Aiden's Atlantis VR

We were challenged to create an original experience to be used with Ballast’s DIVR, an underwater virtual reality headset to be used in water parks and swimming pools. We started by outlining different narratives and creating visuals forms of representation.

We felt enchanted when we reached the first draft where one would accompany Aiden, a magical seal, escaping from the pollution of his ocean to the lost city of Atlantis. We interpreted Atlantis as a city for all species of fish and sea creature, full of life, full of technology. The journey to Atlantis ends with Aiden with all the other sea creature, departing in a spaceship to a new world.

We felt this experience was a success when getting feedback from different people trying it underwater, feeling the immersion and awe of discovering a new magical city. Aiden's Atlantis has it all: Adventure, thrill, emotion, joy and a deeper message of sustainability to the viewers.

For an adventure with so much variety of elements and paths, both portraying the imaginary and the real, the process of concept art is born from the necessity of distinguishing each moment of the adventure.

Colorful environments and color-rich elements need to be distinct as it happens in the moment that our seal, Aiden, passes through the coral path.

These colorful elements transition to the most terrifying moment: the pollution and mutants. The difference is notorious, but after a moment of color like the beginning, we would have to think about how this marine creature could visually contemplate something that was appeasing and mysterious like the path to the Cave.

This game of environments also played with the natural and architectural elements that we wanted to create, based on the script, each element was thought, from the mutants, terrifying and luminous beings to the architecture of the city of Atlantis, where we can see organic architecture together with ruins referring to a more classic architecture. These elements, as a whole, form coherent and visually attractive environments, something that concept art helped to bring to life.

STORYBOARD AND KEY VISUALS FOR THE ANIMATION.

The start of our experience, stabilishing the light hearted tone and creating a beautiful visual experience. Not only due to the environment but also because of the variety of sea creatures.

EXAMPLES OF THE BIODIVERSITY EXISTING ON AIDEN'S WORLD..

The deep message in Aiden's Atlantis is related to the sad topic of ocean pollution. When waste is dropped into the ocean, we change from a colorful and vivid scenario to a dark and foggy one.

We also spent some time working on the mutants, which are sea creatures that have been mutated into scary monsters. While we enjoyed the process of sculpting and animating, their presence in the final video was decreased to ensure that the experience was not too scary or dark, making it suitable for all ages.

Throughout the city of Atlantis there are remnants of an older civilization, the one that founded Atlantis and received all kinds of sea creatures. These are evident in our environment through sculptures and cave painting that retell the story of the city and the ancient races of humanoid sea creatures that once inhabited the city.

For this ancient civilization we took inspiration in ancient greek mythology with a touch of alien-like organic shapes.

EXAMPLES OF THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATION'S STRUCTURES.

THE CAVE PAINTINGS TELL THE HISTORY OF ATLANTIS.

The city of Atlantis itselfs presents a combination of both ancient and modern arquitecture. The more ancient architecture are rock or shell based simple structures, which mix into the new city which is more modern, with buildings with organic shapes, metal and lights.

The adventure ends with the departure of the spaceship, which was waiting for all its animal passengers, of which Aiden is the last.

DETAILS OF THE ARCHITECTURE CREATED FOR THE CITY.