Dessignare as a creative group interested in using art and technology to collaborate on projects related to education and social causes. Here we present our design documents to inspire new creators to develop the story beats of their own films.
Story Beats / Visual Development — Cosmonaute 360: Mission: RESCUE — 2021
Illustration : Lolo Aburto
Direction: Damné Jesús
This collaboration took place remotely and marked the beginning of an ongoing creative relationship with Lolo Aburto, who also redesigned the Cosmonaute 360 logo and has since contributed concept art and promotional illustrations of our IP.
An analysis of Mission: RESCUE Story Beats
With our first script ready we started developing the beats of the story.
By this stage, Mission: RESCUE is explicitly defined as the second episode in a series of immersive short films for families; it has a planned runtime of 9 minutes, targets children aged 6 to 10, and is conceived as a 3D VR animation.
Three key series concepts are already articulated: friendship, curiosity, and nature.
This story beats do no serve merely as a tool for structuring the narrative; they function as a sort of initial visual identity document for the episode.
We see the first visual development of Isla Bonita, the sustainable cabin, the cliffside resort, and the spaceship’s screen displaying the coordinates of an alleged treasure.
But the most significant evolution is in the characters.
Lolo helps visualize a much more expressive Cosmonaute!
The illustrations begin to show a direction that moves well away from the visual austerity of Episode 01 Cosmic Friendship. There are far more intense colors, exaggerated expressions, dynamic poses, secondary creatures, and an aesthetic closer to illustrations of videogame characters.
The gadgets move beyond mere script descriptions to acquire a concrete visual identity: a high-tech backpack, mechanical arms, and accessories that expand the characters’ capabilities.
The Cosmonaute and the rabbit are no longer portrayed simply as the characters who met in the first film. They are now “the Cosmo-explorers”. We see them living together, resting, and enjoying an adventure as a pair. Visually, the new dynamic of traveling companions begins to take shape.
There was once a post-credits scene planned for Amistad Cósmica that was never made; ultimately, it wasn’t needed. Here, the relationship is already established.
The “treasure” ruse is defined.
The story beats clearly lay out the structure of expectation and revelation.
The characters descend into the ocean and pass right by the treasure without showing any interest in it. Then, it is revealed that their true mission was never to retrieve it; they are there to help a small sea creature trying to free another one trapped in plastic rings.
Transforming the concept of the “mission.”
The adventure employs classic tropes of treasure hunting, gadgets, and exploration, yet the true objective is an act of helping.
The problem then escalates: it is no longer just about rescuing a creature, but discovering that the ecosystem is surrounded by plastic waste and taking action to clean it up. The story beats themselves describe this section as a long, energetic, and immersive sequence.
Cosmonaute shifts from a fundamentally contemplative narrative structure to an adventure driven by objectives, tools, discoveries, and active problem-solving.
3D models with a cartoony style
The cartoon aesthetic was part of the plan during development.
Cosmonaute 360 - Fulldome Shows 