Treatment

The camera starts from above where we see an underwater scene below. We then move down closer so that we are surrounded by the sea life, which is animated by the water in which it’s submerged. The scene is a cloudy blue color and bubbles float up in the foreground of our frame just before we start to make the journey forward.

We slowly swim ahead and are surrounded by seaweed that moves in and out of the frame. Scattered on the sandy floor of either side of us are shells and starfish of various sizes. We look to the right to find some purple sea urchins resting along with an isolated bunch of coral. More bubbles float up and we turn to face forward again.

Moving along, the path gets clearer and we see more shells, seaweed and starfish along the left side. Up ahead we also see a large patch of orange coral that stands out amongst the deep blues of the ocean. Passing through more seaweed and bubbles, and some sea anemones, we make our way towards the coral.

Once we get close, we weave through the large structures of coral and pass through making twists and turns so that we end up facing the direction we were coming from. The camera then dollys out and moves up, using a crane shot, towards the ocean surface, which gives a slight aerial view of the full ocean landscape below.

The viewer will be able to take a journey to a place unfamiliar to them. The goal of this project is to give the audience an experience of swimming under the ocean, while appreciating 3D computer animation.

Treatment -- Draft

I plan on creating an animated underwater scene using Maya's 3D paint tools. I will create a rough terrain that will look like sand and scatter rocks around to give it more character. Plants will play a major part in my scene. I will use plants like kelp and seaweed which will move and sway to give the illusion that they really are under the ocean. Other species that are found in the ocean will be found in my aquatic scene, for example, starfish and sea anemones. Also included in my scene will be shells and coral to add to the setting. To give the illusion that we are traveling through water, I plan on adding bubbles which will float up and give some life to the empty area. Lastly, I plan on giving a full view of this underwater terrain using a fly-through camera.

Brief

For my project in IDD401 I think I would still like to experiment with the paint tools in Maya. I am interested in creating a small underwater environment using the 3D paint effects. I plan on creating an atmosphere with plants, sand and shells. I want to give it life, so I also plan on animating it. Making the plants move as if it really was underwater, I think, can help achieve this. I know that it can be really hard to get every plant life and shell, etc., proportionate in size, so I plan to do a little research to make sure my scene is pretty accurate.
By animating my underwater terrain, I can get the look that I'm striving for which is a believable location. I am also planning on adding animated bubbles to add to the water effect. I may try to add some fish if time permits. I am going to experiment a little with lighting since I haven't done too much with that. Also, to get a full view of my scene, I will do a fly-through with a camera and also take some high-quality stills which, hopefully, I can add to my senior portfolio.