↓ Animism
The Gods' Lake
A nationally televised animated series that spanned video games, short fiction, graphic novels & alternate reality experiences.
Animism
Animism: The Gods’ Lake chronicles the adventures of Melody “Mel” Ravensfall, a 17 year old activist who discovers that her friends’ efforts to save the Gods’ Lake are just the smallest-scale skirmish in a much wilder war.
Underneath the surface of the lake lies a Sacred Site that is the key to a timeless conflict between the supernatural forces of the Mother and the Wetiko, a creature who has held power for too long and whose minions have pushed our fragile world to a breaking point. Only their unpredictable sibling, the Trickster, can restore balance… but he has been missing for centuries.
And time is running far too short.
Team
Paul Gertz (executive producer)
Matt Toner (executive producer/writer)
Jericca Cleland (director)
Denis Suhopoljac (creative director/art director)
Beata Kacy (art director)
Carolyn Allain (series producer)
Morgan Jeske (associate producer)
Skyler Luke Punnett (production designer)
Ron Serna (motion director)
Gordon Brown (designer)
Jai Field (designer)
Gabrielle Carson (front-end developer)
Nis Bojin (content strategist)
Bun Lee (animator)
Natasha Ali (animator)
Shi Won Jang (animator)
David Trujillo (artist)
Diego Simone (artist)...
Activities
Concept Development
Identity Design
Storyboarding
Motion Design
Poster Design
ARG Narrative
UX Design
UI Design
Usability Testing
Visual Lexicon
The brand, in conjunction with the show, establishes a recognizable visual lexicon which embodies the mythological themes & competing factions present within the story. Therefore the icons that represent the competing factions fuse to create “ANIMISM: The Gods’ Lake” logo.
The individual factions of the show are broken down into three sections: the wetiko, the trickster and the mother. All three represent a unique symbol which identifies them and their journey through time.
Faction Energy
“ANIMISM: The Gods’ Lake” is a show that explores the relationship between man and nature. First-Nations mythological themes personified through a number of groups engaged in a supernatural conflict. The three factions had to be represented not only by colour, but also with tone & effects. The portrayal is somewhat dark, surreal, and symbolic.
Title Sequence
The already established visual language using typography, symbols and colours manifests itself in the title sequence for the show. It evolves using the same consistent and cohesive visual lexicon established for the world of “ANIMISM: The Gods’ Lake”
Title Sequence
The already established visual language using typography, symbols and colours manifests itself in the title sequence for the show. It evolves using the same consistent and cohesive visual lexicon established for the world of “ANIMISM: The Gods’ Lake”
Season 0 - Mythology
A miniseries of shorts that preceded the TV series, establishing the mythology of the Mother, the Wetiko and the Trickster.
Our world is a product of all three working in a strange tandem that teeters on the edge of outright conflict. They are not gods and they are not demons, but, rather, supernatural creatures who represent a balancing of opposite forces. Technology and the natural world. Reason and romance. Progress and superstition.
Seasone 0 - Mythology
A miniseries of shorts that preceded the TV series, establishing the mythology of the Mother, the Wetiko and the Trickster.
Our world is a product of all three working in a strange tandem that teeters on the edge of outright conflict. They are not gods and they are not demons, but, rather, supernatural creatures who represent a balancing of opposite forces. Technology and the natural world. Reason and romance. Progress and superstition.
A young woman discovers an enormous power for good hidden beneath the surface of the Gods’ Lake... but the key to unlock that potential is a terrible mystery that only she can unravel.
The Book of the Emissaries
Our design challenge was to create an interactive experience that introduced fans to this new entertainment property. We launched the experience in the real world at Toronto’s FanExpo, a convention of more than 60,000 fans of science fiction, fantasy, and animation.
Three characters from the property mingled with fans and introduced them to the world of Animism. The characters handed out shirts to fans and directed them to animism.com Once there, fans could interact with a mystical book that first introduces the animated teaser for the series. It led them into a augmented reality experience that brought our supernatural characters into direct contact with the audience.
By wearing the augmented reality t-shirts, using the tattoos or printing out the markers, fans were treated to a series of unique animations that sprang into life. Further exploration of the website, revealed other riddles and half-solved puzzles. Each of these was a seed for the alternate reality game that sprawled across multiple media channels. Signalling just the first wave of a transmedia campaign, converting a digital audience into television viewers.
The Hero's Journey
The series is funded by the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, British Columbia Film + Media, the British Columbia Film Incentive, Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund. The series is set to air on APTN.
Season one pre-production begins on posters and storyboards, while the newly emerged digital audience is engaged via a fan fiction contest expanding the mythology of "Animism The Gods' Lake".
FanFiction Contest
Structured as a multi-stage contest, this campaign mixed writers from
the television series and seasoned prose-writing pros with members of a large and growing online community. The fan fiction campaign established the mythos underpinning the television series and expanded its range by creating, commissioning and collaborating on new works of fiction.
Storyboard Folio
The storyboard folio contained a total of 116 pages and fully mapped all of the remaining six episodes for season one. The preview below offers a small sample glimpse into 15 pages and episode two.
Season One
Season one sees a full staffing of the production crew with new artists, animators, and director joining the crew. The visual lexicon once again got a chance to evolve and shape it self based on the existing foundation. The culmination of the entire season is a joint effort of many dedicated artists and creators.