Cinema4D- Kettle House_01

Current progress on the kettle house, planning to add windows, the door/doorway and maybe do some floor around it this week. Doing basic textures as well, possibly look at lighting and shadow if I have enough time at the end of the week.

I'm using the original image for reference, but planning on stylising it somewhat to appeal to the fantasy genre.

Planning to have this model finished and textured by the end of this week, as an exercise I'm taking part in until my second year at Uni begins.

PixlPit- Game of Grumps

Game Grumps Animated is a way of the Youtube channel Game Grumps featuring various animators who produce animations using clips from their videos. PixlPit is a Swedish animator, he has made several videos which have been featured. He also has a Tumblr where he posts regularly.

- All visual assets used are his own
   - Sound effects are usually from Audio Micro and the Youtube Audio Library.
- Mostly uses Autodesk Maya 2016 for 3D work.
- Adobe Flash for faces, in conjuction with Maya.
- Redshift for rendering.
- Adobe After Effects for composition.

- Game of Grumps (2015)
   - Uses sound clips from 4 different episodes of Game Grumps.
   - Took roughly 2 months to make.
   - Includes references to several Sci-Fi shows, including Doctor Who and Star Wars.

- This tutorial for the intro was posted on PixlPit's channel, as seen below:

- PixlPit has been involved in various other projects, including a tutorial for modelling Finn the Human, Undiscovered Pokémon and various other personal works.
   - Undiscovered Pokémon appears to reference recent announcements for the next iteration of games.
    - PixlPit experiments with more accurate anatomical characters in this video than some of his others, but using the same techniques.

Harry101UK- Portal

Harry Callaghan (Harry101UK) is an animator from London, in the UK (as implied by his username). I first saw one of his videos a couple of years ago, entitled This Is Aperture (2012). A series of music videos based upon the game series Portal, This Is Aperture was the first I saw.

- Animated using Garry's Mod, a game on Steam.
   - All assets were created to resemble those from the game Portal.
   - Video edited in Premiere Pro CS5.
   - Music created in Reason 5.
- The music was composed as a parody of This Is Halloween from Tim Burtons Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
- Since making this music video, he has been involved in a community project on Steam creating Portal Stories: Mel (2015) which is a free mod developed for use with Portal 2, available on Steam.
   - Created by Prism Studios
      - Lpfreaky90, lead on Aperture Valentine
      - LoneWolf2056, creator of Dilapidation and Reconstruction
      - TMast98, project lead for the Winter Testing Initiative and others
      - MissStabby, co-creator for The Gary Hudston Project & animations
      - Lamarr, creator of Portal 2: Reprecussions
      - Dr. Doozer, voice actor in 1187, Cry of Fear, and Underhell
      - Harry101UK, creator of many Portal 2-themed songs and animations 
      - DragonNOR, the voice of many indie games

- Using different iconic characters/items from the series, Callaghan provides different aspects of the story, making it an easy introduction for people who are new to the series, and able to enjoy as a standalone feature.
- Songs have been present as part of the Portal series in the form of the ending credits, with  Still Alive and Want You Gone closing off Portal 1 and 2, respectively.
   - Although this is a nice way to round off the games, and a fun pay-off to the stories, it is very much out of character for GlaDOS (the main antagonist of the series) to sing, as she is portrayed as a rather sadistic character, often cruel and randomly insulting.

Notes- 07 (Gentle Ease)

- Dryden Goodwin- Skill (2014)
   - cataloguing drawings of people, as well as conversation between themselves and the artist

   - Breathe (2012)
      -  handrawn animation publicly displayed, showing the artists son breathing

- Johnny Kelly- Forest: Just One Day (2014)

   - Shape (2014)
      - A film focusing on design and the ways in which people can affect the world

- Jane Cheadle- Flow (2014)
   -  animation using a table in the corner of a room. Interesting technique.

- Theodor Ushev- Tower Bower (2009)
   - usage of strong communist propaganda-style imagery to tell a story

- Jordan Baseman- Little Boy (2014)
   - visualisation of sound to tell a story in an abstract method

-Sara Nesteruk- Recipes for Baking Bread- blog of an artist

- Dave Tyndall- General Elektriks: Angle Boogie (2016)
   - music video reminiscent of retro music videos, uses rotoscoping effectively

- Zbig Rybczynski- Media (2013)

   - Tango (1980)
      - several videos stitched together to form a scene, none of which interact, but shows many stories taking place in the same scene

- Moth- My Mothers Coat (2010)

- Tom Haugomat- Le Meutre (2012)

- Fears of the Dark (2009)
   - submitted as part of the Istanbul Animation Festival

Notes- 06 (Cinema 4D/Beeple)

- Beeple- 3D Artist, uploads new works daily, specialises in Cinema 4D
   - Vimeo with new works uploaded regularly
      - ZERO-DAY- short film visualising sound whilst keeping to a narrative.

- Parametric- 3D equivalent of a Vector (mathematically constructed, no loss of quality)
- Polygonal- 3D equivalent of a rasterised image (quality loss with scale adjustments)

- Return to Object/Centre- View -> Frame Default
- Centre camera on an object- O
- Parametric Object- Object -> Filler (rounds off edges)
- Importing Illustrator- 'Illustratir 8' file, treat as parametric and merges


- Adding tags- Right-click object -> Simulation tags -> Soft/collider bodies etc

Comic-Con- Rocket and Groot

Rocket and Groot Shorts

Passion Pictures have recently released an animation test for a series of shorts based upon the Marvel characters Rocket Raccoon and Groot, who feature in the film Guardians of the Galaxy.

