Karoo Origins
Credits:
Client: Karoo Origins: the Fossil Centre
2025
Producer: Dianne Makings
Creative Director: Colin Payne
Illustration, concept art and storyboarding : Jeani Varty
3D modelling: Grant Steyn
3D Animation Services: Ferin
Prof Bruce Rubidge had one request for this centre " A watering hole like the Kruger Park, but 255 million years ago in the Karoo."
This was the jumping off point for the conceptual design of the centre.
We discussed watering holes in great length and what emerged was the realisation that there is certain truce at the watering hole. Additionally we also had to acknowledge that life is not a nature documentary and it can be quite boring for the most part.
With this in mind we started planning. We knew it needed to be large, that to feel the immersion we needed to be as true to size as possible. This resulted in a screen 6 x 3 m.
We also decided to not heighten the tension using any filmmaking techniques. No cuts, no fades, no zooms, no pans. Just the watering hole and over 23 creatures existing.
With so many creatures in the scene, it means audiences can view this piece multipile times and still notice something new in each viewing.
Links:
designing the Permian Waterhole animation
