A scene from ‘3D Space Safari’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On special screening of 3D film 3d space safari, Middle school students of SBOA School, Kochi, jump and reach out to touch Chandrayaan 3 as it ‘flys’ overhead, ‘showering’ bright fragments on us like a meteorite…many such There come occasions when children cannot control their excitement and jump around. Out of their seats.
It’s not just about the special effects, the film is also informative and captivating for anyone interested in planets, the solar system, and the galaxy. What’s particularly interesting is that the film gives perspective on how much larger the Earth would appear to a planet if it were there in place of the Moon. 3D Space Safari is well researched and cleverly designed.
The man behind it is Kochi-based animator and VFX artist AK Saber. It is the result of almost 10 years of teaching myself 3D techniques, “About 10 years ago the learning resources were not so readily available. I had to download PDF of books from the net. Even the hardware was not available. I repaired cameras and experimented with technology before I learned how to make 3D films. I practiced and ‘developed’ a technique that would work for me. “It took so long because I was teaching myself.”
A scene from the film Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
He wrote and directed the film’s script after talking to experts, reading and researching. “Astronomy is a constantly evolving subject. You have to keep track of it on a daily basis. Besides the numbers – distance, gravity, number of moons – have to be constantly checked. For example, the number of Saturn’s moons increased in May 2023 when astronomers discovered 62 new moons orbiting the planet, bringing the total to 146. Being factually incorrect won’t cut it when it comes to a topic like this.
Saber referred to the NASA website, National Geographic and the European Space Agency (ESA) for accurate updated information. The story unfolds through the eyes of three children watching a film about outer space, it takes the audience and the actors on a journey of exploration of outer space, the galaxy and everything that lies in it.
Saber did everything from direction to stereography, visual effects, 3D compositing and color grading. He received help from his son Emil for the 3D visual effects. After working on it for a year and a half, he screened the film in a theater to test and make improvements. Earlier he had made a short video based on astronomy with special effects. When he showed it to Joby George, who later became the producer of the film, Joby suggested him to make it in 2D format. “I insisted that it be made in 3D format and that’s how this project came into existence.”
AK Saber Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The film was first screened at the Global Science Festival in Thiruvananthapuram in January 2024. “The response was amazing, while the first show at the Aries Plex theater was 60 percent full, the subsequent shows were full. In fact, some additional shows were added.” 3d space safari It is being screened in cinema halls of the city for school children.
origin of 3d space safari His interest lies in physics, an appetite for which he discovered when he first encountered it in high school Bhautika KauthukamMalayalam translation of Russian science writer Yakov Perelman physics for funHe studied two volumes and by the tenth grade everything he read suddenly started making sense.
Then in 1986, the year Halley’s Comet passed, at the age of 18 he found a ‘star map’ in a foreign publication, which he bought. He was a member of Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). “I was already curious about astronomy, when I got my hands on the star map it made me even more curious about space. I would lie down on the terrace of my house and look at the sky, trying to find stars, planets and constellations.
Cyber has years of experience as an animator and VFX artist, he started his career as an animator while working with Thiruvananthapuram based Toonz Animation. Apart from these, he also animated and directed bobanum mollium, my dear father (Script and Animation), Konkani Animated Film Srivenkateshayanam Apart from VFX for films like soldiers of vellimala And RogueHe has also worked on animated content for children.
Although the film has received positive response, distribution has not been possible. “It’s tough because there’s no star value and the film is information/knowledge-based,” says Saber.
published – November 28, 2024 03:35 PM IST