- Arnaud Delord- Director
   - known to work with Jérôme Combe for game cinematics
   - Arnaum & Jerome

- Ant-Man Shorts also being produeced by Passion Pictures
   - Ugo Bienvenu & Kevin Manach are working on the shorts

- It is expected to air on Disney XD

- information taken from Cartoon Brew- http://www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/comic-con-2016-passion-pictures-making-rocket-groot-shorts-test-footage-looks-incredible-141828.html

Persistence of Vision

Richard Williams- Persistence of Vision (2012)
   - documentary on the life and works of Richard Williams

- Ken Williams Warner Bros. Master Animator

- The Little Island (1958)- Williams' first finished film

- Roy Naibritt- Layout in the studio

- Julianna Franchetti- Animator in the studio

- A Christmas Carol (1971)

- lots of commercial work- Reel

- Circus Drawings (2010)

- Lysistrata-new work by Richard Williams

- Author of The Animators Survival Kit (2001)- Animated Line Test

- The Thief and the Cobbler (1992/1993/1995)- Richard Williams biggest work, which he worked on for over 30 years. He still considers it unfinished, it is made entirely using traditional animation techniques and is widely renowned for his dedication to the project.
   - The most complete version can be found free-to-view here
   - Seen as a large source of inspiration (or plagiarism, see previous blog post) for the Disney film Aladdin

                                           - image by jbsdesigns

Notes- 05

Kirby Ferguson- "Everything is a remix."
   - Nothing is original- everything is derived from something else
   - Cnnection with the audience- Easily built using pre-established works/ideas
   - Intent shapes work- Originality comes from the approach, not the result

Malcolm Gladwell- Tipping Point (book)
   - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point
   - Law of the Few
      - 80% of the work will be done by 20% of the participants
      - Connectors- People who link different people together, across a range of specialties.
      - Mavens- Information specialists, gather knowledge and share it at their discretion.
      - Salesmen- Negotiators, good at closing deals and persuading others.
   - Stickiness Factor
      - How the impact of a message makes the content memorable
      - Especially used in advertising gimmicks/jingles- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo
   - Power of Context
      - "Human behaviour is sensitive and strongly influenced by its environment."
         - e.g. combating minor crimes in an area led to a decrease in violent crime

 
- a lot of work is about "standing on the shoulders of giants."
   - building on previous successes, yours or others
   - using established techniques

- a lot of successes outright plagiarise
   - be creative about it
      - too similar and you can be in lots of trouble
   - don't keep the same name
      - copyright issues, lots of suing may occur

- "Sorry about the colonialism."- See here

-  Legal Remixing- plagiarising works, whilst staying within the bounds of the law

- Nostalgia- positive feeling, rose-tinted lenses, helpful for prequel/sequel connections

- Continuity- used to build up a relationship with the audience
   - e.g. The Marvel Cinematic Timeline "The Thor-y of Everything"

- 74/100 of the top film successes are sequels or adaptations

- Genre -> Sub-genre
   - standard elements are kept throughout with some variation
      - appropriation, transformation, suberted

- Monomyth- tropes for story events/styles etc

- "Creation requires influence."
- "Copy, transform and combine."

- Movements- often the same inspiration, either different reactions or reacting to others work.

- LUCA- Last Universal Common Ancestor
   - Evolution in action
   - The same way culture movements evolve

- When it comes to plagiarism "people are territorial."
   - be clever about it
   - "Don't be a dick."

                                          - as advised by my favourite geneticist.

Workshop- Cinema 4D (Modelling)

Terminology
- Topology- keeping object minimal, easy to edit- less polys
- Bevel and Chamfer- curves edges of obects (e.g. cubes), helps achieve realistic objects
- Diffuse Material- affects how light hits a material, helpful for various materials (reflection and gloss?)
- Weld- combine vertices

Shortcuts and sub-menus

n- diplay
   - wireframe, lines, skeleton etc
m- mesh and models
   - weld, bevel, edits
      - knife tool -> m-k
      - weld tool -> m-q
u- editing
   - normals, loops, paths, sub-divisions
      - Loop selection -> u-l
      - Ring selection -> u-b

- When making a symmetrical object
   - model 1/4 of object
   - lathe


Notes

- check Polycount forums
- invest time in Mudbox/Zbrush- sculpting

Workshop- Cinema 4D (Sound Manipulation)

1- Camera Tracking
2- 3D Objects
3- Sound manipulation
4- Rendering

- cd4.tracking.pdf- included in task

1- Full solve- use file included in folder
      - adds points/tracks movement/renderable
         - Green points are good, Red points are bad/misaligned

- Motion tracker- right hand side
   - centres footage on the grid/workspace
   - constraint- create Planar- Y axis
                     - create vector- Z axis
                     - create positional- Centre

- Footage- create background object
   - makes a material
   - move camera out of motion tracker
   - delete motion tracker

2- Create- Null object
      - drag camera into null (top-right box)
         - totate null so camera is aligned to grid

- create sphere (check if correctly aligned in render)
- create floor- apply frontal projection
- new material- black
                       - reflectance- remove default specular/add GGX reflection
                          - layer fresnal- reflectivity
                          - aluminium
                          - roughness

- create sky
   - new material
      - turn off reflect/colour
      - turn on illumination
      - apply texture
      - adjust mix strength
      - adjust sky to match light and shadow direction

- create light (main light source)- adjust outer radius (150 in this case)
   - apply shadows
      - shadow map (soft in this case)
      - density (roughly 90% in this case)

- create lights- intensity 50% (for natural light)
   - move to light spaces

- Render Settings- Effect
                              - Ambient Occlusion
                              - Max Ray 50%
                              - Dispersion <50%

3- Mo Graph- Effector
                        - Sound- apply track
                           - apply mode- all/step?

