As a student majored in Interior Design at the Royal College of Art, I engaged in a challenging yet enriching journey through our climate crisis project. This initiative provided an avenue for me to blend my design expertise with environmental advocacy, culminating in a collaborative video project that was both an educational and personal exploration.The four members of our group were Prarthna from textiles, Canaan from contemporary art practice and Fengshuo from arts and humanities.
1.Choosing the Video Format
Our first class was an eclectic showcase where students presented their perceptions of the climate crisis. This variety of perspectives, shared through photos, paintings, and videos, laid the groundwork for our team formation. Our tutor, Jesse, facilitated this process, helping us align our interests. We decided on a video format, recognizing it as a potent medium to convey our collective concerns about pollution and extreme weather conditions.The reason we wanted to produce our group project in the form of a video is that it gives the viewer a visual and auditory representation of the scene we wanted to show, which is the most intuitive way to get into a scene, as compared to touch and smell, which are difficult to recreate and present in a realistic way.
2.Development of the Concept
The inception of our project's concept was in our first offline discussion. We aimed to represent various environmental issues and quickly gravitated towards a first-person narrative. This decision led to a script that would take viewers on a journey through different, dystopian futures shaped by human activity. This approach was intended to not just tell a story but to immerse the audience in the potential realities of unchecked environmental degradation.
The genesis of our project's concept materialized in our first face-to-face discussion. Our collective aim was to encapsulate the multifaceted nature of environmental issues, and as our conversation progressed, we found ourselves drawn to the powerful narrative tool of a first-person perspective. This method wasn't chosen merely for its visual impact; it was selected for its ability to forge a deep, personal connection between the audience and the subject matter.
The first-person narrative we envisioned was not just a storytelling device but a bridge into the lived experiences of futures shaped by different environmental crises. We conceptualized a storyline where the protagonist, an everyman character, inadvertently travels through time, witnessing firsthand the dire consequences of today's environmental choices. This narrative journey was designed to traverse various dystopian scenarios — each a manifestation of neglected environmental responsibilities and mismanagement.
Our discussions led us to script a narrative that took viewers through dramatically altered landscapes and cityscapes. From submerged urban areas to deserts where lush forests once stood, the script was crafted to not just depict these scenes but to also evoke the emotional and psychological impact of such drastic changes. The protagonist's journey was punctuated by moments of realization and reflection, intended to mirror the audience's growing awareness of the severity and immediacy of the climate crisis.
In this narrative, the audience vicariously experiences the unsettling transformation of familiar environments, a tactic aimed to provoke thought and stir action. By placing the viewer in the shoes of the protagonist, we sought to break the barrier of detachment that often accompanies discussions about the climate crisis. We wanted to convey a message that resonated on a personal level, making the distant consequences of environmental neglect feel immediate and real.
This first-person approach was instrumental in shaping our project's direction. It informed not just the script but also the visual and auditory elements of the video, guiding our decisions on scene composition, sound design, and overall pacing. The immersive nature of this narrative style allowed us to create a compelling and thought-provoking piece, one that we hoped would leave a lasting impression on its viewers and spur them into action.
Through this process, we learned the power of storytelling, not just as a means of entertainment, but as a tool for education and advocacy. By turning abstract environmental concerns into tangible experiences, we hoped to foster a deeper understanding and sense of urgency about the climate crisis, making it not just a global issue, but a personal one.
3. My Role and Contributions
With the decision to produce a video, the need for visually impactful scenes became apparent. Leveraging my skills in scene modeling and rendering, I developed several key scenes, including a time-traveling interior, an acid rain-afflicted ocean, and a city submerged due to rising sea levels. These scenes were crucial in creating an immersive and convincing narrative, bridging the gap between conceptual ideas and visual storytelling.
