Above: The Ephemeral Machine I (2011) Watercolour

I think it’s very important to set a higher bar for yourself. I’ve learned a lot during the process of making the RECYCLING music video. In hindsight, planning for it should’ve been handled better, but I had a lot going on when I started the project. I had a house fire on April 19th, 2016. I went back into the project just a week after the event and put the project together with my blinders on. I believe the project and its concept suffered because of all the things going on in my life. 

The Ephemeral Machine II has been stuck in the back of my mind for about 5 years and I obviously didn’t get around to making it. I couldn’t ever make it: I didn’t know how to. However, the vastness of a project such as RECYCLING reminded me of The Ephemeral Machine II: I can do whatever I want.

Here is some history: in 2011, I painted something that would represent a transition. I titled it The Ephemeral Machine I and it was going to be the start of a larger universe. The fundamental elements of this universe is the ‘Carnival on the Pier’, the Ferris wheel at the edge of this pier, and the vast, starry sky spinning alongside the Ferris wheel. As one walks on the Pier, your eyes are set only towards the Ferris wheel and you dismiss all the other rides, little shops and carnival games along the way. You finally reach the Ferris wheel and it starts to spin backwards with your eyes set towards oblivion: the empty, tumultuous sea and vast starry sky. The ride ends. The carnival closes down.

My goal with The Ephemeral Machine II is to take this very simple idea much further. It will star an ant named Odysseus and he will take you on a journey through his universe. His world has been completely destroyed. The carnival has long been closed down. All that remains of his world is the remnants of his home, the ‘Carnival on the Pier’, the working Ferris wheel, and the vast, starry sky above him. Odysseus is the last living ant.

The Ephemeral Machine II will be approached differently than my music video for RECYCLING. The first 4-5 months will be strictly planning: storyboarding, world building, concept drawings, and character development. I want this to have the same emotional impact as a Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke is my favourite film of all time) or Pixar film (I guess this project is A Bugs Life 2), so there must be careful planning. 3D modelling this large world will begin this Summer and principle animation won’t begin until Fall 2017. I would love to get this project out for you this time next year: Phase 3.

And no, Odysseus won’t be anthropomorphic like traditional CGI ant characters.

Z from Antz (1998, Dreamworks).

I started this project in late-October and I’m so happy to finally share my plans with you for 2017. POLYMETRY inside will be a YouTube channel that will chronicle the process for The Ephemeral Machine II, and future POLYMETRY projects. POLYMETRY inside will be out by the end of January with the initial phase work done for The Ephemeral Machine II. I can’t wait to take you along this journey, the same way Odysseus will take you along his.

Happy New Year 2017.