- Tag (top-right box)- Cinema 4D tags- Xpresso
                                                                - (node based connections)
                                                                   - Red nodes output
                                                                   - Blue nodes input
                                                                - new mode- sample
                                                                   - Xpresso- general result
      - apply sound to sound effector
      - Xpresso- add node
                     - Calculate- Range Mapper
                        - Random Effector- effector- animation speed
- Window- Timeline (Dope Sheet)- Add sound

4- Render Settings
   - subdivision surface
                              - tag- Compositing
                                 - Object Buffer- Enable (1)

   - Multi-Pass- ... (additional options)
      - Object Buffer

After-Effects
- import file into Comp. window
   - new comp, same specs and fps
   - drag/upload file in comp
   - Renderer
      - standard (Final)
   - Duplicate in layers
      - multi-pass ticked
         - object buffer- set as editable object
   - black and white screen
      - toggle switch/mode
         - change to luma (bottom layer)

Notes

Materials
- Interims of reflection
   - dielectric- plastics
   - conductor- metals

Xpresso
- Range Mapper- gives additional control over the output.

Cinema 4D Render- JPEG
   - alpha channel ticked
Multip-Pass- PNG

Result

Test- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otnTy-na6qk

Final- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmByUHMaBB4

Notes- 04 (Territory Studios)

Territory Studios
http://territorystudio.com/

- start making graphic/texture libraries
   - indispenseable when showing work to possible clients
   - some textures can be used and re-used in other projects

- lots of design work is copy-pasted
   - looks like more work than has been done
   - makes for a much quicker process
   - works well for bars/graphs, images on computers in larger works
      - base layer always remains static
      - each animated segment is on a separate layer
      - animate the key elements, not the whole piece
      - mask transitions using particle effects- quicker and looks good
      -  always use the simplest method- opacity and translation

- story is told through design
   - design is immersive
- animation is used sparingly
   - animation happens around design

Guest- Finger Industries LTD.

Finger Industries

http://fingerindustries.co.uk/
https://vimeo.com/fingerindustries

- Studio is based in Sheffield


Job Roles-

- Johnny Ford- "Hopefully don't get sued."
   - Creative Director
   - colouring
   - storyboarding
   - style
   - concept
   - animation direction

- Lead Artist
   - Storyboard
   - Character Design
   - 2D Art
   - 3D Modelling
   - Rigging
   - Animation
   - Editing

- Management Director
   - Handling finances
   - Sorts office/work space

- Lead 3D Artist
   - Character Modelling
   - Environment Modelling
   - Lighting
   - Texturing
   - Dynamic Effects
   - Fur

- Lead Animator
   - 2D
   - 3D
   - Character Animation
   - Environment Animation

- 3D Artist
   - Concepting
   - Texturing
   - Modelling

- 2D Animator and Editor
   - Character Animation
   - Environment Animation
   - Editing

- Production Manager/Assistant
  - Scheduling
   - Client relations
   - Orgnisation

Works-

- Lloyds TSB adverts
   - 6 years
   - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tB3yTc7ZYc

- Lila and the Giants (2014)

- Healthcare videos- "can't film properly without killing people."
   - https://vimeo.com/84849015
   - some are depressing due to themes

- Pater- like an animated diary

- Sugary death Machine
   - Quick concepting
   - Quick paintovers
   - Low-poly version to test
   - simple textures- light testing
   - dropped into a photograph- render needs needs to match environment

Clients- "Never kill one."
   -  http://clientsfromhell.net/
   - maintain regular contact- every 2-3 days
   - send updated progress on work
   - explain the main steps in the process- keeps them from being concerned

Notes- 03 (Consumerism)

- Barbara Kruger- "whose values?", graphic designer, statement made on consumerism


- Consumerism

   - a desire that needs sating
   - values/beliefs changed in general
   - materialism
   - emptiness/desire to connect with others

- Stephanie Broadbent- pro-connectivity (social media), result of modern attitude is waste/landfill

- Art/Beauty?
   - promotion of the desirable idea
   - invest in people's impression  of beauty, consumerism grows

- Neil Hardison- "I listen to colour."
   - intelligent maker
   - active citizen/sustainable entrepeneur
   - knowledge worker

- Amber Case- "We're all cyborgs now."
   - "Unreasonable desinger" aids progression

- Banksy- "I can't believe you morons would buy this shit."

After-Effects- Bare My Soul

"I'd sooner bare my soul a thousand times
Than allow it to go unnoticed.
Darkness and Light, swirling together,
Contained in a fragile shell." - Bare My Soul (2016)

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFgo_diQlDw

I wrote this poem earlier this year, then decided to use it for my Typography practice.

