I've updated the spore-crashing shot and I'm now working on the next shot, trying to keep up some momentum to get some progress. Below is the next scene, which is where the Gametophyte has grown out of the spore and the camera zooms into the sperm sacks on a micro-level. I'm hoping to improve the ground textures, but I like the lighting. It can't be seen in the image but when animating there are flashes of lightining, I may add rain, but I think that will be distracting. The light-ray has also been powered up a little to make it more dramatic.
EDIT: I've added some light rays splitting through the grass:
This is a quick shot I did yesterday, it is the spore hitting the dirt, ready to grow. I wanted to make it cinematic so I used this camera shot. It was the 'Independance Day' / 'Men in Black' spaceship crash angle, covering the camera with muck and dirt. The ending of this shot is a transition.
Once again, I think the lighting can be improved in this one. I am going to add some sunlight bursting through the grass. Even though this is about a 4 second shot, I think it can still be dramatic with lighting.
Yes - this works nicely - but again, throw some cinematic mood lighting at it - get some variation onto those blades of grass, get them to cast shadows against each each to promote spatiality - and I'd suggest you get more textural detail onto that dark band of earth, just something to suggest a surface of some kind - of course, the other bit of detailing, would be give the spore some spin as it flies - for added dynamism - and yes, some back-lighting, with the spore falling out of the sunlight would no doubt make for a punchier finish - time to get experimenting; remember, the curse/gift of the cg artist is that, not only to they have to model and animate everything, they have to art direct everything to...
also - I hope you're giving lots of thought to your accompanying sound-effects - you need some BIG hyperreal sound-work to convey the scale and bombast of your approach - a big, crunchy sound mix!