IAATO - Visitor Guideline Films

A series of animated films created to help visitors understand how to responsibly explore Antarctica. Rather than relying on traditional instructional graphics, the films use a handcrafted miniature world inspired by carved balsa wood toys—communicating complex environmental guidelines through simple, memorable storytelling.

From wildlife interactions to biosecurity and protected areas, each film transforms a set of regulations into quiet visual narratives that reflect the fragile beauty of the continent.

ROLE

film and art direction, storyboarding, modeling, animation, lighting, editing

FORMAT

Animated short film

RUNTIME

misc

PROCESS

Every element was designed around a carved balsa wood aesthetic, reducing Antarctica to beautiful recognizable shapes while preserving a sense of scale and atmosphere.

Building the project as a modular asset library made it possible to efficiently produce multiple films, quickly prototype new scenes, and respond to evolving client feedback without sacrificing consistency.

TOOLS

Cinema 4d, Blender, After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro

DEVELOPMENT

The environments were constructed as miniature dioramas, with carefully controlled lighting, shallow depth of field, and restrained animation to evoke handcrafted physical models. This approach gave the films a calm, contemplative tone that reflected the unique character of Antarctica while keeping the educational message front and center.