- 7 layers for the poem
- seperate out into manageable chunks
   - | I'd sooner bare my soul | a thousand times |
| Than allow it to go unnoticed. |
| Darkness | and Light, | swirling together, |
| Contained in a fragile shell |
- include images
   - cracked wall background

- import .psd file
   - layers already correct
- composition- retain layer sizes
- HDTV- 1920x1080
- 25fps

- In After-Effects window
   - quality setting (straight line icon)
   - sharpen (sun icon)
   - 3D on (cake icon)- You found the Z-axis! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8lv9NYoj0

Referencing- 01

- http://del.icio.us/amandatinker - guides and useful tips for referencing

- APA 6th is used at University of Huddersfield for referencing

- tineye.com or Google is handy for tracing the first time an image was used online, which is useful for tracking down an artist,

- http://libguides.com.edu/content.php?pid=170634&sid=3271876 - this is useful for referencing a resources from the internet,

- Reference- acknowledgemnt to cited information from published sources, recognising another's work where you have used it
   - when to use- direct quotes, particular theories, not common knowledge, statistics, images etc

How to reference:

- In essay/work
   - Images (online/from books)- Artist/Author, Year of publication/release, Image title, Medium, URL
      - Direct from book- Author, Year of publication, Page number
      - Paragraph/Summary- Author, Year of publication/release
   - Website- Author of site, Title, URL


- In Reference List- everything cited in essay/work, alphabetical order,
   - Books (use title page inside book)- Author, Title (in italics), Edition, Year of publication, Place, Publisher

- Bibliography- list of additional references, not cited,
   - Articles- Author, Year of publication/release, Title of article, Title of journal, Volume no., Part no. Page no.
   - Electronic- DOI/Digital Object Identifier (long reference number) or URL



- DO NOT USE FIRST-PERSON!!!
   - use ampersonal (&) inside bracket
   - When citing 3+ authors, cite all authors at first mention
      - citing furhter in the work, use first authors' surname then "et al" to show it is the same work being referenced

Notes- 02 (Flippin' Big Remote)

- Brendan Dawes (@brendanandawes)
   - Flippin' Big Remote (2005)- "
Having built my own presentation software that I now use for the talks I get asked to do I felt there was one element missing – a self-built, wireless remote control; the hardware for the software.
Using some xBee radios that have been languishing in a drawer unloved for years together with some very large arcade buttons and an Arduino Fio the Flippin' Big Remote was born. It works great and has really become part of the presentations I do or at least truly represents me an my attitude to making things.
Of course this is probably never going to make it through Airport security and it is a little too big, so with all that in mind I'm making a soft circuit version using felt, neoprene and conductive fabric. Should hopefully stop me from being arrested."

 

This shows how graphic design doesn't have to be serious and dull, there's quite a fun side to it, if you're willing to run with the madness. Personally, I'd love to have one of these because it's just really good fun, whilst still being a useful thing to have. I feel like it loans itself to the classic cartoons with "the big red button" which keeps the childlike wonder of design and art alive.

If you see me carrying one of these, please don't assume I'm going to blow up any bridges, or conduct a Megamind-style takeover. I'll just be doing a presentation or controlling my TV.

Notes- 01

- Jan Svankajer- Alice (1988)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Of_ULSjCM, stop-motion, live-action, based upon part of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland,
   - The Fall of the House of Usher (1980)-  http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/thecinefiles/clips/animated-affect-in-jan-svankmajers-the-fall-of-the, claymation, horror,

- Jonathon Lindley- http://www.jonathanlindley.co.uk/, Sunbird Records
   - can add a concept/theme if none are present
   -  horrible briefs can be the most interesting
   - What came first: lyrics or riff?- can match the feel/rhythm of the music
- Be careful not to ruin the image- don't be brash

- Four Tet- Smile Around The Face (2005)

- King Park- La Dispute- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qEVXeVXMyQ

- get to know musicians, listen to their music- general aesthetic/feel of their work will come into your work,
- watch interviews- see what the artists' intention/inspiration for the song was,
- don't meet the manager- you can't get a feel for the roots of music speaking to anyone who manages it in an impersonal basis

Prequel/Sequel- 02 (recent news)

- Nintendo
   - New console announced- Nintendo NX
   - Stocks rise sharply immediately following release of Pokémon Go
- Pokémon
   - Originals re-released on 3DS store
   - Detective- Sherlock Holmes-style game, featuring Pikachu, darker,
   - Go- launched in several countries, Pokégyms added due to popularity, Pokéstops causing controversy (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/13/pokemon-go-us-holocaust-museum-asks-players-to-stay-away), seceret starter (Pikachu),

- Five Nights at Freddies- latest release refunded, future releases may be free to play,

- Minecon- Convention for Minecraft players, over 10,000 people attended the last con,

- Pewdiepie (famous Youtube) earns over £7million from streaming

- Half-life- Unofficial sequel released (http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/half-life-2-expansion-transmissions-element-120/), no news on an official release for HL3,

- Modding is increasingly popular in gaming- usually fun changes, some to increase playability, Garrys Mod is a game on Steam that is built for this,


- PC Gamer Weekend- Convention for pre-releases, hardware available, lots of interviews,

Prequel/Sequel- 01

Essay Question- notes

- hand-drawn to digital
- Evolution of styles
   - traditional, stop-motion, claymation, 2D, 3D,
   - http://webneel.com/different-types-of-animation-styles
   - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animation

- branches of animation and how they came about
   - Sequences have been used in art since possibly before the Ancient Egyptians, other examples including cave drawings
   - Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906), James Stuart Blackton- first animation using moving picture, as opposed to sequences on paper

- Virtual/augmented reality- what next?
   - used in headset gaming
   - more commonly used in the app markets for mobile gaming
      - Pokémon Go is the largest example of this, having become a worldwide phenomenon less than a week after it's release
      - used by some tourist destinations for virtual guided tours
      - geo-caching makes for a similar experience to a treasure hunt via the real world, tracked via app

- Sequels ruined/carried by animation?

