IMAGE : Scale/Frame/Format

 Initial ideas....

Rationale :

'Type as image' crit feedback

asset design

technical design investigation

storyboard development

These are some story boards that I have been working on over the weekend. I have decided not to change the overall subject of my animation, partly becasue I don't think it is entirely necersary, but also becasu I think in terms of a design problem, it is far more constructive for my skills as a designer to try and overcome these difficulties with a design solution instead. I have considered all the elements that could bring the tone of voice up to a more adult level. I want to continue with the same style, but with the addition of lighting and cameras to give it a bit more depth. I have injected some darker humour into these storyboards, but still trying to maintain the flow of characters that I had on my previous ones...

working on how to direct the motion graphic towards a more adult audience

FINAL A1 PRINT OUTS

Experimentation with creating a mask and adding plaster effect :

I was not content with the black layer behind the wallpaper. I thought it would look more affective than white or any other colour, but I actually think it looks like ink more than anything.... I learnt how to create a mask, and found this amazing website for free stock images of surfaces. I had considered plaster as a colour option to reinforce the impression of wallpaper, but I wasn't sure that simply the colour of plaster would be convincing, so this free plaster image presented a new option. I was amazed at how simple it is to create a mask and am really pleased with the effect.

Experiments with layout for a1 "balance":

I dont think it works centralized due to the triangular composition. I think there needs to be more weight towards the lower half of the a1...

I think that size is important in order for this to work, and I think scaling it up will make it even more illegible than it already is...

In terms of positioning, I think this is about right, but the scale too small.

I think that this is the one that I am going to go for... 

soundtrack selection

I am working on finalizing a track for my animation, I think it needs to be chosen now as I am finishing my storyboard plans and I need to consider the pace of my animation. I want my animation to have an ethereal perhaps psychedelic feel, perhaps a chilled out track with a good solid beat to provide me with nice opportunities to manipulate movement. This is the shortlist.... I know it's a bit extensive, but you should have seen the first list!

"accidental tearing" developments

I hand crafted the torn lettering on a3 scale and then scanned it in whilst enlarging it to a1. I am pleased with the wallpaper effect, however the image is not as striking as I had hoped. I also think that it may look better with another colour behind it rather than black or grey... perhaps to give the impression of a wall; a previous paint colour or even another wallpaper....

experimentation with layout for "real life" a1

I like the scale of this one, but I think the positioning would work better if it was more central...

I think these letters look really interesting this larger size, but considering the large size of the paper, I think it may become a little overwhelming...

I think I will go for this one as it is still going to be large once printed, and the centralized text works better.

I am still torn a little between the two colour schemes.... I love the visual identity of the candy cane, however I also love the rainbow colour coordination of the other.

I also think that the pink backdrop (above) works really well.... I think I might have to print both and decide once I've seen them both. I'm gonna be skint, but I really like this poster so I just wont eat.

more variations on the word "balance"

I felt concerned about the readability of my other design so I decided to experiment with some type in a similar piled up compostiion to see if it had the same impact with better readbility.

I felt the first example didnt work so well because it needed some affect of leaning. I like the visual impact of the contrast between slanted and upright letterforms, however I think that the two different directions of slant don't work so well.

Here I have experimented with the basic outline of the letters once piled up in the card pile illustration. I think that it works as an interesting abstract image, however I think that the legibility is poorer than the card stack. 

I'm really stuck on choices with this one, I think I might try get some peer feedback and then  decide on one.

Crit Feedback

In terms of my own personal direction that I have taken from the advise and criticism I received today, I feel really positive. The general view was that since the last crit, despite continual development of my animation, I have not managed to adequately define my target audience like I had planned to. I had kind of experimented but not made any significant changes or decisions apart from experimental soundtracks suited more to an adult audience. I feel sure that I want the animation to be targeted at an adult audience rather than children, however I dont want to change the concept and design too much, as I dont really have the time now and I think what I have works well for what it is. I did toy with the idea of redefining my audience....

Ideas I had were :

Top 10 best...

Children's authors

Children's stories.... for adults

Children's stories... for grown ups

Fictional stories

Children's films/stories that traumatize small children (!)

Fantasy stories

Imaginary characters

Fictional characters

Fictional creatures

Fantasy creatures

Mythical Creatures

Mythical beasts

I am still unsure whether I want to make this change of direction as I am otherwise happy with the style and theme of my animation so far.... 

I know this seems late in the game to make a change like this, but I have worked hard at this brief and from what I have seen I am quite possibly ahead of schedule in some respects, so I think I can allow myself this alteration and the extra work it will create. I can easily get the storyboards drawn up between now and the weekend, and then the assets all created and ready to start animating the final idea by Sunday/Monday, which only sets me back about two days I think. I am still unsure of what to do, so I think I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow when I feel less mad....

Variations on word 'balance'

I really like the concept behind this idea, however I think that the readability is poor.

In this development (below) I added these dotted lines to kind of fill in the structural gaps in the pyramid. I think that in some ways it helps the composition, but in others it takes attention away from the word, which is already difficult to see.

Here I have experimented with blocking out some areas of negative space to help me to define the letter forms. In some ways I think it helps, but I think it takes away some of the charm of the composition and the illustration.

For this idea, I have added an outline of the letters to help to define them. I think it helps but it has made the design even more complicated.

This variation I have experimented with different colours within the areas of negative space. I don't feel this works or makes much sense....

I think perhaps the addition of the letter outlines work, but maybe removing the dotted lines will give the composition the simplification it needs.

Card stack idea for "balance" quotation from 'Doctor, Doctor' article

initial ideas for quotation from 'Doctor, Doctor' article

Wallpaper designs for Image brief...

Now I know that for this 'Type as Image' brief we were specifically told not to use or create image as an accompaniement, however for my A1 design for the quote "accidental tearing", I wanted to tear the words out of actual wallpaper and then scan in the hand crafted piece to reprint.... after some research into sourcing appropriate wallpaper, I go to thinking why dont I just design my own? I had a very vivid image in my head of what I wanted to achieve, so I saw no better solution than creating my own. Also, I am interested in pattern, and other than some independant experimentation with wrapping paper designs over the christmas break, I have not had the oppertunity to experiment with it...

I started by drawing my design by hand. I based it almost entirely on imagination for starters, obviously influenced by wallpapers that I have seen in the past, but the shapes were just drawn freehand as it was really just an experiment....

I vectorized the line drawing in illustrator and experimented with colour, as well as repeating and reflecting the pattern to build it up. I used guides and rulers to make sure the pattern was positioned as equally as possible...

I felt the pattern worked better in white :

gradually I repeated and arranged the pattern :

I created each row as a separate layer to make them easier to move about, the second half i was able to create as one single layer, although this made the program struggle and it became extremely slow to move. I am told now that there is in fact a function within the illustrator program that allows it to generate the pattern for you. I don't know whether this would be easier than what I did, but it's worth looking into.

I particularly like this pink colour as I like the subtlety of it....

Other colour experimentation :

This colour works well on the print outs :

I have chosen the more neutral blue and pink colours to print, as I feel that they wont distract from the words ripped out of them.

I have designed my wallpaper for an a1 scale, although I am printing out the piece to craft on a3 because this will be easier to manipulate by hand can be blown up to good quality a1 so long as I use the scanner in digital print.