Motion Graphics and Science

Yes, this blogpost also talks about particle systems! Can't help it!

Motion graphics and animation are used for a bunch of different things outside of the entertainment or media industry. One of theses uses is science. Motion graphics are often used to explain scientific processes, mechanism, and body tissues - all in great detail.

This video below is a unique combination of art, science, and of course motion graphics. The video shows an incredibly dense yet invisible world of the cytoplasm in biological cells. All the tiny molecules, minerals, ions, etc. in the body can be seen in a fluid dance-like motion. These cytoplasmic playgrounds are reimagined using dynamic particle systems that play out and evolve differently each time, mimicking stochastic processes in nature.

The creator of this video, Markos Kay, has a great Vimeo channel with incredible motion graphics stuff where he combines art and science. Do check it out.

Motion graphics and animation are in many ways a science. I found this really amazing article that talks about the physics behind animation films and how incredibly complex it is. The article also mentions how hundreds of scientists from academia, NASA, other physicists, and engineers have left their careers to go work in the profitable movie industry because it offers so much exploration of scientific concepts. 

Particle System Animation

This blog post is very late - sorry about that! (It's for 10/22)

In the past two months, as I am learning more an more about After Effects, I have found the CC Particle World and Particle Playground effects to be some of the most useful and awesome effects to work with.

I got a chance to look more into particle system animation and how it has developed over time. Simply reading through the theory behind particle systems helped me understand a lot.

The most important thing to know is that particle systems can be either animated or static - even though particle systems are usually just associated with being animated. An animated particle has it life trajectory spanned over time while a static particle is rendered all at once.

For things like fire, smoke, rain, sparks, etc., animated particles are used as each particle occupies a single point in the space position and then slowly fades out.

For things like hair, grass, etc., static particles are used as the entire life journey of the particle is rendered at once, therefore, creating strands - which can then be controlled.

Even when using the Particle World effect to simply create a small fire, there are so many things to be controlled and it can seem overwhelming. I found this video from a game engine called Unreal Engine and the video goes over some basic and complex particle terminology. So if someone is interested in developing games, especially shooter games, check this out.

Typically, the particles are generated through what is called an emitter. The emitter holds a position in 3D space which can be manipulated to determine the amount, shape, size, and direction of the particles among other properties. 

There is a lot more information out there if someone is interested in learning more about particle systems.

Superbowl Commercials

Everybody loves Superbowl commercials. They have become so popular that the commercials are almost bigger than the game itself. Whether this has something to do with America's incessant commercialism is an issue to tackle on a different blog. What I couldn't help but notice this year was the massive use of motion graphics. You'd be hard pressed to find just one commercial that didn't employ some use of computer graphics or animation. Here are three commercials from this year that used 3D animation and particle systems for sure: