EARTH DEFINITION – THE NEW STANDARD IN STREAMING
Title | EARTH DEFINITION – THE NEW STANDARD IN STREAMING |
Brand | EARTHDAY.ORG |
Product/Service | EARTHDAY.ORG |
Category |
A04. Production Design / Art Direction |
Entrant
|
HJALTELIN STAHL, PART OF ACCENTURE INTERACTIVE Copenhagen, DENMARK
|
Idea Creation
|
HJALTELIN STAHL, PART OF ACCENTURE INTERACTIVE Copenhagen, DENMARK
|
PR
|
BE ON (AOL NETWORKS) Copenhagen, DENMARK
|
Production
|
MIGHTY NICE Sydney, AUSTRALIA
|
Post Production
|
JSM MUSIC New York, USA
|
Credits
Simon Robson |
North Boy South |
Director |
Adam Kerj |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Chief Creative Officer |
Søren Brix |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Executive Client Director |
Lasse Vintersbølle |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Creative |
Tim Pashen |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Creative |
Karl Kristian Krarup Kjaer |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Creative |
Nicolai Dimon |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Creative |
Line Kirstine |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Digital Creative |
Mads Clausen |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Creative |
Rasmus Frandsen |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Digital Creative |
Sofia Brockenhuss |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Senior Account Manager |
Jacob Benzon |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Digital Director |
Robert Preuss |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Influencer Consultant |
Mads Husted |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Social Specialist |
Andreas Langpap |
Hjaltelin Stahl |
Social Specialist |
Isabella Sofie Nielsen |
Yahoo |
PR Client Director |
Troels Ringsted |
Yahoo |
PR and Research Lead |
Jan Jakob Holm-Webe |
Yahoo |
Head of Delivery |
Tina Braham |
Mighty Nice |
Head of production |
Diana Angelius |
Mighty Nice |
Producer |
Jeremy Howdin |
Mighty Nice |
Head of Studio |
Oliver Abbott |
Mighty Nice |
Design |
Tessa Eden |
Mighty Nice |
Model |
Michael Shiao Chen |
Mighty Nice |
Model |
Duncan Maclaren |
Mighty Nice |
3D Animation |
Michael Shiao Chen |
Mighty Nice |
3D Animation |
Bonnie Forsyth |
Mighty Nice |
2D Animation |
Max Wanniaratchy |
Mighty Nice |
2D Animation |
Trent Rogan |
Mighty Nice |
Light & Render |
Gary Fouchy |
Mighty Nice |
Composite |
Joel Simon |
JSM Music |
CEO/CCO/Co-Composer |
Jeff Fiorello |
JSM Music |
VP/Executive Producer |
Rebecca Riter |
JSM Music |
Co-Composer |
Norm Felker |
JSM Music |
Producer |
Sharon Cha |
JSM Music |
Producer |
Andrew Manning |
JSM Music |
Producer |
Write a short summary of what happens in the film
The film is an animated tour in the world of streaming, explaining how high resolution imagery and data is a growing part of the global climate challenge.
The intro of the film sets the scene and implicitly highlights the issue: “This video is not available in HD for the sake of our planet”. It’s only viewable in Standard Definition, because streaming in HD (High Definition) generates around 4-5 times more emissions than (Standard Definition).
However, there is a down to earth solution, known as ‘Standard definition’. We decided to rebrand it into ‘Earth definition’ – a green alternative to HD.
To make the film true to its message, it’s solely animated using a restricted colour palette, concentrating on black and white, which means the film uses less pixels and imagery, demanding less energy.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
In human history, we’ve never streamed, zoomed, and scrolled more than we do right now. But all that data comes with a cost. According to recent scientific reports, the carbon emissions of YouTube alone, equate to 10 million metric tons of CO2e per year. Because whenever a video is streamed, energy is used to power infrastructure and operations – energy that emits carbon into our atmosphere.
But the real problem here isn’t just streaming. Scientists at the UK's Royal Society say streaming HD on a phone generates up to 8 times more emissions than standard definition (SD). So, avoiding streaming in unnecessarily high resolution helps save emissions. And, on smaller mobile screens, the viewer can barely notice the difference.
One simple, down-to-earth solution? Choosing a lower quality setting when streaming videos on your phone, like standard definition.
Tell the jury about the production design / art direction. You may wish to comment on choices, challenges or effects.
We knew we had to avoid HD (1080p) and only produce the video in Standard Definition (480p). But we didn’t stop there.
The whole animation style was heavily inspired by the 1980 Atari arcade game Battlezone, one of the first games to ever move in 3D and long before HD was even a possibility. To handle the computations on very limited chips, the graphics had to be line-art overlapping. The lines were jageddy and ‘aliased’. The oldest of old school, yet somehow it still looks fresh.
The style is based on a very restricted colour palette, concentrating on a black background with white outlines to reduce energy usage. Pops of colour were used to help the viewer define the animations.
The style reminds us that great entertainment doesn’t always need to be in HD.