For this project I will be creating a 3D animation that includes metamorphosis and incorporates Edward Tufte’s five theories. Within this post I will be researching Stonehenge, animation processes and exploring my initial ideas and inspirations for the animation.
We were asked to choose one of four topics for the subject of the animation, my choice was “a flyby of Stonehenge that is made of Swiss cheese.”
Initial Ideas
Immediately when reading the options for this project, the Stonehenge choice stood out to me. I began brainstorming and below are visuals that communicate a few ideas:
When thinking of a storyline that explains why Stonehenge is made of Swiss cheese the phrase the moon is made of cheese sprung to mind.
One idea involved having a man on the moon (made of cheese) with a telescope looking down at Stonehenge made of cheese.
Another idea was to have the individual stones of Stonehenge (made of cheese) colliding together to form a body, then reaching for the moon and pulling it down to form the head, resembling the giant gingerbread from Shrek 2.
However, the above ideas did not have a distinct plot. When researching, it became clear that to tell an interesting story and therefore have a successful animation it was vital to include a beginning, middle and end, whilst also including a metamorphosis. Meaning my ideas needed to be improved upon to create a design that the audience will understand and enjoy.
“Incorporating a narrative adds value: A great cartoon often tells a story, making it not just visually appealing but also intellectually engaging.” Buchholz (2024).
Research & Inspiration
During the research it became apparent that Stonehenge has a connection with the alignment of the sun and recent studies suggest there may be a connection with the moon too (English Heritage, 2024). This confirmed that the inclusion of the sun and moon would be relevant for this animation.
I knew that through my design I wanted to evoke feelings of joy and fun whilst also creating a cartoon style animation that is engaging.
“A good idea with a solid production plan has a much better chance of being completed than a great idea with no plan.” Beane, A. (2012:22).
I had decided on the idea for my animation, it was now time to plan and find inspiration.
Metamorphosis
In this short animation the soft rain that the main characters are dancing in changes to normal rain when a bus comes into shot (4:45). This is a great example of metamorphosis by using a transition.
The above clip shows a simple metamorphosis of a pumpkin growing into a carriage. This transformation is cleverly completed in time with the music and with added sparkles, it seems to be easily achievable to create using Autodesk Maya.
The inclusion of metamorphosis within my animation will be through a smooth transition of the moon changing into the sun.
Next Steps
According to Beane, A. (2012) the production pipeline consists of pre-production, production and postproduction, please see below a breakdown of these stages:
I now have my idea and story, it’s time to create a storyboard, animatic and design.
References
Beane, A. (2012) 3D Animation essentials. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Buchholz, C. (2024) 11 Cartoon art styles to know [Blog post]. Skill Share. 5 February. https://www.skillshare.com/en/blog/11-cartoon-art-styles-to-know/?srsltid=AfmBOorydGKsXqxCmt69etTf1m2txIVBB2wQpFalQGvqfvrwr5s1-uYd [Accessed 12 Mar 2025].
Eater (2015) Investigation: Is the moon made of cheese? https://www.eater.com/2015/9/17/9341079/investigation-is-the-moon-made-of-cheese [Accessed 10 Mar 2025].
English Heritage (2024) Major lunar standstill. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/major-lunar-standstill/#:~:text=Stonehenge%20is%20famous%20for%20its,’major%20lunar%20standstill’%20occurs. [Accessed 10 Mar 2025].
Fandom (2017) Mongo. https://shrek.fandom.com/wiki/Mongo [Accessed 10 Mar 2025].
Fine Art America (2018) The man who lives in the moon is busy. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/-the-man-who-lives-in-the-moon-is-busy-mary-evans-picture-library.html [Accessed 10 Mar 2025].
IMDb (2025) O-solar-meow. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062061/ [Accessed 28 Feb 2025].
Into Film (2025) Le voyage dans la lune. https://www.intofilm.org/films/4290 [Accessed 28 Feb 2025].
Omens Studios (2024) Soft Rain | Animated Short Film (2023) [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbsfc6Wn2DU [Accessed 1 Mar 2025].
Pinterest (2025) Sun, moon and earth. https://cl.pinterest.com/pin/44895327529930760/ [Accessed 10 Mar 2025].
Taylor Perez (2015) Cinderella Pumpkin Transformation Scene [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4hLnPpSpEI [Accessed 11 Mar 2025].
Vecteezy (2025) 3D Sun. https://www.vecteezy.com/png/23575599-3d-sun-and-cloud-character-happy-sun-3d-render-illustration [Accessed 28 Feb 2025].