The stunning new WWF video used a really wild animation technique

Last year it made an animation using ice, fire and smoke. Now the studio Nomint has followed up with another hard-hitting film for WWF that features a different but equally novel and innovative animation technique.

In Hot Water is a powerful stop-motion animation that focuses on the climate catastrophy and the threat posed by rising ocean temperatures and marine heatwaves to marine and human life. And it does that by using heat itself as the tool for the art (see our pick of the best 2D animation software to expand your own toolkit).

In Hot Water - YouTube

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In Hot Water is the journey of a young boy through an ocean where rising water temperatures are changing the ecosystem. Nomint used thermal imaging cameras to capture a layered colour palette by controlling the heat of each object on set using meticulous heating and cooling processes.

"In Hot Water showcases our dedication to blending creative storytelling with advanced techniques," Nomint says of the animation. Each frame required precise temperature control accurate to 0.1 degrees Celsius to create smooth transitions between hot and cool visuals. The team used used ovens, heat lamps, heat guns, fans, and freezing sprays to control the temperature, allowing them to 'paint' with heat in each frame.

3D models were fired in ovens just moments before frames were composed and shot, and the the scenes had to be filmed before the objects cooled down. It's an intriguing technique that meant there was no need for an elaborate lighting set up since the camera only captured changes in heat, but everything had to be absolutely precise.

That said, the team did allow and welcome some accidents to occur, including organic textures that appeared when people on set touched the 3D models. It was decided that these gave the image more authenticity and reflected the fragility of ocean ecosystems.

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Set to the Radiohead’s No Surprises and sound design by Neil Barnes of Leftfield, the video and the innovative process behind it reflect the WWF’s message that “every fraction of a degree matters". The organisation says that just a few fractions of a degree of global warming could alter the future of the oceans.”

For more animation inspiration, see the Disney principles of Animation.