- Interaction- TV/Films+games- evolution?
   - The first TV/game tie-in was E.T. (Atari/1982), which failed on such a large degree that during September 1983, 700,000+ games were buried in a landfill site, which was a large controversy, which has never occurred since. E.T. is considered one of the worst games of all time.
   - Super Mario Bros. (1993) was the first film to be made of a video game, and is widely considered a failure. However, if hasn't been physically buried, so how bad can it be?
   - Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, a film sequel to the hit game Final Fantasy VII. It was created by in-house video game developers, as opposed to film animators.
   - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) is widely-regarded as one of the best examples of live-action/animation  interaction to-date, as it was a feature-length film where the characters all interacted in a believable manner.
   - The first feature-length film to feature live-action/animation was The Lost World (1925) based on Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name (1912).

Games Consoles/Companies- Atari, Sega- Saturn/Megadrive/NES/SNES/Dreamcast, Nintendo 64/Gamecube/Wii/Gameboy(colour/advance/SP)/DS(Lite)/3DS, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation,

Film/TV- Cinema for local short films, TV, Internet, Anytime TV, Streaming services,

Games-

   - Prequel- Pong (first video game), Spy vs Spy, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Elevator, Bubble Bobble, Mario, Sonic, PS2 era,

   - Contemporary- Fable, Gears of War, Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts, Portal, Steam, Community focus (achievements, social media, social gaming), Candy Crush Saga, Angry Birds, Pokémon Go etc

   - Sequel- Augmented/Virtual Reality, entirely sensor-controlled,

Visualisation of Sound- 02

Nikola Tesla- "If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."

- Joseph Henry, Alfred Vail, Samuel Morse- Telegraphy (1840)-
- Notations- Marks on paper
   - Ticker Tape (The System of Signs)

- Telegraphy+Morse code= early form of messaging
- Joseph Schillinger- Mathematic notation- form of musical composition
   - Skyline Melody (New York)-

- John Cage- Song Books (1958)
   - Fontana Mix (1958)
   - Visual Score (1960)

- Brian Eno- Music for Airports (1978)- Muzak, Electronic music,

Oscilloscopes

- Karl Ferdinand- Braun (1987)
* - Leon Theremin- created the Theremin (1920)
- Mary Ellen Bute- Bell Telephone Labs
   - Abstronics (1954)
   - Mood Contrasts (1953)
* - Oskar Fischinger- Fantasia (1940)

Harmonies and Vibration
- Robert Hocke (1680)
* - Ernst Chladni (1781)- Chladni Figures- http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-seriously/chladni-figures-amazing-resonance-experiment/
          - "Modern versions of the demonstration tend to use modern equipment such as loudspeakers and signal generators with adjustable frequency. In the video, as the frequency is altered we are able to see how the patterns in the plate assume various intricate shapes. The sand is pushed away from the areas of vibration and gathers in the places where the surface remains motionless (the nodal lines).
The beautiful patterns that emerge are now called Chladni figures, although Chladni was actually building on earlier experiments performed by Robert Hooke, who, in 1680, observed these nodal patterns in vibrating glass plates."
-  Hans Jenny- Cymatic- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Jenny_(cymatics)
- Mandala- Hayagriva Sand Mandala- http://www.tourofcompassionandharmony.org/index.php/en/rituals-and-prayers/sand-mandalas
* - Nigel John Stanford- Cymatics- Science vs Music (2014)
   - http://nigelstanford.com/Cymatics/
   - combines music with the scientific discoveries behind it in interesting music videos, definitely one to check out,

 
- Jason Payne- Remnant (2010)
   - Small Hands (2010)

Applciations/programs to consider
   - Cubase- Digital Music Sequencing
   - Max MSP- Node Based Editing

Photoshop- 01

Image File Types

- RAR. image file- "digital negative"- original, uncompressed, uneditable, usually unnecessary unless further changes need to be made,
   - additional adjustments made in menu before importing to different file type,

- .psd- photoshop document, for editing,
- .tiff- highest quality image, should always use, retains transparency settings,
- .jpeg- lose colour, no transparency, standard type,
- .gif- limited to 256 colours, for small animations, usually good for web use,
- .png- suitable for vectors, good for compression,
- .vpe vanishing point export, used for Photoshop to After Effects exports,

Vanishing Point


Filter > Vanishing point > make box as equal as possible > Blue=good, Yellow=okay > use create plane tool (C) to make into cube (keep in frame) > export for After Effects (arrow by selection) > save as .vpe > additional files saved

After Effects- import .vpe file > Insert camera

Essay prep- 01

Question 1- Discuss the effect of culture and sub-culture on influential Graphic Designers and Animators.

* Question 2- In what ways are the prequel/sequel influenced by contemporary Graphic Design and Animation practices?

Queston 3- Brand vs Anti-Brand- How have Graphic Designers and Animators worked with/against brands, and to what effect?

