Impossible Pictures is bringing it to Denver! Check out their latest work:
Discovering Ardi
More than two years of hard work has paid off. A new documentary that’s currently airing on the Discovery Channel, called Discovering Ardi, unveils the oldest-known fossil skeleton of a human ancestor and we’re proud to have created the animations for it.
According to scientists, Ardi (the name of the skeleton) represents a milestone in human evolution and creating her was a daunting task, according to Steve Urbano. “No one has ever seen a creature like this. We had a tremendous responsibility to the scientists that our animations be accurate, from what Ardi looks like to how she moves.”
Employing a team of about 30 artists, animators, modelers and motion capture experts, Impossible created Ardi from the actual skeleton as well as anatomical drawings from the scientific team. Particularly difficult was creating skin, fur, lighting and natural environments for a creature that hasn’t existed for some 4 million years. But over the course of two and a half years, the team successfully produced the critical shots for this historic television program.
“Our challenge was to transform abstract, scientific information into a living, breathing creature that viewers could identify with and see as it really existed. We literally brought Ardi to life,” says Joel Pilger. “Without these kinds of accurate depictions, it would be difficult for people to understand the significance of the scientists’ findings.”
http://vimeo.com/7073024
