Lola Posts Documentary 'Earth: The Power Of The Planet'

'Earth: The Power Of The Planet', a new five-part documentary series, on BBC2, presented by Dr Iain Stewart reveals the role natural forces have played in the creation of the planet Earth.
Each of the five parts examines one of the major influences on how the Earth works, how it reacts, and how eventually it developed to the point where life could emerge.
Lola Post Production was commissioned by the BBC to create the in-programme graphics and title sequence for four out of the five episodes of 'Earth: The Power of the Planet’. The first episode screened last night on BBC2.
Lead by Head of 3D Tim Zaccheo, Lola’s task was to design and provide graphics sequences that had a strong and consistent visual style, yet provide a range of different ways to look at the planet that we live on. They needed to depict the Earth in photo-real detail as though from space and yet be able to peer inside to see how plate tectonics work, or illustrate the influence of global oceanic currents - all without deviating from the 'series style'.
The Earth was created as a 3D model by using dozens of super hi-res photographic images, combined with textures and material shaders designed by Lola's 3D team. This was rendered out in multiple 'layers', which were then composited in XSI to give the final image.
Across the series however, a wide variety of techniques were used to create the many different effects required to gaze deep into the Earth's core, to show an ice comet crashing into the planets surface, or to illustrate the passage of multiple ice ages over tens of millions of years. Each VFX sequence presented its own challenges, but a thorough understanding of a wide range of techniques and a strong team work-ethic ensured the 3D department was able to meet each challenge head on, and find solutions to such diverse problems without loosing sight of the core visual style required to hold the series together.
The DOP for the series is Tim Cragg.
For more information on Lola:
www.lola-post.com
(DS)