This is a blog describing the creative process involved in developing a thirty second, 2D animation, Westchester Community College, Fall 2015
September 10, 2015
RESEARCH OF SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES AND IDEAS :
Through Westchester Community College’s 2D Animation course, I propose to initiate a conversation about water scarcity concerns. While reading and writing are effective means of communication, data visualization techniques, with entertaining and metephorically strong visuals, have the potential to educate without being didactic and have the potential to reach a broader audience.
Water Crisis Project Idea
Create an animation that provides information about water scarcity concerns. Use flash animation to contextualize water issues related to global water threats and data visualization techniques to illustrate the issues using visual imagery. Frame the issues on a national/personal level and conclude by contextualizing the issues on a global level.
Why do a project on water?
The world is facing a global water threat. There is a finite amount of water in the world, the amount of water per head is decreasing, and the costs of water distribution are rising. Some project that in the next 25 years, the price of a gallon of water will be as high as a price of a gallon of gas. Only 1% of the earth’s water is drinkable.
Some say privatization is contributing to the global water crisis. Mine it, divert it, bottle it, sell it, are creating a water crisis for the poor and disenfranchised. In India, a farmer’s well goes dry after Coco Cola builds a production facility next to his farm.
Concerns:
A water table depletes as industry grows. Every product you make takes water to create. Every product you take, needs water to make.
I have narrowed my focus to a discussion of water scarcity concerns. The project will use flash animation to contextualize water issues related to global water threats. I will use data visualization techniques to frame the issues on a global level to help contextualize issues on a national/personal level.
I began with research focused on understanding the issues:
Food, Energy and Water: Their Inextricable Linkage
http://www.fewresources.org/the-few-problem.html
Interesting quote worth exploring: “Water is the new oil” T. Boone. Pickens
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2008-06-11/there-will-be-water
Water Scarcity info:
This video has minimal visual elements. Though it conveys an important message. Adding visuals and a voice over could make this message more compelling.
http://www.fewresources.org/water-scarcity-issues-were-running-out-of-water.html
This National Geographic Report shows how much water we use to produce a variety of goods:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kidsnetwork/water/session_01.html
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGgYTcPzexE” target=”_blank”>
Unicef
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKriIPainCY
Below is an example of how to animate the molecular structure of water. I will use animation similar to this to depict how a molecule moves as a liquid, a solid, and a gas:
https://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/liquids/character.html
These links provide important info on the properties of water:
julie bacon media 