interaction of sediments and fluids in a submarine sedimentary flow. Accompanying this will be a series of still image illustrations based on the animation, highlighting key details and processes.
A sample of a "landscape architecture diagram" animation created by Justin using Unreal Engine 5's sequencer, featuring a water simulation and a 3D scan of England's "White Cliffs of Dover" We intend to depict the process of the cables being deployed to the sea floor, and a particulate flow being captured by the DAS system.
A sample of "high gravity fluid particles" created by Justin using Unreal Engine 5's Niagara system, which can be highly customized to depict different varieties of sediment flow.
Another sample of "high gravity fluid particles" created by Justin using Unreal Engine 5's Niagara system, showcasing how light and color can add clarity and visual interest to the animation.
The Physics Behind DAS
A detailed visual explanation of the physical process behind DAS and how they can be harnessed to detect and interpret geological signals. We will create both animated and still illustration versions of this explainer.
We plan to adapt the animated diagram shown in this linked video from Sensonic to match the other diagrams in a clear, visually appealing composition.
Prototype Demonstrations
A detailed view of the prototype instrument, showcasing its design and components.
Animation showing the prototype’s deployment and operation in a marine environment, emphasizing its capabilities and the type of data it collects, including side-by-side visual comparisons of data collected with traditional methods versus the prototype to highlight improvements and advantages.
A sample of an animated exploded-view of hardware created by Justin using Blender 3D animation software.
Who We Are
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Justin is an experienced 2D and 3D animator versed in character animation and technology product communication.
Raised around Florida swamps and a current SF Bay Area resident, he has worked for a variety of clients including PBS, Oracle, Google, SAP, Cartoon Network Adult Swim, Comedy Central, ITV Canada, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime, Salesforce, Georgia Pacific, and Intuit.
In 2011 he received an Emmy recognition for his contributions to the series SciGirls for PBS! -
Rhea Ewing is an award winning artist, comic author, and visual science communicator.
Rhea has worked with scientists and non-profit organizations big and small in creating images that captivate and inspire audiences. Notable clients include UW Madison, Central Michigan University, and Sesame Workshop.
Estimated Timeline
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Animatics
2-3 Weeks
We collaborate with you to turn your script into a rough sketch of each animation.
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Drafts
3-4 Weeks
Each animation is developed and ready to be presented for fact checking
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Edits and Final Version
3-4 Weeks
Videos are updated based on your feedback and polished into their final version.