Symbio
Symbio calls on the people of Aotearoa to cultivate endangered native plants in community gardens.
Year
2025
Summary
Symbio is a speculative app that invites people across Aotearoa to socialize, get in touch with te taiao and collaborate to help restore the staggering 30% of at risk native plants through urban community gardens.
The above narrative video was created as part of a larger campaign to promote Symbio. It urges watchers to participate through an emotive question:
"You know our endangered birds. Why not our plants, too?"
My Roles
Shape Layer Animation
Storyboarding
Scriptwriting
Audio & Video editing
Team Credits
Jade Luke-Hurley | Motion Design
Liam Bennett | Graphic Design
Elijah Francis | UI/UX Design
Development
Storyboard
Background Illustration Development
The scenery was illustrated to authentically replicate the different environments of Aotearoa, with each individual plant species depicted being endemic. These scenes were illustrated with multiple layers of foreground, midground, and background elements at varying depths to enhance the realism of the zoom-in effect.
The highlighted endangered plants hide in plain sight within these environments, placed in the background with minimal animation so the native birds remain the primary focus. This reflects the narrative of the video, where the obscurity of our at risk plants in comparison to our at risk birds is emphasized.
Blocking to Rough Animation
Final Animation
As my first exploration into shape layer animation, I initially blocked out the movements using rough cel animation to use as a foundation before experimenting with shape layers. I referenced videos in an effort to capture the unique personalities and characteristics of each bird.
Foley Recording
Premiere Timeline
I recorded custom foley for footsteps, foliage rustling, and wing flaps using household objects, alongside the voice-over. These sounds were then composited in Adobe Premiere to dynamically rise and fall as the birds approached or receded with the camera, with directional audio added as they passed across the left and right channels.