1- Design experience: Role of Design+Designers
   - Start- Abstract
   - Middle- Explore points, balanced debate, mulltiple viewpoints
   - End- Conclusion

Sub-cultures- when people take a certain idea/product and take it in a different direction,
         - e.g. leggings- intended for thermal purposes for workmen, appropriated and dyed for fashion purposes,
- these sub-cultures can be adapted/reappropriated by designers, then applied to specific products, fashion, packing etc
- as a result, some words remain that used to have different meanings/contexts
         - e.g. Hoover used to be the leading brand, now a general term for a vacuum cleaner, Google is a company/search engine, now considered a verb as well,

* 2- Nostalgia plays a part in graphic design (e.g. vintage art)
- methods and techniques in graphic design and animation have been developed aesthetically/in attitude, often alongside each other,
- originality/freshness is subject for design, some things ridiculed for not being original,
- focus is on content as well as package- original intent

3- Coding and de-coding the attributes of an image
- anti-corporate activism- research and relate to contemporary society,
- Anonymous- rejecting the status quo and rejecting capitalism/injustice
   -  e.g. Anonymous- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)

Exploring the #G Minor- 02

- Japanese theatre- "maximum effect from a minimum of means"- regarding use of #G Minor in music
- Tom Haugomat- La Meurtre- solid colour, no outlines, minimal style, reminiscent of Japanese Floating World style wood block prints,

- Radiohead- Kid A Blips (2000)- different art styles, some abstract, handdrawn, River Styx reference?, 
                   - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iNjNr2HKSA
- Sara Nesteruk- The Accident- memory recollection, less detail makes for more potent narration, inkblot aesthetic, dedicated to her Uncle Stephen, voiceover, music synced up to the scene, slow build up for suspense until climax,
                   - https://vimeo.com/14003615
- Lewis Hyde- The Gift (1983/2007)- "The gift must stay in motion"- keep on making and giving, or the gift dries up, goes to waste- reminiscent of the Parable of the Three Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30),
- "let the notations refer to what is to be done, not what is heard or to be heard."
- Finally (https://vimeo.com/finallystudio)- Understand Music-
                   - https://vimeo.com/54763818#collections
- Reina Maria Rilke- Letters to a Young Poet- "Everything that happens is again and again a beginning."

Exploring the #G Minor- 01

-#G minor is rarely used
- Alexander Scriabin: Second Symphony- Russian Synesthesiac and composer
- Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms (1985)- turbulent and gentle
- Lady Gaga- Poker Face (2008)
- J.S Bach: Cello Suite, Prelude- Alexander Chen (2102), visuals change the feel of the song
 - Underworld: Alphabet
- Max Hattler: AANATT (2010)- stop mo video, small objects, perspective change
               - https://vimeo.com/27808714
- Oneedo: UFO (Brokemycomputer)- uses typography techniques, vibrant colours,
               - https://vimeo.com/119908348
- Oneedo: Danger Beach- Apache- tells a story, music roles identified as characters,
               - https://vimeo.com/22679618

 

- Radiohead: No Surprises- simple, geometric shapes laid over video,
               - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg
- Rodchenko: From Ingo

Typography- 03

Typography

Fonts-  Andes/Plaza

Designed  by Alan Meeks
Owned by Letraset
Originates in 1975
no lower-case
Art Deco style
sans serif
20s/30s association

 Used in Bioshock 1+2 for Rapture (inspiration for my Hard drive name)

Art Deco- used widely for consumer products (cars, furniture, textiles, china sets, clocks, radios, phones, jukeboxes etc)
Architecture, Industrial Design, Fashion etc all influenced

Title Sequence- 03

I thought that the inclusion of the cup would distract the viewer from the focal point of the scene, which I wanted to be the chess match. I felt that the brightly coloured red cup would distract because it is too vibrant in relation to the rest of the scene.  I felt that it was enough to keep the die falling from the cup, without actually seeing the cup itself. The dice represent luck and chance in games, whereas chess is focused on strategy rather than chance.
The counters would have been too distracting from the focal point because the colours in the foreground were intended to dominate the scene, which is why all the action in the background is bland in terms of colour. The games counters, that are used in various games such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and Frustration, were too contrasting with the colours that I wanted to focus on.


All-in-all, the animation started as a small concept, then developed into a more fleshed-out piece, still with a lot of room for improvement. I’ve had several ideas since, which would make interesting projects, but this project has allowed me to develop skills I hadn’t previously maintained, including modelling, sculpting and the use of dynamics. Practice with textures has lead me to create several which have a multitude of purposes, and can be easily used in the future for different projects. I’m pleased with the overall outcome, though if I were to repeat this project, I would probably reduce the amount of occurrences in the background, and focus more on the macro of the scene, such as some of the individual collisions, or following a particular object through its’ journey in the scene.

Title Sequence- 02

Initially, I had the idea to have two people playing, with one losing his temper and overturning the board. I decided against this, as it would prove too complicated to rig two characters in the timescale available. I went with my second idea which was much more simple but overall just as effective. The idea was to give a sense of chaos and messiness, starting with a camera angle in the centre of the two players, to show no bias. The chaotic element is a reflection of my own experience of playing competitive games, where I often imagine all the possibilities of moves available, and this can get into a chaotic jumble in my mind.


I experimented with dynamic movement as it was not something that I was very confident with, and I wanted to develop my skills in the area. During the initial tests the dice wouldn’t react as I’d hoped which led to some quite bizarre effects such as dice accelerating back the way they’d come. This was frustrating, and I ended up deleting the effects that were in place, and started again. During this second experiment I discovered that tampering with the gravity setting had led to the unwanted effects. I settled on using the default gravity settings, which seemed to function much more as expected. The movement of the chess pieces would be a result of the impact of the dice, using a dynamics body tag.
I modelled all of the pieces manually, which led to some pieces not turning out as hoped. The knight, for example, I had three different versions of at one point, and the best result looks more like a seahorse. It was difficult to create a knight that looked how I wanted, even after using visual references of real horses and other chess pieces.
I struggled with the King piece’s crown until I found useful visual reference material. To create the cross, I made one of the arms, and then triplicated the piece in order to maintain symmetry.
All of the pieces are basically variations on the first piece I created, which was the pawn, except for the knight, which was modelled fresh.

