February’s project feature is a mysterious animated short that explores the types of creatures that live in the depths of the ocean. Ninth graders Cole K. and Siena J. created Into the Deep, a documentary-like animated short exploring the midnight zone of the ocean and the unique creatures that inhabit it.

Building on the technical and conceptual experience gained from the first part of this studio series, Cole and Siena worked together to construct, animate, and edit a visual campaign informed by a natural event or phenomena. They were tasked with exploring current global issues they found compelling, and produced the final animated short with workflows from a variety of 2D and 3D softwares, including Blender, After Effects, Houdini, and DaVinci Resolve.

The deep-sea is relatively unknown and unexplored. “Into the Deep” aims to educate people on the wonders of this vast and unknown world. Due to lack of sunlight and other essential resources most creatures would need to survive, the life that inhabits the deep sea has developed unique traits in order to flourish. Animals like the yeti crab use arms covered in hairs to sift for bacteria in the water, while the angler fish uses bioluminescence to lure its prey closer.

Early research looked at what types of life could survive around 2100 meters below sea level - the midnight zone - and what unique traits they have gained that help them survive. Learning about eating habits and general behavior helped to better understand the creatures that are animated in this short. The team hopes to educate the audience about just a few of the wonders that live deep below the surface.