Paul Lemarquis CG Artist

I decided I would do the HIV process. Not too much for the virus itself. Simply based on taste and interest in the biological process I could have done any of them. What I am really interested in is the social aspect of HIV and AIDS. Right from the beginning and from my own point of view as well, I noticed that HIV in the Western world is being toned down in scale and effect. 0.6% of the human population is infected by HIV.

This is from Wikipedia, I know, but as initial research it is fine. Whether the numbers are exact is not important, they are close enough.

“UNAIDS and the WHO estimated that AIDS killed more than 25 million people between 1981, when it was first recognized, and 2005, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. Despite improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS pandemic claimed an estimated 2.8 million (between 2.4 and 3.3 million) lives in 2005 of which more than half a million (570,000) were children.
UNAIDS estimated that 33.3 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2009, up from 26.2 million people in 1999. They also estimated AIDS-related deaths in 2009 at 1.8 million people, down from a peak of 2.1 million in 2004, new infections at 2.6 million, down from a peak of 3.2 million in 1997, and the number of people in low- or middle-income countries receiving antiretroviral therapy in 2009 at 5.2 million, up from 4.0 million in 2008.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains by far the worst-affected region, with an estimated 22.5 million people currently living with HIV (67% of the global total), 1.3 million deaths (72% of the global total) and 1.8 million new infections (69% of the global total). However, the number of new infections declined by 19% across the region between 2001 and 2009, and by more than 25% in 22 sub-Saharan African countries during this period. Asia is the second-worst affected region, with 4.9 million people living with HIV (15% of the global total).”

The largest amounts of people infected are located in sub-Saharan Africa. 70% is an unbelievable amount. Nowhere in Europe are we exposed to such misery and terrible human condition. This is what I want to show with something quit dramatic.

This is my first look at colours and stuff, done this morning before the tutorial. Nothing fancy, not meant to be biologically accurate either.



My animation will include the cycle of the virus but it will also include something to contextualize the infection.