Title Sequence- 01

Board Game Title Sequence

Being a huge fan of games in general, and chess in particular, I decided to model a glass chess set. Choosing the sequel/prequel section of the brief allowed me to add other board game features that share some common traits to chess, such as draughts and dice. I wanted all the pieces to be interactive, and one way to achieve this would be to experiment with dynamics, setting criteria but not animating things manually.
I used a chess board which I carry around most of the time as the main reference for this project. One of the other visual reference was my memory of a glass set that I used to play on as a child.

The chess pieces in the video would be based mainly on the small travel chess pieces, with the glass texture being inspired by the glass set. The draughts pieces were created from memory mainly, being very simple models.

Visualisation of Sound- David Bowie

David Bowie- Life on Mars



For this song, I wanted to convey the surreal sense of David Bowie’s music and tastes, while keeping to the literal title of the song. This allowed me some more room for experimentation. I synced the landscape up to the music, as it allowed a sense of surrealism without it becoming the focal point of the scene. I used this as a chance to practice using the sculpting tools, which are often used when constructing landscapes and characters, they’re staple tools when it comes to modelling.

Visualisation of Sound- Brian Eno

Brian Eno- Warm Jets



I decided to move my experimentation into Cinema 4D for this song. The lack of lyrics allowed me to be a bit more expressive with my approach, so I worked with the title. The ‘flames’ were achieved using the Random and Sound MoGraph Effectors. Working from a sphere initially, I linked the random effector up to the sphere in order to affect its’ movement, then used the falloff tab in order to adjust the movement, to make it a little more jet-like. From there, I used the cloner in order to adjust the aesthetic. Early on, I wanted an object to be the focus in the centre of the scene, which was suppose to be reflective. Later, however, I decided to forgo this idea and model an engine to fit with the theme of the song. Towards the end I added the propeller on for added effect.

Visualisation of Sound- Raised Fist

Raised Fist- Disbelief



For this song, I decided to make a lyrics video for a section of it. Whilst not graphically inventive, I tried to convey the emotion of the song via the colouring, text movement ad the font itself (vtks seven). The red dots around Disbelief are synced up to the song, so that they all move in time to the rhythm, which is an alternate form of the waveform technique I used earlier in the Shiny Things animation. Due to a mistake during rendering, I missed off the fist I was intending to animate under the text “To Rise” just before it finishes, but I noticed a little too late to re-render the piece.

Visualisation of Sound- Tom Waits

Tom Waits- Shiny Things



This was my first animation of the project, unfortunately it didn’t end up quite as planned. I spent too long on figuring out how to apply the wavelength to a shape that it wasn’t feasible to spend any longer on this piece, although I would be interested to return to this sometime. I was attempting to separate the instruments used in this song, so that different parts of the crow would move along with the corresponding instrument/track. I was unable to separate the song, and it got to the point where rigging the crow wouldn’t be worth doing.

Visualisation of Sound- At The Drive-In

At The Drive-In- Arc Arsenal



For this song, I focused on the sense of loss within the lyrics. The “sickened thirst” conveys a deep sense of being disturbed, as if something natural and right has turned on the individual. I wasn’t sure how to approach this piece, so I travelled to Manchester and photographed the environment until I eventually found a suitable image. From there, I painted it over in an attempt to lost the vibrancy of the subject, in a similar way to the loss of singer.

Visualisation of Sound- Architects

Architects- Dethroned
 

There were a few lines in particular that I focused on from this song, such as “Arrogance will lead to the death of you”; and “I’ll die happy knowing I will never be like you.” These are particularly strong lyrics, as they portray very specific feelings: that of death, of a simmering resentment. The imagery I went with was that of a grave, as it embodied the emotion of the song. However, there is a crown included (“Remove your hollow crown”) which adds an element to the story. I thought it would be suitable as a poster for the song.




Towards the bottom of the gravestone is the silhouette of a sound wave, which was taken from the “Arrogance” section of the song. It adds a twist of irony to the grave, conveying a sense of futility.

Visualisation of Sound- Goldie

Goldie- Sensual

After listening to this song, I selected a small segment of it to experiment with. From this, experimented and came up with the character of ‘Goldie’. This was a character that felt lost, and needed a way out. Originally. I intended to make a 30-second video of the character running, ending with vaulting over a fence. Unfortunately, this had to be scrapped due to difficulties, and the final image is a small part of the overall idea, from near the beginning of the sequence.

The nods back to the original sound clip are subtle, with “Goldie” spelled out in the windows, and “Sensual” arranged in the shapes of the stars, however neither are legible in the reflection.

Visualisation of Sound- 01

Jacob Thompson Bell- Graphic score is any visual representation of sound/music
- visual art can be inspirational, just as good to listen to as to look at.


John Cage-


Roger Dean- Underworld/Tomato-agency,
- http://copyright.nova.edu/avatar-lawsuit/
- renowned for album art, surrealist images, also involved in a lawsuit against James Cameron (rejected) for plagiarism of his work in the film Avatar,

Jonathon Barnbrook- bold aesthetic, no decoration, simple yet open to interpretation
- David bowie album covers,


Max Hattler- Neo Media, digital works,

Design Thinking

Design Thinking

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/

Double diamond figure- brief etc

https://www.ideo.com/uk/
1. Desirable- Human
2. Viable- Business
3. Feasible- Technology

