Animating Fermi: A Collaboration Between Animation Students and Astronomers
When an astronomer meets an animator in an educational context “Art and Science” becomes an inspirational topic for both the artist and the scientist. After several discussions, in spring 2014 we initiated a class project between MICA animation students and scientists from the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope at NASA. The students teamed up with the scientists to produce a series of five animations based on Fermi research topics. A couple of visits to NASA and close interactions with experts helped the students to feel motivated. We established a mentoring system including scientific presentations, numerous exchanges online and a final critique session on site with a panel of NASA scientists to help the students maintain integrity throughout their project. The challenge was to find the right tone, not to be purely illustrative but to be able to use some poetic or artistic license while remaining faithful to the science.
In this presentation we describe the creative process, the challenges students encountered, the educational benefits of collaborating with scientists and the cross-cultural experience. We also discuss the possibilities of using different projection formats found in science related venues such as Science on a Sphere. We will conclude with a discussion of the opportunities, outcomes and long-term potential of the project.
Professor & Chair
Maryland Institute College of Art
Laurence Arcadias is the chair of the Animation Department at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and an award-winning animator. She has directed and written several short films, including Tempête dans une chambre à coucher (Tempest in a Bedroom), which was codirected by Juliette Marchand and short-listed for a 2013 Cesar Award. Her previous work includes being an illustrator and animator for French television programs with the animation showAlex. She was subsequently awarded a Lavoisier Scholarship from the French government and became Animator in Residence at Apple’s Advanced Technology Group. Recently, with Robin Corbet, she has developed an animation and science class with the participation of Fermi/NASA scientists. Prior to joining MICA, Arcadias taught at the University of California, Berkeley; San Francisco Art Institute; Academy of Art University; and California College of the Arts.
Senior Research Scientist
UMBC; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Robin Corbet obtained a PhD in high-energy astrophysics from University College London. He subsequently continued his research in astronomy at Oxford University, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Japan, Pennsylvania State University, and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (where he is employed by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County). He studies objects that produce X-ray and gamma-ray emissions, such as black holes and neutron stars, in order to learn about the extreme conditions of gravity, temperature, and magnetic field found there. Corbet primarily uses data collected from a variety of satellites carrying telescopes that can detect X-ray and gamma-ray radiation. He is also a specialist in the scientific operation of these satellites. For the last two years he has been jointly coordinating an art/science project that pairs scientists working on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope with animation students at Maryland Institute College of Art.
