WWF (wwf.panda.org) has launched a new film to raise awareness about catastrophic wildfires — which are increasing in intensity and frequency every year, wreaking havoc on people, nature and climate. Titled A Flammable Planet, the stop-motion piece debuts on the sidelines of the 2022 U.N. climate change conference, COP27, and calls for urgent action to stop the cycle of wildfires and climate change.
The film is conceived and produced by London-based NOMINT (nomint.com). Much like their 2021 collaboration with WWF, which used real melting ice as a stop-motion animated material to illustrate the disappearing arctic ice, the studio took an innovative tack with A Flammable Planet, using the destructive properties of fire to create a direct visual link between our imperiled planet and the animated environment. (Made for COP26, We Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice went on to win three Cannes Lions Awards.)
“Fires are not just a critical climate issue, they are also a critical economic and livelihood issue. Fires burning in many parts of the world are bigger, more intense and last longer than they used to. This cannot continue,” said Huma Khan, Head of Communications – Forests at WWF International. “WWF has long been calling for more action on fires prevention and tackling the root causes of fires, such as deforestation and climate change. So, when NOMINT told us about this new animation technique using real fire, we were intrigued. This heart-wrenching story dramatizes the very real and painful effects of wildfires on people, their livelihoods and the climate.”
In A Flammable Planet, a rogue spark sets off a menacing fire that consumes everything in its path, “causing destruction to natural habitats and people’s lives.” A small rabbit’s nighttime flight from the blaze reflects the urgency for world needers to snuff out deforestation, climate change and other root causes of extreme wildfires.
NOMINT used an innovative combination of a highly flammable set & props and actual fire to visually translate the destruction and danger of these disasters. The film was shot entirely in-camera and used traditional stop-motion techniques together with slow-motion, time lapse and long-exposure to create the original visuals.
The short is directed by NOMINT co-founders Yannis Konstantinidis and Christos Lefakis in collaboration with animator Jua Braga, with music by Ted Regklis and color grading by Tom Mangham at Black Kite Studios.
“For our second film with WWF, we struggled for months to find a way to use the natural properties of real fire in a way that conveys the devastation of wildfires. Fire is destructive and remorseless, both in real life and on the stop-motion set, destroying everything that comes in its way,” noted Konstantinidis. “We ended up walking on a very thin line where the whole project was on the very edge of literally going up in flames, creating a level of jeopardy that is hopefully conveyed in the story.”
Go behind the scenes of A Flammable Planet in NOMINT’s revealing video:
