Research and Brainstorming

Research

Before starting designs, multiple hours of research was conducted to determine how waves move, how they build and approach the shore, and what actual methods civilizations have taken to protect themselves.

I looked into Youtube and found several videos showing ocean animation.

 

Video 1: SINK | a 3D animation short movie based on tsunami simulation using Blender 3D Software.

 (Putra, B.S. Virgananta. "SINK | a 3D animation short movie based on tsunami simulation using Blender 3D Software." Youtube. 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Aug. 2013)
 

Video 2: Tsunami Animation - Ocean Shader - Blender Fluid.



 (Klein, Stefan. "Tsunami Animation - Ocean Shader - Blender Fluid." Youtube. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Aug. 2013)
 

From my research on tsunamis, I have uncovered the following information about Tsunamis.

Tsunami is a Japanese word. Tsunamis are most common in Japan and have caused devastation in the country for centuries.

A tsunami occurs in a series of waves, or a "wave train."

Tsunamis can be as long as 60 miles and come in intervals as long as an hour apart, and travels at speeds up to 500 miles an hour.

At the point of inception, a tsunami wave can be only a foot in height on the ocean's surface. They grow larger as they hit shallower waters due to the water build up and friction on the ocean floor.

(National Geographic News. "Tsunami Facts: How They Form, Warning Signs, and Safety Tips." National Geographic. 2 Apr. 2007. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.) Link to article

Common ways to protect against tsunami waves are vegetation, such as mangrove trees and dunes, and sea walls. (Zeledon, Rodrigo. "Coastal Protection." MIT Mission 2009. Web. 6 Aug. 2013) Link to article

 A tsunami’s trough usually reaches shore first. When it does, it produces a vacuum effect that sucks coastal water outward towards the sea and exposes the sea floors. This retreating of sea water is an important warning sign of a tsunami, because the giant wave usually hits shore around five minutes later. Recognizing this phenomenon can save lives.
Some tsunamis don't appear as massive tidal waves, but instead as surging tides that floods coastal areas.
(National Geographic News. "Tsunamis: Killer Waves." National Geographic. Web. 5 Aug. 2013) Link to article

Brainstorming

After extensive research, I was able to sketch ideas for my own video.

 



This photo depicts two different views of a wave heading towards a wall of mangrove trees. A closer view with an instructional arrow (left) compared to a more realistic view that is farther away so you can see more of the wave (right).

This is one possible view of the large tsunami wave approaching a city. Because this is the same angle view as the scene with the mangrove trees, and because the viewer cannot see the wave overtaking the city as well, this view is tentative.

This is an alternate view of the tsunami wave approaching a city. From this view the viewer can easily see the wave overtaking the city and each building being demolished.

The beginning scene in my half of the video is of a tsunami approaching a city and demolishing tge buildings. This is one option for the transition from the last formation of the tsunami to this scene. The underwater occurrence forms the wave, and without cutting the scene the screen follows the wave and shows the wave growing larger while approaching the shore and then growing to massive heights right before colliding with the city.

The alternative to the above option is to cut to black after the formation of the wave and pick up again as the wave is growing approaching shallow water before hitting the shore. This allows my partner and I to more easily conjoin our halves of the video and would make the differences in the separate styles of animation less noticeable.

One of the most common form of protection against tsunamis is sea walls. Many sea walls are built a few meters onto shore and lined with large rocks. (Found from NOAA)

Other sea walls are built right at the edge of shore and protect against the waves directly. This particular sea wall holds a boardwalk that connects to a dock that it seen in the background. (Found from NOAA)