7 Stages of Design
define
Key elements of the brief.
Who- Client and target audience
What- Design Solution the client is thinking of
When- Is the deadline, how long is it needed?
Why- does the client think a design solution is required?
Where- Will the design be used?
How- Do I approach the project, using the given brief and resources?
research
Primary and Secondary
Qualitative- Facts and Reasons
Quantitive- Statistics
ideate
Creativity conveys a sense of pure inventiveness, lack of boundaries, design needs applied creativity towards a specific end. This is controlled by brief requirements and info produced during research- Gavin Ambrose
Focus on ideas, not vocabulary. Get it on paper, don't pretty it up.
Avoid preconceptions.
Be informed by research, not governed by it.
Should have a script/storyboard idea by now.
prototype
Testing the feasibility of each idea
Style frames/treatment,
Theodor Kittelsen- Graphic Designer/Animator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISsehPl3Gx0)
select
Implement
Design details during the implementation will be defined and refined, then trialled and clarified during prototyping.
Format selection
Materials
Finishing
Learn
Review what happened, what can be adjusted, any methods you could improve upon.
Feedback from client.

Typography- 02

Typography

Typographers- Giovanni Palatino, Paulus Franck, Giambattista Bodoni, Edward Johnson, Adolphe Mouron Cassandre, Paula Scher, Willem Sandberg, Wim Crouwel, Barry Deck, Jonathon Barnbrook, Stéphane Mallarmé, Jasper Johns, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Alan Fletcher, Guillaume Apollinaire, Dan Friedman,

Post Art Nouveaux,

Speech, pauses, gestures etc are signs that accompany speech, and comprehended by the name paralinguistic jkvvsdjf. <-- Slide moved on.

Typography is basically Dadaism in practice on words, whereas concrete poetry is words used in an ironic sense, but understandable,

Words are not a simple sign system, not just to be read, has a visual dimension to be used and abused, materiality of words adds a 3rd dimension,

Typography- 01

Typography

Process of making words visually attractive and effective, conveys both intellectual and emotional meaning,

Bad typography stands out, Good typography is invisible/blends, "How to piss off your designer friends and give them a migraine."- Zag

Font- what you use, embodiment of characters, numbers etc
Typeface- What you see, the way it is presented/designed,

History of Typography- video
Blackletter- the first typeface
Roman- clearer, more pronounced than Blackletter
Italics- used to fit more onto the page, saved money in printing,

42 line Bible- Johannes Gutenberg, 1455
artofthetitle.com/title/le-souffleur/

Culture and Representation

Culture and Representation

Culture can reside in galleries and museums

Raymond Williams- from a working class Labour background, showed culture from various places and how it's not exclusively one class',

Is constantly defined and redefined by everyday people, the ordinary common meanings and the individual meanings (the individual can change the common culture through individual culture),

Culture Club, 1981- mix of cultures, embodies intersection,

Revolution Kid (Foxy Boy), Yinka Shonibare MBE, 2012- irony due to Nigerian man becoming a part of British culture, put his presence into various classic works to show a black presence in a white-dominated art period,
    Nelson's Ship in a Bottle, 2010- In Trafalgar Square, sponsored by a Nigerian Bank, of HMS Victory, commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, expansion of trade and freedom of seas, "take a childlike sense of wonder and put it in a larger form in Trafalgar Square",

Culture is about shared meanings, Representation is how we make sense of it, Language being a common form of this (though not the only method),
    Things themselves have no meaning: they only gain one when you apply language to them,

Art uses the word "Italianicity" :)

Learn my own history, because originality and plagiarism are pretty difficult to mix up. Don't look like that idiot.

Convergence- Disney- Paperman

Disney- Paperman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRl2OlyNMuc


This short by Disney uses a combination of film noir techniques and traditional animation techniques in order to tell a story. The first half of the animation is more down-to-earth, using less exaggerated movements and physics. The second half uses the traditional animation physics to advance the story, using the paper as symbolism and direction (literally). The story follows two people with different attitudes, and how fate (paper and dynamics) brings them together (convergence in story), and how different approaches are required.

Convergence- Mickey mouse: Get A horse

Mickey Mouse: Get A Horse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgzSCVD-TtQ

This was an interesting animation, because it combines several styles of animation in an inventive way. It goes back to the roots of Mickey Mouse, back in the days of Steamboat Willie, bringing it into the more contemporary art style used, along with adding the colour tehniques to the old style, bringing new life to it. It takes the theatres and creates an atmosphere outside of the screen, using 3D techniques to add depth to the original style.

Convergence- Pixar Short- Day and Night

Pixar Short- Day and Night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J46Z7WTY5w

In this short, there is a combination of both 2D and 3D animation used in conjunction with each other. The 2D is overlaid, with the 3D being used as the space within the 2D, probably using rendering techniques found in After Effects. The benefit of this is that the two can co-exist in a space comfortably, complimenting the strengths of each, whilst diminishing the weaknesses of both. The characters are simple, using bold shapes and the principles of animation in order to convey a story between the two contrasting aspects of the 3D worlds they contain. This brings together two very different animation techniques, and shows there is still a home for them in contemporary society.

Convergence

Forcibly bending together- deform/influence to make something new
Circuit-bending - People getting together, making something out of either nothing, or junk (such as children's toys)
Daedelus - Circuit bender, DJs,

Free Jazz- no structure, free forming, "as many unisons as stars in the sky"- take with a pinch of salt
Ornette Colmeman- works with a free jazz orchestra,

Basically all about experimentation, no clear defined path, any form of narrative, doesn't need to make sense,

William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg- The Beat Generation (1960s) made new things out of oppositions, "Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.", about questioning the structure of things- like Cubism+Dadaism,
Cut-ups - Re-arranging existing objects/products can create entirely new ideas, words, products,