Short Synopsis

In the middle of a frozen landscape in Antarctica, on a clear sunny day, a small blue-grey robot with BC – 208 written on his chest, lies half buried in the snow near an ice hole. A penguin approaches, ignoring the robot and lowers his head into the ice hole to catch fish. He fails to catch any and decides to move to the other side of the ice hole. The robot obstructs the penguin, which forces him to peck away at the buried metal. This brings the robot, BC – 208, to life. BC – 208 observes as the penguin attempts to catch fish, then begins emulating the penguin’s actions and lowers his head into the water as well. His head emerges after a few seconds with a fish skewered on his antenna. The penguin watches in awe as the robot catches fish after fish as a pile builds up next to him. Time passes as the robot’s pile grows larger and larger while the penguin gets more and more frustrated and doesn’t catch any. Eventually the penguin gets annoyed and leaves angrily, snatching one fish from the pile before leaving. He’s then followed by the robot, which takes a few shaky steps forward and then proceeds to walk off as well, waddling like the penguin.

Crew

Director/Lead Animator Lachlan Poots
Character Modelling/Lighting Chris Borg
Producer Holmesglen Institute

Director's Statement

Director’s Statement

B.C. was a project weighing down on me for many years. It was just a matter of getting the message across in an easily digestible manner. The concept was a new one for me; it was not dependant on specific characters or locations, but rather the theme itself. All that was necessary was an animal, and amnesiac android and a locale void of human life, to the point where it was an untouched and serene environment.

When conceiving the concept for B.C., the underlying themes involved were innocence from within an otherwise unsightly shell and symbiosis or a sense of belonging. A military android with an unspeakably bloody past has been left to rot in a frozen wasteland, the memories of its past erased. It’s here that the theme of integration into a society is most prevalent, where a simple penguin is the only father figure guiding this infantile robot who only wants to find its place.

Director's Bio

Director’s Bio

Lachlan Poots has just completed work on an animation short. With extensive background knowledge of animation from various recreational works with Flash animating tools, this is his first foray into 3-D animation and it has catapulted his skill with an in-depth understanding of the creative process. His work has always been quality of narrative over animation, which has changed with this tale of a forgotten past and the innocence of nature. Lachlan’s passion for animation, voice acting and sound design have bared fruit with an intricate tale of an amnesiac military android and a regular, run of the mill king penguin. With the invaluable collaboration between colleagues, his work has reached new heights of entertainment, often an insatiable feast for the senses.

Contact Details

Lachlan Poots
6 Alison Street, McKinnon
Melbourne VIC 3204
Phone: (03) 9557 3448
Mobile: 0449758023