THE 'SQUARING OF THE CIRCLE' IS ONE OF THE MANY ARCHETYPAL MOTIFS WHICH FORM THE BASIC PATTERNS OF OUR DREAMS AND FANTASIES.
BINARY EXIST
Title Sequence Treatment.
Concept I Key Frames I Design.
I started thinking about Binary Exist in 2015, an idea which revolved around the concept of Artificial General Intelligence. The inspiration for this idea came from various Al-themed stories that had captured my imagination over the years. I envisioned an AGI which had been built into a prosthetic humanoid body, suddenly being thrust into the world of humanity. I wondered about its journey and how it would interact with the world. Would its vast knowledge create unique perspectives and give it a deeper understanding beyond human experience? Could a silicon-based life form connect deeply with the physical world, or would it be locked into a very specific narrow field of experiences? Would it simply be pure intelligence without the quality of conscious experience? How would it perceive people and all life on Earth? Would it long for connection to others, or would it see the earth and all its life forms as a larger connected system? I imagined the character would embark on a pilgrimage of observations on Earth, seeking to understand and learn peacefully. The story however has a darker tone as the character is also in danger and is being hunted.
I had this quote from Andrei Tarkovsky in mind while thinking about the general outline for the AGI character.
An endless system of spheres, each one perfect and contained within itself. One may complement or contradict another, but in no circumstances can they cancel each other out; on the contrary, they enrich one another, and accumulate to form an all-embracing sphere that grows out into infinity.
Andrei Tarkovsky
I developed an idea for the title sequence of this larger project. I imagined illustrating the creative process of the AGI mind by following the journey of a sphere in a bio-mechanical setting. This would symbolize the external journey of the main character and their curiosity, leading to a visually contrasting style that hints at the potential unknown consequences of the superintelligence.
Key frames.
Title Sequence Treatment - Process I Thoughts.
I envisioned the title sequence to be set in a world featuring an abstract cellular structure merged with a subtle mechanical framework. The title sequence would start with bold, saturated colours and then transition suddenly to a stark, black-and-white digitally distorted representation of the AGI's body, conveying the idea that all complexity could be reduced to a binary decision of kill or be killed, or "Binary Exist". I was exploring ways to visually represent Telekinesis, as the AGI developed, I thought it could evolve to manipulate the physical world in ways beyond human capability. During my initial designs, I also explored visualizing the AGI in some sort of dream-like state. I imagined the dreams would have a symmetrical geometric quality to them. The shot compositions of the title sequence would start on extreme wide shots with the sphere being extremely small in its environment, but as the sequence progresses we quite rapidly see the scale reverse, and the sphere takes over almost the entire frame in a close-up. The following penultimate scene would transition to a medium shot with a symmetrical central composition of the AGI immersed in a field of visual data.
Design studies.
FROZEN IN LIGHT
Visual Study.
Concept I Design.
I am deeply inspired by science, particularly the work of physicist David Bohm. He coined the phrase "matter is frozen in light," based on the idea that matter is not just made up of small billiard balls made of a hard material moving in an orbit, but more of a vibratory pattern in matter fields. Light is always in motion, but the energy of light can be trapped and localized in matter. The following is a visual study of this fascinating theory.
Final designs.
Visual Study - Process I Thoughts.
The process for this project was very exploratory. I deliberately avoided conventional references and found myself working with sketches that were sometimes perplexing. My goal was to find beauty in the design with a sense of deep cosmic order but also to be unfamiliar enough to convey something new. The process of doing this without falling into a sci-fi cliche was a challenge. I relied on keeping the compositional framework of the designs very simple whilst allowing for a great deal of variety in colour, light and texture.
Design studies.
Silent Streams
Animated Short Treatment.
Concept I Key Frames.
This idea is based on the inspirational writings of Colin Wilson.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-outsider-colin-wilson/1101968435
“A moment of vision. The bombardment of the 'self' with emotions and sensations like so many shooting stars, makes the visionary realise that his interior being is more like a mill race. He is struck forcibly by the kinetic nature of the world itself.”
This work aims to explore the search for deeper meaning in our daily lives. It encourages us to look beyond the ordinary and delve into the greater possibilities within us. Humanity is capable of thought, love, empathy, and imagination—relative wonders that we too often take for granted. This idea is at the very core of this work: looking at the kinetic nature of the world and the kinetic nature of our own existence.
Key frames.
Animated Short Treatment - Process I Thoughts.
The dynamic processes of nature between water air and land are incredibly inspiring to me. To see the process of nature unfolding on this scale created a perfect visual metaphor for the deeper universal processes I was trying to convey. I have spent several years photographing cloud and sea formations, so I used these as a foundation for my initial sketches.
