For my alternate section for the advertisement of the course, it was decided before the Easter break that I will have the ball rolling over some illustrative characters that I will produce.
As my segment of the animation, my composition is going to be a group of little characters bundled on top of each other sleeping, the world that they are in is completely imaginative, due to it being imaginative characters. The actual blank background for the characters may supply an alternate composition, an existing example of using space as an alternate reality is the children's programme 'Pocoyo' a programme that Kris thought of when I pitched my idea to her. The programme uses a white background throughout the entire 3D animation, however uses small features to represent a certain change of location. For example, in this given episode, the background features abstract looking cactuses, suggesting the character's journey to the desert.
So far, I have produced an array of characters and their alternate expressions which I will then print out and move via Stop Motion. The original idea was to use such Photoshopped characters and edit them onto After Effects, however, when assisting Rachel's Stop Motion segment with the title she produced, I felt I should experiment with this alternate technique and evaluation of the decision, it seemed to be a more appropriate technique. Using Stop Motion of for the characters may become time consuming in some respects, however I feel it would bring back the life of the hand drawn characters, and bring back some qualities that could be removed via After Effects and other animation softwares.
After a lot of collaborative work, we decided on the aspect of having a theme that linked our clips to each other, despite the technique of animation varying in each clip. The title of the film will first off involve the idiom that we will use for such a title:
"Let's Get the Ball Rolling"
We found this idiom was the perfect saying for the collaborative piece, as it allowed the metaphorical description of growth and development of further ideas to progress in the planning of the project.
After a lot of thought into each sequence and the client's requirements and how these can be further explored, I as the role of scribe in the group produced an abundance of written plans into what we had come up with during the meetings about the project (See sketchbook) Additionally it was decided that we were each going to attempt some work towards our sequences over the Easter holidays in order to use our time more effectively and efficiently.
Here's the final plan for each section of the piece.
Rachel's piece- Opening scene. Stop Motion. (A short video of her tests so far of the Stop Motion)
Begins as a blank background, then appears human hands arranging scrunched up pieces of paper into the letters that produce the idiom: 'Let's Get the Ball Rolling'
My piece- Second scene. Drawn Animation with After Effects edits.
Begins a group of sleeping creatures built up on top of each other, sleeping, anticipation of the ball going towards the creatures.
Our first session with Cinema 4D began with a brief exploration of certain tools of alternate significance. In addition to this we were in the tutorial, taught some professional terms for such tools in the software and their combinations, such as the idea of 'Boole' which is a combining of certain objects in the software to overlap.
In order for our tools that we had developed to make more sense, it was decided for us all to produce an overall composition of a snowman using the techniques that we were studying with the tools from Cinema 4D. I found the techniques shown challenging yet interesting, however I can see that it may be difficult for me to use this software on my own without a lot of practice. I intend to watch some further tutorials over the Easter holidays in order to increase my further understanding of the software and how I could use it effectively. An important factor of the software to remember is that the dimensions are actually based on an axis, and therefore the tools and elements need to be manipulated in production of this.
We were given an outline of the most important basic features of the software to note for future usage:
X axis (Shown in RED) Moves the selected object side to side.
Y axis (Shown in GREEN) Moves the selected object up and down.
Z axis (Shown in BLUE) Moves the selected object in and out.
In accordance to this and the technique of the tool of 'Boole' we produced the snowman with applied lighting and backgrounds, I found this task slightly difficult as it was easy to get confused with the tools and techniques given.
In this session, Kris introduced the aspect of idea management, and how we all creatively think. I can see the relevance of this session to the idea production stages of our new brief, and I can see how it will help us to further evolve ideas and display the techniques too.
She asked us to think up an imaginative way to explain where ideas come from, without thinking about the response. "Where do ideas come from? Go!"
Our favourite responses:
Ideas grow on trees
They come from sniffing shoe polish
They're from the clouds, they rain down on us.
In addition to this, we were given a large range of objects which we then had to produce and create our own instruments with. I produced a strange percussion instrument using a tube of masking tapes, drawing pins and mixed shaped lego. This produced a nice clunking type noise, which was easy to make a good instrument with.
I feel that this task really challenged us and pushed us out of our comfort zones, yet at the same time developed the idea of creation and what actually spurs our imagination individually.
Due to it being an impromptu task, we were told to develop our instruments further in our own time. I have decided I'd like to further develop some alternate ways of controlling the notes that the instrument makes instead of a simple percussion instrument.
