"Text-Book Quality...impressed by Afterglows ability to get inside the science."

When George Andrews (director) first approached Gary Leano to create motion graphics illustrating the theories of evolutionary genius Allan Wilson he knew he'd be up to the challenge. When we then heard that the doco on Wilson, the NZ born geneticist, was funded and for use in Berkeley University he felt privileged and excited to be doing work recognizing such a ground breaking professor at such a prestigious university.

Wilson is the only Kiwi to have been awarded the MacArthur "Genius" Award.

His research of genetics and molecular chemistry, when applied to evolution, created the concept of a "molecular clock" . This allowed us to precisely date the evolutionary divergence of species away from a common ancestor - something that previously could only be guessed at by looking at fossils. He and fellow researchers went on to trace human DNA back to a common ancestor "Eve", a woman who lived in Africa 150,000 years ago.

The brief: involved developing three animations:

• The 'polymerase chain reaction' to illustrate how mitochondrial DNA could be harvested...
• The "molecular clock"
• The evolutionary tree of lifem

Process:
Once a 'look' was agreed upon and voice over scripted, animation in After Effects began.
Drafts animations were sent via ftp to George and Berkeley. Approval was given or script and
animation timing was tweaked until final sign-off was achieved.

"The graphic artists have managed to make complex concepts simple,
and carry the audience along
with visual explanations that are both elegant and accessible,
and meet the high standards that Allan and Berkeley stand for."

- Tim White (Berkeley professor, paleo-anthropologist)