More Idea Sketches

These concepts are maybe a little redundant now as, after having some sense talked into me, I have realized I will not be able to make faces in Maya.

In these first three sketches I have attempted to show the three act structure of my animation.

1.      Calm

2.      Attack



3.      Mutation & Production of New Viruses

These sketches show the stages of the mutation of the host cell.



I’m not certain weather or not I should digitally paint these concepts now that I’m not using the faces. Although that detail has changed the basic concept remains the same, therefore so will the colour.   



Virus Cell Concepts

I’m not certain how appropriate the faces are, it might be way to over stylized. However the idea was to make it more fun for my target audience (12 to 16 year olds), so maybe it’s ok.

This concept doesn’t have the fleshy tones that I wanted, it was to dark. I created a grotesque tong like protuberance that extends from the mouth to attach to a host cell. This was to make it more vampiric, this was inspired by the vampires in Guillermo Del Toro’s The Strain series of novels. In the novels the vampires have long stingers that protrude from there mouths.



These concepts show a virus cell and host cell; I have more successfully captured the fleshy tones in these images. These two are more passive looking, as apposed to the more psychotic first concept, perhaps this will make it more subtly creepy.

Top: HIV Virus

Bottom: Host Cell

Initial Influence Map

The Thing, The Fly & Other Body Horror Movies

I have been looking at the horror sub-genre called body horror as reference for the visual style of my animation. Body horror is basically when the horror it derived from the mutilation or degeneration of the body. Some very famous body horror movies include John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) and David Cronenberg's The Fly. I have revisited these body horror movies and discovered some more obscure ones.

Here are some clips from the depraved films I have been watching :)

The Thing (1982)

The Fly (1986)



Society (1989)

From Beyond (1986)

@Phill: Update

Just wanted to know what you think of the direction I’m going with Unit 6, I’m worried I might be going a bit over the top.

I have decided to give my version of the HIV infection a body horror feel. This idea came to me whilst drawing the infected cell and noticing very anatomical shapes in the patterns.  I will be focusing on the attack and mutilation of a host cell. I want to portray the mutilation in a Cronenberg / David Lynch style. I still want to emphasize the vampiric nature of the virus but I’m not sure how to do this effectively.

I have done a few concept sketches; I’m not too sure about them. I tried to give the HIV cell an anatomical feel, even going as far as to add figure like mandibles to the Glycoprotein (Inspired by the Face hugger in Alien).

Life Drawing

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