Andy Potts / BBC Science Focus / First Contact

Andy Potts created a new cover illustration and animation for BBC Science Focus’ latest print issue and Apple News edition on the theme of First Contact and what happens if we discover an extra terrestrial signal. The brief was to visualise the alien communication being received by a large radar dish with a silhouetted onlooker and look to movies such as Contact, Arrival and Close Encounters for inspiration. The radar facility was 3d modelled in Cinema 4d and the signal was created with layers of abstract imagery also created and animated in 3d. The results were composited together with optical light effects and Photoshop scenery elements into After Effects. For the Apple News cover animation Andy wanted the camera to move in close to the signal before being zipped into a wormhole to create the loop.

Art Director – Joe Eden