EGYPT’S DEAD CAPITAL
THE SOLUTION
We combined Islamic design with art deco and 1930s illustrative references. This was an ambitious and original project that drew on
‘The style we propose for this film - clean geometric infographic with cubist inspired characters where necessary. The geometries used will morph from scene to scene to create fluid journey. Strong hints of Art Deco (itself strongly inspired by Islamic and Egyptian Art), will help tell a story with roots in the last century and moreover have monumental grandeur that ironically reflects the story we tell.’
Pierangelo Pirak, Motion Graphic Artist at Sketch
After finalising the design of all the assets, produced an animatic and final animation, we then produced a version in Arabic, ensuring accurate translation of any visual elements. As Arabic and English have a very different syntax, we re-calibrated the audio of the voice over to ensure that everything was in sync and that all the visual cues worked well.
FILM
Sketch was commissioned by US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to produce an animation about Egypt’s Dead Capital, a building programme led by the Egyptian military to expand the area where the Egyptian population could settle beyond the area surrounding the Nile. It’s a fascinating insight into the challenges faced by Egypt as it attempts to make some of its cities less crowded. More about the issue from Carnegie:
Is the future of Egypt beyond the Nile River? Egypt has poured billions of dollars into investments to create new settlements farther away from the prized Nile, including a new capital city in the middle of the desert. Egypt's military has worked for decades to migrate much of the country's more than 100 million people farther from the Nile Valley. President Al-Sisi's regime has bet his country's future on millions of people migrating to these new cities beyond the river. But has his expensive bet paid off?
The Result
“Sketch was a dream to work with. They labored with perspicacity and patience to produce an animation that exceeded my expectations in artistry, movement, and consistency of design. I wrote the script, but they made it come alive.”
