'babel' film captures babylon's creation and destruction in the style of antonio basoli's prints

optical arts brings antonio basoli’s iconic prints to life

Inspired by Antonio Basoli’s historic depiction of the Tower of Babel in his Alfabeto Pittorico prints, London-based creative studio Optical Arts invites viewers to step into the ancient tale of mystery, grandeur, and destruction. The film ‘Babel’ breathes life into the intricate details of the Italian artist’s iconic depictions, weaving a captivating narrative that spans the tower’s construction, demolition at the hands of a powerful storm, and the ruinous aftermath. Combining cinematic visual techniques and compelling storytelling that encapsulate the essence of Basoli’s work, Optical Arts immerses viewers in the tale of the Babylonians’ quest to reach the heavens, and the consequences that befell them.

all images courtesy of Optical Arts

a cinematic journey of the tower of babel’s rise and fall

Through a captivating narrative divided into three acts, the film explores different sagas of the tale. Beginning with the construction of the tower, the film centers on the Babylonians’ ambitious attempt to build the tallest tower to-date in order to reach heaven. The second act showcases the climactic consequential punishment from God, which saw the introduction of different languages, rendering them unable to communicate, and a powerful storm that destroyed the structure. In the final act, we see the ruinous aftermath with a desolate landscape.

With a visual style inspired by Basoli’s original monochromatic and grainy print, Optical Arts renders ‘Babel’ in a textured visual style that infuses each frame with a sense of darkness and drama to accentuate the unfolding events. To create a compelling immersive effect, the creative studio used a singular point of view, with a 360-degree camera motion and a time-lapse effect which follows the tower in a continuous, dynamic motion and depicts years of progress in minutes of film. Over 100 layers were also combined to convey the story’s richness and the magnitude of the event.

inspired by Antonio Basoli’s iconic depiction of the Tower of Babel in his Alfabeto Pittorico prints

Optical Arts breathes life into the print series with ‘Babel’

a 360-degree camera motion follows the tower in a continuous, dynamic motion

a time-lapse effect depicts years of progress in minutes of film

the visual style is inspired by Basoli’s original monochromatic and grainy prints

project info:

name: Babel
designer: Optical Arts

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom