Digital Butterflies

OUGD202 Evaluation...

2009-02-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

I will admit straight off that I didn’t think that I would enjoy this module. I’ve never had much of an interest in animation, or learning about moving image, so I had no idea of what to expect. I have tried to keep an open mind throughout the process of designing and producing my animations, and continually thought about how I feel about digital media as a whole.

During this module I have discovered several things about myself as a designer, about digital media and where I fit in the world of digital media; I am not very good at thinking in three-dimensional space, or about thinking of things on a screen, and translating my ideas. I have found it quite difficult to come up with ideas that I think are achievable using the software available to me, but still trying to push myself to try new things. I enjoyed the Silent Movie brief, because we were able to play with the words, and had a definite structure to the animation. It was also quite easy because it was meant to be very simple, and I like keeping things simple. From the initial brief, the Top 10 animation was much harder to get my head around, and more difficult to design.

I think that my ideas for the animation were good, and fitted well with the subject matter I had chosen from my research. I know that my skills with Adobe After Effects are not very good at all, and I think that this is where my animation may have suffered. I like the final outcome enough to not want to start all over again, but I know that there are a lot of things I could have done much better, if I had the knowledge of the software.

That being said, I have developed my skills in After Effects. I am glad that I have tried out different types of animation, and learnt new skills that I would never have wanted to learn, had we not been given this brief. I am hoping that the skills I have learnt will come in useful at some point, even though I do not intend to pursue digital animation as a main interest.

Using the iWeb software has been interesting, and something that I think will come in very useful for future briefs. I have learnt to use the entire program during this brief, and I really like how simple it is to use, if frustrating at times!

If I were able to improve on this module, I think that mainly my skills in After Effects would need to be much better. This is something that I had never tried before, and I think that this is a big drawback when it comes to learning something whist producing work. I would also like to try producing an animation based of different subject matter, possibly something more fun and dynamic. I do not think that my subject matter gave me the best starting point for this brief.

One of the main frustrations of this entire module has been relying on digital information. I have been lucky that I have not lost any work in a significant way. I have, however, had several set backs with my animation and iWeb which has been so irritating and wasted a lot of my time. Using iWeb seemed very easy at first, but file sizes became a big problem. With After Effects, some of my files would not show in the animation, when they had been working fine; this meant having to repair the links and
re-animate an entire section. I know that we were warned of technology letting us down; I’ve tried to be really careful with saving my work and files etc, but I have been let down by some of the software.

I am slightly sorry to say that digital animation is not something I really want to try again in a hurry. This brief has been quite stressful when I initially thought I was really going to enjoy it. As a designer I realise the importance of digital animation and media design, I just know that it is not area that I excel in. My favourite part of this whole module has been learning iWeb. I have developed skills here that I will definitely use in the future; I may even present more of my prep and support work using iWeb based files.

Post Crit...

2009-02-08T10:40:00.001-08:00

I have listed all the advice given to me from our crit feedback forms;

1. Focuses for too long on the lines
I have tried to speed up the line movement, so that it doesn't focus on the line for too long, but connects to the genre elements faster

2. Work on pace
I have tried to adapt the parts that were too quick and parts that were too slow, so that they fit better with the overall animation

3. Make the animation shorter
I can't do this as it would not fit the requirements of the brief, it currently runs for 38 seconds

4. Add sound to strengthen image
I have chosen music that I want to use for the animation, I do not want to use actual sound effects for the genre elements, as there aren't really sound effects that fit with each one. I have chosen sound that doesn't take away from the imagery, but makes the overall piece stronger, and a typewriter effect at the very end, that fits with the animation

5. Change the website so that it fully matches the animation
I do not want to change the website design for several reasons; it is basically finished so changing it would be a rather large job, something that I do not have time for. Also, I have used the same colour scheme as the animation, but used non of the images from the animation and kept it very simple, as I don't want to give away the animation content. I do not want to make the design too complicated as it it meant to be a reference point for all my design work.

6. Add colour to the animation
This is something that I considered at the very beginning, but decided not to include. I am using cream/buff paper and black/black paper. I wanted to keep the design very simple, to represent ink and paper, something that I associate very strongly with authors and literature, similar to the typewriter element.

I hope that I have addressed the main issues that were brought up during the feedback crit, and that I have sufficiently explained the changes and elements I have decided not to change.

iWebsite...

2009-01-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

I've gotten very carried away with trying ideas out on After Effects, building my website using iWed and generally working, that I've forgotten to put stuff up on this blog about how the website design is going.
Here are some examples of the pages that I have created for the website. The first set shows pages that relate to this current brief, the title sequence. The lower set show the process of making my Silent Movie animation.
The overall website currently contains 49 separate pages, and this will definitely increase by the time I've finished this project. I have found using the iWeb software fairly easy, it's just drag and drop really so it makes it very simple to design and arrange pages. Anyway... here is what I have been designing...

BBC ident...

2009-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

This is so cute, very clever and must have taken ages to make! Love it!

Navigation Schematic...

2009-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

These images are diagrams that show the navigation of the pages within the website. These diagrams make it easy to put the website together, and make sure that everything links back to the right pages.

Design my website...

2009-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

We had our introduction to iWeb today, and I have discovered that it is very easy to use, which is great as After Effects is quite difficult - it feels like the balance has been redressed.

Anyway from here on I am going to be using my blog to document how I build my website. The website is going to display the process of producing my Top 10 animation. We have been instructed to include information regarding research, development, test pieces, finished resolutions and all the work done for the Silent Movie brief completed before Christmas.

These are the initial layout designs for the homepage (the subsequent pages would follow a similar format)

Audi A5 Rhythm of Lines...

2009-01-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

I'm considering using line drawing in my title sequence, Sara mentioned that the Audi advert uses lines...so here it is. I quite like it, but don't think there is enough 'car' in it

Animations and Stings...

2009-01-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here are a few animation things that I've found, and quite like.
Some of them are a bit weird, the content isn't great, but I like the styles of animation, 'illustration' and general design

Interesting, not sure if this is digital animation or stop frame, but I really like the textures and character design

This is funny - clearly digital animation

Hand drawn images mixed with film, possibly stop frame animation

Really clever digital animation of an animation - a little confusing, but cool

Old style stop frame animation, interesting characters and style

The Channel 4 idents that have the weird floating pieces - I've always liked these, and I think they're quite innovative and different to what you usually get from TV channels

Two Channel 4 idents from the 90s, quite simple digital animation, but effective

These are the 2001 - 2007 BBC2 idents, with the number 2 getting up to all sorts of things, digital animation

E4 idents - or E-stings as they like to call them. A lot of these are produced by members of the public who just send them in.

More E4 idents:

Top 10 Research....

2009-01-09T03:02:00.001-08:00

I have researched the Top 10 Best-selling authors (of all time, in the world, ever..etc)

1. William Shakespeare
2. Agatha Christie
3. Barbara Cartland
4. Harold Robbins
5. George Simenon
6. Enid Blyton
7. Danielle Steel
8. Dr Seuss
9. Gilbert Patten
10. Leo Tolstoy

Bond...

2009-01-07T02:19:00.000-08:00

I've seen these on several blogs now...and each one seems to say the same thing - 'nice on screen type they've used, in keeping with location' etc. On the whole I agree with them, interesting and nicely subtle, if a little cliche. Still, here they are, I'm sure you've seen them already, but what the hell...

Audi Q5 Ad...

2009-01-07T02:07:00.000-08:00

I just saw this on tv and I love it! So clever, and simple and...it makes me want a car made from cardboard!

Experimentation...

2008-12-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

These are some of the experiments I did using After Effects that I haven't used as part of my final animation. Its not that I don't like them, but they just weren't right for the overall animation.

Final Idea...

2008-12-16T04:39:00.000-08:00

This animation is my final idea for my 'Silent Movie'. All 3 of the words have been included, and each is animated using different tools and effects. I am really pleased with this piece of work, as I had no idea of how to use After Effects before this brief. I realise that I will probably make some changes to this before our hand in day, but you get the basic idea.

Absorb...

2008-12-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

Here is another animated sequence of the word Absorb. I love using this path tool to make the text look like it has been written in, however I do not think that this sequence is appropriate to the word. I'll have to find something else to illustrate the word Absorb better.

Animation Continued...

2008-12-15T06:43:00.001-08:00

Here is a variation of my animation - this time I have change the word Absorb.
I am not sure if I like it as much as the previous option...

What is Graphic Design...?

2008-12-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Whenever people ask me what degree I am doing, I always reply with Graphic Design - obviously. The next question is then 'oh [nodding like they understand]...so what do you do?' I then have this dilemma in my head; do I
a) explain every inch of my course, from briefing to module deadlines, and bore them into a coma when they were only trying to be interested
b) say 'oh its just colouring in, I don't really do anything' (ie. tell them quickly so that they can move on with the conversation)
c) get angry because it is really quite self explanatory - would they ask the same of a biology or med student - no because you get the basic idea from the title!

None of these are really appropriate, so from now on I think that I am going to direct them to this wonderful YouTube video so that they can get the basic idea for themselves.

Animated Type

2008-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another YouTube video of animated type:

This one I really like because it seems to have a different feel to a lot of the other kinetic type videos that are available. Its a bit more interesting that just seeing type move

After Effects...

2008-12-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

This is an image of the After Effects interface. I have labelled some of the component windows just as a reminder for myself, to show how the animations come together, and the complexity of the program.

Storyboarding...

2008-12-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

These are the storyboards that I produced for each word before I started animating them using After Effects Software.
I have found that storyboarding really helps when doing work that is intended to move, as it gives you a basis to work from. It also allows you to control the software not the software, or your knowledge to control what you can do.

Further in Progress...

2008-12-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

I have finished a basic animation of how I would like my final animation to look. I currently have 5 days to finish this animation, ready for 'Show and Tell' on Thursday 18th, before the christmas 'holidays'. I am glad that I have mastered the basic elements of After Effects that I need to use to produce my finished animation. I do not have After Effects on my Mac at home , which means that I cannot use it over the weekend, or when the suite at Uni is in use. This means that I have some time to story board, and fully plan my animation, so that when I use the software, I know exactly what I am doing.

This is the 'plan' animation for how I want my finished one to run...

Work in Progress..

2008-12-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

This is part of my animation that I have sort of finished, its not finished, but it will be!

Typolution

2008-12-09T12:33:00.001-08:00

I really love that this entire animation has been made using only letter forms. I think that it is quite imaginative, and a good length

Just Animation...

2008-12-08T14:56:00.001-08:00

Type Animation...

2008-12-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

All of these examples of animated type use the words of the soundtrack that is being spoken. Not something I have tried yet, but I hope to during this module

This piece of animation uses the phonetic ideas we were working with in our last type session. The spoken word meant to represent sounds are used several times in this...

Animated Type...

2008-12-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

Stop Frame...

2008-12-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Today we had to produce some form of story board for one our of chosen words. My word was absorb, and I produced this little stop frame animation of what I plan on doing with the word in After Effects...

This is the story board of frames for the animation...

Film Titles...

2008-12-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

One of the websites we were given the link to has an archive of interesting film title sequences... I have managed to find a couple of the sequences that I really liked when seeing the film and here are the links:

Lemony Snickett's a Series of Unfortunate Events

Casion Royale

Mediabox...

2008-12-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't worked out how to put video onto this blog (without the URL type thingy) so instead here is the link to a short animation I found. I really like how simple it is, and the cute transition techniques.
Click Here

Paper based digital design....

2008-12-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

Yes, I realise that this is a bit of an oxymoron but that is what I've done today.
I've picked three words, from the lists we were given; Tick, Absorb and Confused, and the images here are of some of the quick hand drawn designs that I can use for initial designs using the computer software.