Flash animation: Carbon by VNV Nation (My environmental sustainability climate change global warming epiphany)
My public sector stint in environmental sustainability prompted putting pen to tablet a few years back. Please feel free to watch and read more about my journey to the concept. I recommend you hurry, however, before the world ends.
The content: From sceptic to preacher
I was a sceptic when I started my 12-month gig in 2006 with what was then the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency’s ecoBiz program. My manufacturing background had taught me a compliance approach towards two opposing but necessary evils of commercial progress and protecting the planet. As I stood in front of corporations as a Senior Project Officer making the “business case for sustainability”, I felt myself being transformed into a passionate advocate for stopping the destruction of the planet.
The argument towards action for climate change is both emotional and scientific. Presentations typically include graphs of increasing CO2 levels measured from ice core samples, bookended by images of flooded third-world regions and stranded polar bears. The challenge with a scientific debate is that both sides break out their “experts”, making not only the general populous but the policy-making politicians too confused to take any action. These arguments are even expressed in semantics over the decades between what to call the issue, “climate change” or “global warming”.
My own position is that I believe the natural world will be a different place for my daughter and her children as a result of our contribution. I also believe action requires strong leadership to counter the complacency brought about by easy commercial success. This leadership needs to be driven not by fanaticism, but a practical approach integrated with the capitalist mandate. Until I and other who share these beliefs take disciplined and consistent action that works within the market structure we have created for ourselves, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Respecting strong opinions from both sides, I did not create the animation to change people’s views. My intent was to prompt a conversation and try to get the pictures out of my head into a format for public consumption. It also represents an expression of creativity that got me into this digital business in the first place.
The animation: Expression of a frustrated artist
I joined my first multimedia company in 2001 with the idea of working as a project manager while teaching myself how to make animated music videos. Going on 10 years, I have become quite proficient at managing projects. My animations, however, still look rather grade-school.
The animation of the tune by euro-EBM act VNV Nation represents my first use of my Intuos 3 Wacom tablet. I am a frustrated artist, with my dominant left-brain interrupting the path between my mental landscapes and my pen. I accept I could improve with more art classes, but for now that dream is on the back burner.
I have dozens of animations storyboarded up and a few started at the moment. My intent is to get a couple more out for 2011, in between a demanding work life, completing my Masters, and spending time with family.
The animation hopefully makes you think about your own position on a significant subject. Please feel free to leave a comment about either the topic or the animation. Both are slated as resolutions for more focus in the New Year… so long as we are still above water.