Using additional items found at home:
Empty box
Hair Grips
Tin Foil
Rice
I used these to make a rattling and yet melodic instrument which showed further development of ideas and how timescale allows us to develop further creations.
The whole idea of our session was to encourage and develop the idea of using coincidences of ideas and creations to produce ideas. For example the idea of using thumbprints as a basis to a drawing was suggested through artists and other creations, I decided to further explore this technique in my sketchbook. Such coincidences can be used in such tasks such as the 'Exquisite Corpse' activity we explored. I have previously explored this task before, where each person draws an alternate section of the body, but I'd like to further delve into this further. As well as doing the activity with people in my class, I chose to do some of my own with other students from the Illustration Degree outside of University.
Jake Chapman Exquisite Corpse Collection
Jake Chapman is an artist who was inspired by the exquisite corpse technique, and used alternate body parts to represent his way of thinking and his ideas incorporated into his very distinctive creatures of alternate varieties. The way in which it works is the paper is folded in order to keep the creature underneath as a surprise, meaning that the creature featured is an alternate variety of features and legs, body etc.
The fact is that the activity is fun with it refraining from boundaries, as they can choose to present creatures, people and other objects.
The Future Of TV- Jamie & Steph Although I wasn't present during the discussion forum, I took some notes as to the points that they discussed through speaking to Steph and Jamie who were running the discussion. There was apparently a broad debate on what the future of television was, so I've discussed my own points separately and presented some further research too.
Points that were explored:
The future of television and how it has been impacted by present medias.
Where television came from and the background behind it's evolution.
How the ideas developed and why- who's in charge of the television.
Certain aspects of the future of television in the view of many relies on the expansion of the internet and the connections it constantly evolves towards television. Television in the 21st century is of a new era completely, with alternate television packages being offered from broadband and software engineers such as Virgin and Sky, to the online streaming of live television available on a variety of
desktops. Television has been made portable, easy to access and more open to the public, with large showings of television in pubs being a regular thing, such television as football or other live streaming can be shown on any handheld device with internet streaming software. Television is evolving.
However, with the freedom of television comes many difficulties, with the television clips being able to be accessed more freely by persons of many ages, the aspect of censoring and the watershed is being abolished. How are we going to gain more control of the television in the future, and what should be allowed to be broadcast for the seeing eye. In accordance to this, this discussion forum links beautifully with Rachel and myself's as we discussed the censorship of broadcast elements and how these could be controlled.
A Quick History of Television
Based on an early invention called the 'Electric Telescope' in the late 1800's, the television was used for generations in families, work places and establishments to broadcast news, entertainment and important broadcasts. It was a complete establishment from the original radio broadcasts, and was adored by people of many ages.
Evolving of Technology
Over the recent years, television has been successfully adapted and altered to fit the needs of those involved, and with it being a popular invention in most households it has been evolving since the very production of the invention. With it having first evolved in black and white to then being colour, it then evolved into such technology as 3D television and smart tv's which allow you to stream clips directly off the internet such as Youtube, as well as allowing you to surf the web and use programmes such as Netflix for the work involved.
In order to fulfil the requirements of the client, we have been informed to each include a title of 'BA (Hons) Motion Design' which we will have to apply both the typography skills (kerning etc.) and the Cinema 4D Software tutorials we went through in order to produce an effective outcome.
A particularly interesting aspect of the typography element I thought could be quite interesting is the aspect of textual elements on signs. These could be road signs, signs for clubs, restaurants etc. and yet adapted for the theory behind the course itself.
In order to understand how to produce the sign, it was apparent that the text itself had to be made by hand before I could apply it to the software of Cinema 4D. Initially, I began using the font 'Eurostile' on Adobe Illustrator, which I used as a template to produce my own text in a neon sign style with the curved pen tool. You can use such a style on Cinema 4D but it actually allowed me to access my text more easily if I produced it beforehand in Illustrator instead.
Using the Pen tool on Adobe Illustrator and using the font as a template, I managed to deliberate some curves and bends that helped to map out where the text needed to bend in between itself; a characteristic of the neon signs that I have researched into for the basis of the typography.
