Opening scene animatic

Symbolism

Trains have been used in a variety of art to symbolize many themes. Speed, power, force, the passing of time. Railroad tracks have symbolized direction, industrialization, support, etc.

The train is not a symbol in my piece and there will not be an actual train. The purpose of creating the implied presence of a train is to help the viewer relate the aesthetics with the title.

The puzzle pieces and light bulb represent thought. After thinking of the puzzle piece idea I was on Wikipedia and realized that their logo is a sphere formed out of puzzle pieces. Wikipedia, which is pretty much base for most if not all of our encyclopedia related questions symbolizes the sharing of knowledge.

About the Project

My project will be a short animation visually representing an abstract view of a “train of thought” with focus on shaders and animation. The “train” will not be a literal representation of a train, but will be implied. The opening scene will be a train tunnel implying the theme of the animation. There will also be symbols for thought including puzzle pieces that will form a light bulb. The visible pieces of the track will be smoky and ethereal looking because thoughts are not always clear and concise. I want the animation to be more about the journey of thoughts as opposed to showing a literal train.