29.Lights, camera, lava

Ive been working on the model for the globe this week, trying to get the mesh right the first time round and use the mia_x materials to create a bronze effect for the base. Ill then animate the globe for the final scene putting it on a axis on the globe to give it more of a real to life planetary effect, better connecting the imagery to that of the planet - thus strengthening the visual language and metaphor

Below are some of the first scene test renders. I like the shaders, but the lighting is too dark and ruins the spectacle of them both. I would like to try and keep the dramatic feel of the scene to give it more intrigue and cinematic feel, keeping the viewers attentinon.

I lightened the scene a bit and started to ramp up the samples in the sub surface scattering in an attempt to get some setting fixed, then i can begin animating the camera and working on the composition. 

Below is a new lava lap (minus the glass) showcase the improved lava dynamics that i have been working on.  Im still trying to get the shader right and I would like to look into giving it a emissive glow so that if the lights dim the lava will still give off a little light, like a real lava lamp. Again strengthening the connection and imagery of what is familiar. 

Looking into who this could be aimed at and at what level, I researched the level of detail that they are taughts continetanl drift in GCSEs and standard grades. I think that this is a lot less condicending than a lot of  learning and gennerates inturige into the topic, its a lot more expressive than in a lot of shcools but the aim is to provoke new ideas and to make connections about the two, almost like poetry. They share commonalities of being molten and powered by heat, breaking apart and forming again into new masses. It creates a model that could then be built upon,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c_pre_2011/earth_and_space/continentaldriftrev1.shtml

While looking this up I also looking into genetics as i am having some issues planning out the finer details of how to show the more complex layers of the genetic process. 

Reading these two links it is very clear that there is a lack of visuals that relate the information in a relatable way. DNA and genetics are on a micro-scale that is hard to imagine on the best of days, but when thinking about what is inside DNA and how the structures all relate to each other its very easy for them just to become words with little connection or grounding to each other,it may just be a personal observation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/genes/genesrev1.shtml

It provoked me to wondering why there is such a lack of materials that really showcase what is going on, thinking about it a lot of the materials and curriculum is made my teachers and learning officials  These people would of gone thought teacher training, and it may be a stretch and a big generalisation but i theorise that they are all very well versed in English due to university - and the field of specialisation such as physics etc- But many will not be artisticly inclined. Despite there being a lot of proof that many people are visual learners it is not as integrated as teaching with litteracy, thus causing a lack of visual resources.

For examples this website that is used by teachers to teach about chromosones and gennetics. The animation 3/4 donw the page is somththing i was all too familiar with at highschool, it is in desperate need of revising.
http://www.biotopics.co.uk/genes1/genesDNAchromosomes.html