I found the use of Adobe Illustrator was challenging at times as I have never encountered the programme or its tools before, but it was a good experience of the software and enabled me to realise that I can use the software again to support my work in Cinema 4D as an easy tool to generate further animations. Importing the text into Cinema 4D and using the 'Sweep' tool, a tube was automatically applied around the template text that I had produced on Illustrator beforehand. My text additionally allowed me to modify the tubes to look more like the signs that I'd looked at before. When I had successfully arranged the letters appropriately, it helped to use diagrams of where each point of the letters would fold into each other, as this was important in order for it to appear like a neon sign. The different views of the 3D letters (which could be seen when selecting the middle button of the mouse) allowed me to gather further information as to the positioning and depth of the letters in interaction with each other, as this was important for the dynamics of the piece. With looking through the needs of the client, the 3D will be displayed in a brief timescale alongside other existing 3d titles that my peers will produce, and therefore this means that I'll need to make sure the text is eye-catching and gets the point across and at the same time successfully resembles the composition of a neon sign that I'm aiming for. For the actual neon glow of the sign, it was important for me to evolve the colours and textures in order to reflect and accept the light as a composition. I watched this listed above tutorial which helped to access the information of how to make the letters seem luminous, and further applying necessary lights to the overall frame of the text.
As a tester, I have applied a texture of a brick wall photograph to the background 'Plane' behind the text, but I intend to capture my own photograph of a wall in order for it to be a more self established piece rather than something extracted from the internet. I may try alternate sources of materials, such as taking photographs of walls and different textures like wood to see the different effects that would be created.
18th March 2015
With Rick and Kris acting as our clients for this brief, we are going to promote our course through a series of animations linking together in a short promotion clip. I have produced a series of spider diagrams that elaborate the group's thoughts in reaction to the brief and the client requirements and I have noted how we intend to approach such requirements. (More intricate detail shown in sketchbook) The client requirements are to:
Appropriately promote the course. Our initial thoughts on this requirement was to ensure that maybe there was some humour within the piece, to show it's a fun, approachable course, but getting the balance right between being funny and just being silly.
Show a full range of mediums, techniques, methods. All areas covered by the course. A certain worry we first had was the fact that producing animations that are inspiring, and well produced can seem complicated and therefore intimidating to those who potentially would take the course. Especially those who have no animation experience.
Contain an equal contribution from all. An important factor in ensuring that there is equal work done and consistently, we decided it's probably best to do so by sectioning out individual roles for each person in the group.
Include a Course Title which should be produced in Cinema 4D and be presented as a sequence of 8 separate sections. Each of you will be responsible for one section. The sections should run consecutively to produce one single title. Using Cinema 4D that we will receive tutorials in, we're hoping to ensure we all do different ideas in order to show variety rather than similarity. These title sequences would also have to have the key typography elements that we were taught such as kerning within their composition.
In this introductory session to the brief, we were in a meeting with the clients (Kris and Rick) who developed their requirements and allowed us some time to discuss within the meeting what is the best way to establish certain ideas and how to display them effectively. Due to my persistent note taking throughout the meeting, I was given the role of 'Scribe' to note down official and key points that were needed to be developed on in other meetings. Here were the first few ideas of not only sequences but of the transitions between them: (More shown in Sketchbook)
The idea of representing the improvement of skills, building blocks, jigsaw pieces, cogs, trees branching out.
Beginning with a blank canvas and moving into more complex designs of compositions, showing growth in skills and the fact that it starts off with no knowledge shows people with no experience growing.
Reassurance- a key theme to have throughout.
Pinball table, or rollercoaster, idea of board games, player getting more and more developed as time goes by.
Including slogans and catch phrases to get the viewer thinking. E.g 'Let's Get the Ball Rolling' 'The Future is in Your Hands' etc.
Spheres, a ball rolling through an adventure, showing progression of experience transitioning through alternate animations.
Tour through the studio, a more personal way of promoting the course. Getting the students involved in what their future may be. Showing them the production can be fun.
Vine clips- Looking into where motion design is found within popular internet culture used such as the target audience's frequent use of social media. (Vines are short clips found on internet sources such as Facebook and Twitter)
Storyboards, slowly turning into the animation (shows that the production is just as important as the produced animation)
In addition to the listings of initial ideas we also decided to make note of the actual techniques that we'd need to use in order to be effective and fulfil the client's requirements:
So far, I have produced an array of characters and their alternate expressions which I will then print out and move via Stop Motion. The original idea was to use such Photoshopped characters and edit them onto After Effects, however, when assisting Rachel's Stop Motion segment with the title she produced, I felt I should experiment with this alternate technique and evaluation of the decision, it seemed to be a more appropriate technique. Using Stop Motion of for the characters may become time consuming in some respects, however I feel it would bring back the life of the hand drawn characters, and bring back some qualities that could be removed via After Effects and other animation softwares.
