Extremely Simplified Version of HIV Life cycle

In order to try and get my head around exactly what I have to animate. I have put the process of infection by HIV into an extremely simplified 3 act structure.

Act 1

Infection of host cell by the HIV virus cell/connection of docking glycoprotein and cell receptors

Act 2

Virus entering the cell and releasing the RNA, the RNA fuses with DNA

Act 3

Creation and release of new virus from the host cell

Soundtrack Inspiration

The Evil Dead 1&2

I know I can’t use this music specifically, this is just intended to help me establish the mood I want for my animation. 

The quieter moments of Joseph LoDuca's soundtracks could suit the spindly creepy virus imagery. 

HIV Cell Image

I forgot to mention in my previous post how I really like the coloring on the electron microscope images I found. I especially like this one, the purple color makes it look beautiful but without losing its creepiness. 

Useful Videos

Unit 6: Making a Start

I have decided to choose the theme Infection by HIV because, to me, it seems to be the most interesting. I love the creepiness of the virus, especially after hearing Dr Peter Klappa’s description of it being alive and, at the same time, not alive.  This combined with the fact that it prays on human life make it horribly vampiric. Alive, not alive and praying on human life, this description could almost be Van-Helsing describing the nature of the Count himself, in Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula (1897).

To make a start, I have been looking at electron microscope images of HIV cells, and the AIDS virus itself.

I have also made a few sketches of the HIV cells and the AIDS virus.

I find the cell and virus visually fascinating despite their obvious repulsiveness. To me, they resemble Lovecraftian creatures made up of repulsive tentacles and pseudo limbs. When drawing the Virus itself I noticed vague anatomical shapes that resemble bones, limbs and organs.

It’s still early days but I think I will be focusing on the creepiness and looking at lots of horror movies; it should be lots of fun :)

It might also be interesting to look into the AIDS scare of the 1980’s. There was lots of paranoia around that time that resulted in some ferly sinister imagery.

Billboard from the 1980’s Don’t Die of Ignorance campaign

Maya Rigging Complete

Animation Update

I have put all of the animation I have together in one video even though some scenes are missing. I don’t know why it’s grey at the beginning, it only dose it on the YouTube version.