Brief
As part of their drive to enhancing teaching resources for teachers, The Royal Observatory Greenwich asked us to create two animations for primary and secondary level students. The films needed to give teachers a platform for interactive learning and help them inspire their students to explore astronomy and space.
Approach
The two films (Mission to Mars & The HR Diagram) were on different subjects and for different age groups, so we developed two unique styles and approaches tailored for each.
For primary film, Moving to Mars, we followed the story of three friends preparing and travelling to Mars. The film is based around a simple narrative that explored the astronauts learning about Mars at the Observatory, before training and embarking on the mission. They arrive on Mars and settle into their new home on the planet, before experiencing what life is like, living and working on the planet. The story has a fun and humorous tone, placing the mission as an ‘Adventure’.
In our HR Diagram film, we also wanted to have the observatory at the centre of the narrative, whilst bringing what can be complex theories and diagrams to life in a visually stunning and compelling way. The designs and animated assets were designed in a hyper-real style, that showed the wonder of the universe, but also allowed us to augment the visual landscapes with supporting content and learning. The style of this animation is also more aged up and sophisticated compared to the Mars film to appeal to the older age group.
Outcomes
The films have been extremely well received by both teachers and students alike, and have become an integral part of the educational programme at The Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Since producing the films, we are continuing to work with the Observatory on other subjects and educational content for their various digital channels and museum experiences.