I also find writing is an invaluable process when exploring creative potential. This piece was written as a rough sketch to express the cinematic tone that I felt was appropriate.
Streets disappear
As far as I can see
Everything I remember
Into a white Sky
And I fly
Forming perfect patterns
Around black hurricanes
Silent Streams
Avalanche
Within us
Design, story, and photographic studies.
Audemars Piguet. RD2
Commercial.
Design I Style Frames.
I collaborated with the extremely talented Silent Studios and the Electric Theatre Collective to visualise Audemars Piguet’s RD2-type watch. The direction for the idea was based on the watch forming within an event horizon.
Working with these talented directors, on a science fiction-themed project was a real dream.
Style frames.
Commercial - Process I Thoughts.
The concept behind my vision of the world beyond the event horizon was inspired by the idea that everything which passes through the event horizon still exists but in the form of data, it felt like a beautiful visual theme to explore with objects emerging out of pure data. There was a specific direction in the brief to use a triptych in a museum or gallery setting within the event horizon dimension, which was a fascinating and inspiring idea. Passing through the event horizon and finding yourself in a gallery/museum space of architectural perfection and beauty, was akin to a kind of digital transcendence. This visual idea felt like it reflected the beauty and precision of the RD2 watch perfectly. I felt the world of the event horizon would be both clinical and synthetic, but it would also have a contrasting element of organic rock-like texture when experiencing the shifting data rifts of the event horizon.
Design studies.
Production frames.
BMW. DARK ENERGY
Commercial Treatment.
Concept I Style Frames.
We use Dark Energy as a metaphor for the power and mystery behind the car. To create an experience where the car materializes through a series of captivating visual transitions from the imagined Dark Energy. The concept is driven by the idea of "hunting for the dark matter," with the sequence unfolding to convey the sense of discovering this mysterious force, losing sight of it, and then rediscovering it in a different place.
Dark Energy. A mysterious agent is pushing the universe apart. The dark influences the universe.
Style frames.
Commercial Treatment - Process I Thoughts.
One of the larger challenges of the concept was how to portray the dark matter dimension. I wanted to create a blend of organic and geometrical forms that would captivate the viewer. In some shots, the car and the environment would seem almost inseparable, while in others they would be clearly distinguishable. The texture of the landscape needed to be familiar yet move mysteriously and uniquely. I envisioned angular geometric patterns forming within seemingly organic materials, like rock, snow, and water, similar to the motion of iron filings in a magnetic field. For shot selection, I aimed for central, symmetrical compositions in the key transition shots to convey a sense of controlled order. I wanted to avoid the dark matter looking random in nature; it needed to convey a sense of intelligence in forming the car.
Design studies.
BBC.
Mars
COLONY
Docu-series.
Art Direction I Style Frames.
I was fortunate to collaborate with the BBC on designing a visual depiction of a thriving colony on Mars set in the mid-22nd century. Mars has always captivated my imagination, and I've been fascinated by the potential for human habitation on the Red Planet ever since I was a child. My goal was to create a portrayal that balanced realism with a sense of futuristic elegance, offering a glimpse into what life could be like on Mars.
Style frames.
Docu-series - Process I Thoughts.
I wanted to depict how the colony had successfully colonized Mars, to show that living there was now about pleasure and exploration, rather than survival and isolation. The technology would be far more advanced than that of the early 21st century, with elegant and sophisticated designs for the vehicles, suits, and colony structures. I envisioned the Martian colony structures having their own unique cultural language, quite different from what you would find on Earth. I enjoyed using spheres and circles for areas of habitation and life-preserving technology, while the vehicles had very sleek angular designs. During my initial design process, I explored many different landscapes of Mars. It was a fascinating study, all giving their unique sense of wonder. I thought it would be interesting to see how Mars could be captured in the Martian golden hour. In the majority of shots I used a long lens, then in post, exposed the camera value range to either mostly show information in the lights or the darks, not both simultaneously, allowing for very simple silhouetted shapes and forms in the frame. This gave the shots a sense of drama and romanticism, which I felt worked perfectly for the overall visual theme.
Martian landscape studies.
Helmet UI design concepts.
____________________
FOALS.
LIFE
IS YOURS
Live Concert Visuals.
Style Frames.
I had the privilege of being invited to contribute to The Foals' "Life Is Yours" tour. Specifically, I was responsible for designing the live visuals to accompany the songs "Exits" and "Providence."
The overall thematic direction of the "Life Is Yours" album was centred around floral designs, which inspired my approach. I referred to my unique interpretation of the brief as "digital floral abstraction," aiming to bring a digital, yet organic, representation of the floral theme to life through my visual designs.
Style frames.