
Category: My Work


THE CREATURE
Title:
THE CREATURE
Theme:
Illusion
CONCEPT
It is an experimental film which describes a life cycle of various abstract creatures, from birth, maturation to death.
With the help of simple chemical reaction in milk, it also allows audience to experience an immersive visual-journey.
INSPIRATION
PSYCHEDELIC REVIVAL, Moment Factory
- Multimedia entertainment studio, Montreal
- Specialising in the conception and production of immersive environments combining video, lighting, architecture, animation, sound and special effects to create remarkable visitor experiences.
Filming acrylic paint swirls in milk
- Kinetic movement
- Vibrant color
METHODOLOGY
Because of the nature of dish soap, it will push away the paint molecules to different directions continuously, which creates a color explosion.
The autonomous chemistry not only creates chaos and but also the freedom of imagination and inspiration.
Experiement by ValincoTV
Experiement by artFido
TESTSHOOT
- Acrylic paints
- Oil/dish soap
- Milk
- Cups/tray/sucker
COMPOSITION
I used Adobe After Effects to compose my shots, which is designed for motion graphics design mainly.
After the initial shoot, I realize some problems immediately:
- The final output canvas is too wide;
- It can’t contain one HD footage;
- The color is washed out and not vibrant enough.
Mirror Effect
The good solution is mirroring the same footage.
Approach 1
By only flipping once and feathering the edges, the visual becomes like a lively and organic thing, a brain, a face and a creature.
Approach 2
By flipping 4 footages, it creates a nice pattern but doesn’t look like a live thing.
MOODBOARD
I decided to go for approach 1 which is more organic.
Reference from 3d model design as well as sci-fi movies, like <The Thing>, <Alien> and <Prometheus>.
Mood of mystery, alienation and isolation.
Taotie(饕餮)
It reminds me an ancient creature from Chinese culture called Taotie, which is often casted on bronze vessels dated back thousands of years ago from Shang and Zhou dynasty.
In ancient Chinese mythology, taotie (饕餮) is one of the “four evil creatures of the world” along with Hundun (渾沌), Qiongqi (窮奇)and Taowu (梼杌).
It has a very symmetrical deign with prominent facial features standing out.
Taotie on a ding bronze vessel from late Shang era
INITIAL STYLE-FRAMES
- Single cell – complexity – single cell
- Inverted the color.
- Background is black now
MORE SHOOT
I’m using food coloring instead this time. Because it has more saturated color in milk
I tried to avoid more than 3 colors, or it will turn out too messy and formless.
FINAL COMPOSITION SCREENSHOTS
Treatment process
FINAL

Prototype 01
Video sequences
Below is the visual sequences in the video: simplicity to complex, to Simplicity again
“The Thing” is an experimental and generative video art with the use of simple chemical reaction in milk, which depicts an alien’s lifecycle abstractly. The autonomous chemistry not only creates chaos and but also free imagination based on individual’s experience and background.
In this stage, the proposed work, in URL link below, is prototype 1, not final and still in the process. The design treatment and editing are going to be more polished in the final work.
Prototype 01
password:123

Mindmaps
UI EXPERIENCE
This concept is about illusion and depth within UI and data design.
I have a strong interest in designing UI for film. So I want to create this illusional UI tunnel in a abstract form.
I was inspired by an American designer Ash thorp who is specialised in UI design and motion graphics for film.
Below are screenshots from his work for Call of Duty
ADOBE REMIX – THE INCEPT
Previously I also had worked on some similar designs for corporate videos, which I think I can also continue working on this style.
https://www.behance.net/gallery/19224223/I2R
https://www.behance.net/gallery/19663305/Future-UI-
Solar System
Inspired by Psychedelic revival, Moment Factory, I intended to create a video by introducing different planets in our Solar system in a abstract way, using acrylics and milk to form the texture of the planets’ surface with sound effects.
TIMELESS
I have created some animated photo loop for my previous project. I think it will be visually interesting to continue it.
“Timeless” is about creating a animated loop in a still images, which constructs a beauty between still and motion.
So for this time, I intended to create some daily life scenes in larger and wider composition due to the screen size and capture some routine that this city has like taking mrt, hanging cloth outside.
Datascapes
I wanted to use Air Passenger Arrivals’ data to create a visualisation, calculating the number of passengers coming from developed countries to the undeveloped to Singapore.
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