Scientists have stated we are entering Earth’s 6th mass extinction event, with up to a million species at risk of being lost. To highlight this, Forsaken will play from today on Outernet London’s immense floor to ceiling wrap around screens at Tottenham Court Road to highlight the mass extinction of life on earth. The short film will run on a loop every day for an hour at 11am, 6pm & 9pm until mid-February.
This work takes inspiration from the remarkable Immortal Jellyfish, which is able to regenerate and begin its life cycle over again, and uses it to celebrate the beauty found in the natural world. However, a sombre warning lies within, as the increasing destruction of life on our planet can not be ignored.
FORSAKEN celebrates the beauty of the natural world whilst also emphasising its fragility, delivering an important message: there is hope, not all is lost, life can recover… but we must act now. It premieres on the 11th January at Outernet London, Europe’s largest digital exhibition space, runs from 11th January at 11am, 6pm & 9pm and will be completely free for the public to visit. Greenpeace ambassadors will be on site from 13-14th January and 6-7th February to inspire visitors to take action to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 and to support a deep sea mining ban.
The short was conceived & directed by award-winning director Roland Lane, produced by Frameless and animated by Cinesite. Under the direction of Roland, Andrew McNamara supervised the Cinesite crew with creative support from Head of Assets and Visual Development Madeleine Scott-Spencer. The team worked closely with Roland to develop the overall design and CG build of the different stages of the life-cycle of the immortal Jellyfish, crafting each stage of the narrative as well as blocking out general timings and movement to utilise the unique space effectively. The sequence was realised using Cinesite’s standard VFX and Animation workflow rendering up to 8k per wall and resolving back to a 360 degree video at 50 frame per second which was then remapped onto each LED video wall to give a full immersive experience.
The end result is an impactful film presented in 8k, on 360-degree floor-to-ceiling screens at Outernet London, set to a sound design by Gareth Fry & accompanied by motion graphics featuring official statistics from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services designed by Jonny Stopford relating to species extinction caused by Climate Change.
“It’s true, a picture says a thousand words” said Cinesite London’s GM Joce Capper, “it’s great to see Cinesite’s recently established immersive division bringing FORSAKEN to life for Roland with the support of Greenpeace. We’re really proud of the message behind the animation and the quality of the visuals our artists have delivered for Outernet London. With the immersive entertainment industry growing rapidly Cinesite is expertly positioned to work with creative IP owners and brands to elevate the impact of their imagined worlds.”
Commenting on his experience working with Cinesite director Roland Lane said “Working with Cinesite to bring this idea to life has been a collaboration, in the truest sense of the word, and being able to utilise the world-class talent, creativity and expertise they have within their team has been a professional highlight for myself. We worked closely together to apply the industry-leading CG and VFX capabilities they are renowned for to this most innovative of productions, crafting something ambitious for the immersive, one-of-a-kind Outernet venue, as we sought to combine visual art with pioneering tech. I’m delighted that we have been able to do the message behind the work justice, and use it to amplify the important work Greenpeace is doing in this area.”
Fiona Nicholls Greenpeace UK interim head of oceans adds: “The oceans support all life on Earth but less than 1% of the global oceans are properly protected. Destructive industries, like deep sea mining or industrial fishing, are jeopardising the future health of the oceans, which we all rely on. Art is a powerful and universal way to touch people. With FORSAKEN, we have a unique opportunity to reach a vast range of people to showcase the beauty of oceans and their fragility, and inspire people to work with us to protect the oceans before it’s too late and more species are lost forever.”
Alexandra Payne, Outernet Head of Creative said: “We’re privileged at Outernet London to provide a platform to showcase works like FORSAKEN, so they may reach our audience of over 1.5 million visitors a month with such an important message. Outernet’s mission is to create experiences worth sharing across the spectrum of media and entertainment and thanks to our industry leading partners on this project Cinesite, Greenpeace and artist Roland Lane we’re confident of the impact this film will have in our space.”
Cinesite is in discussions with other creative IP owners and brands to elevate the impact of their imagined worlds. Projects will span virtual, physical and mixed realities, location-based entertainment and theme park rides and attractions.
ENDS
CONTACT: Cinesite Communications and Publicity Manager: sophieh@cinesite.com, +44 (0) 207 973 4000.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Cinesite
The Cinesite group of companies provide services to the media and entertainment industries. Its head office in London opened for business in 1994, initially offering services in visual effects for film and television, subsequently expanding to include feature animation, performance capture & virtual production services. The group includes Cinesite’s own branded services which operate alongside Image Engine, TRIXTER, FX3X, L’Atelier Animation, Squeeze, Assemblage Entertainment & The Imaginarium Studios. Collectively, the Cinesite group has more than 3,000 employees. Explore more of Cinesite’s work over the last three decades at www.cinesite.com and find out more about its remote working policy here.
About Roland Lane
Roland Lane is an award-winning British director & artist, born in Lancashire. Throughout his career he has built up a distinctive style while working in various mediums, constantly exploring what is possible with emerging technologies, in the pursuit of innovation. His work has been shown domestically at The V&A, internationally at the SXSW Festival in the USA, featured on BBC television and in 2023 he was named ‘Content Creator of the Year’ by Arts Council England, at their annual Digital Culture Awards. 2024 sees him use his work to address the climate crisis, debuting the free-to-visit ‘Forsaken’ project in the heart of London.
About Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent, global environmental campaigning organisation. Our mission is to ensure Earth’s ability to nurture life in all its diversity. Through creative confrontation and non-violent direct action, we take on the big issues and seek to bring about systemic change”. We act on the knowledge that people are part of nature, on the certainty that a better world is possible, and on the evidence that when we work together, we can make a difference
About Outernet London
Every day, and for free, Outernet’s screens display immersive arts and cultural programming and high-impact advertising, creating unparalleled communal experiences and a platform for brands and creators to engage with audiences in a way never previously possible.
About Frameless
Located in a 30,000 square-feet venue in the heart of Marble Arch, Frameless is the UK’s first large-scale digital immersive art experience. An award-winning and highly Instagram-able experience, Frameless uses the very latest interactive projection technology in conjunction with atmospheric audio to break the boundaries of art. From Renaissance to Modern art, visitors will discover unique interpretations of masterpieces from artists including Canaletto, Cézanne, Dalí, Kandinsky, Klimt, Monet, Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
Art is showcased in four spectacular galleries each dedicated to a different theme. Beyond Reality is an exploration of Surrealism where visitors will experience other-worldly and dreamlike masterpieces, with wrap around projection and mirrored surfaces taking them on a mind-bending journey beyond the boundaries of reality. Motion tracking technology in Colour in Motion celebrates the impressionist era, offering a rare opportunity to influence and interact with artistic masterpieces. The six-sided projection in The World Around Us immerses visitors in breath-taking 360-degree landscapes, beautifully brought to life by some of the greatest artists of all time. Finally, visitors will become lost in The Art of Abstraction as they wind through a maze of colour, shape and form to discover the pioneers of abstract art.
Since opening its doors in November 2022 Frameless has been met with critical acclaim winning 15 industry awards, including ‘Themed Entertainment & Attraction’ project at the AV Awards.
Visit frameless.com for more information.
