Monday, November 27, 2006
Flash
The tutorials were slightly confusing, but slowly after both seminars I began to understand the software and found it quite exciting. I managed to make an animation of a square, turning into a circle. For many this would probably be a simple task, but as I have never used this before it was quite tricky for me. I feel that there is so much more to learn in Flash, so I may have to teach myself.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Narratives - Group 8
Group 8’s Meeting in Production Surgery
To make our 2 minute film a combined effort we decided to go off and produce individual storyboards of the ideas we had. In the production surgery we put all our ideas together and as we had hoped the storyboards were quite similar, so this meant we were all thinking along the same lines. Once we realised this we all took control of making this actually work. Glyn and I decided to book all the equipment whilst Adam and Chris talked about their ideas for their animation section.
Group 8’s First Day Filming
To be honest I was quite nervous because none of us were particularly experts in the studios. However, when we all got together we seemed to work well. We all shared tasks and roles in the studio, none of us were particularly controlling. Even though Glyn was acting he still helped with decisions about lighting, camera work and other small decisions we had to make.
Group 8’s Problems with Lighting
The lighting was quite problematic to start with because we all wanted our film to start of in daylight and as the day passed for the lighting to get darker. This didn’t really work because the day lighting looked much harsher and just generally bad. Slowly, and after a big breakfast we resolved the problem that we were having by pointing the lights up to the mirrors around the lights on the ceiling so it bounced back down in a less harsh way than before. We found this looked much more natural and we were happy with the outcome on the camera. It would have been more useful to have had Deborah and Danny’s seminar on lighting before we actually filmed, because I think now we could have sorted out these problems much quicker. I guess you learn by making mistakes though?!
Group 8 Getting Excited after a Big Breakfast
Before breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner (it seemed to be a different thing for all of us as our body clocks are completely messed up) we filmed what we thought was a good first half of our filming. When we got back, we looked at our footage and seemed to take most of the shots again, and the difference with the lighting and camera angles is much more noticeable and looks much better. We started to become more creative whilst we were combining our skills, and we ended up making some stop motion video with the items on the desk each appearing one by one. I loved this when we looked back on it and, although some of the timing was wrong so we will have to sort that out in post production.
To make our 2 minute film a combined effort we decided to go off and produce individual storyboards of the ideas we had. In the production surgery we put all our ideas together and as we had hoped the storyboards were quite similar, so this meant we were all thinking along the same lines. Once we realised this we all took control of making this actually work. Glyn and I decided to book all the equipment whilst Adam and Chris talked about their ideas for their animation section.
Group 8’s First Day Filming
To be honest I was quite nervous because none of us were particularly experts in the studios. However, when we all got together we seemed to work well. We all shared tasks and roles in the studio, none of us were particularly controlling. Even though Glyn was acting he still helped with decisions about lighting, camera work and other small decisions we had to make.
Group 8’s Problems with Lighting
The lighting was quite problematic to start with because we all wanted our film to start of in daylight and as the day passed for the lighting to get darker. This didn’t really work because the day lighting looked much harsher and just generally bad. Slowly, and after a big breakfast we resolved the problem that we were having by pointing the lights up to the mirrors around the lights on the ceiling so it bounced back down in a less harsh way than before. We found this looked much more natural and we were happy with the outcome on the camera. It would have been more useful to have had Deborah and Danny’s seminar on lighting before we actually filmed, because I think now we could have sorted out these problems much quicker. I guess you learn by making mistakes though?!
Group 8 Getting Excited after a Big Breakfast
Before breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner (it seemed to be a different thing for all of us as our body clocks are completely messed up) we filmed what we thought was a good first half of our filming. When we got back, we looked at our footage and seemed to take most of the shots again, and the difference with the lighting and camera angles is much more noticeable and looks much better. We started to become more creative whilst we were combining our skills, and we ended up making some stop motion video with the items on the desk each appearing one by one. I loved this when we looked back on it and, although some of the timing was wrong so we will have to sort that out in post production.
Interactive Narrative - Javascript
Before I started this course I had no idea what 'Javascript' was, or what 'Programming' was but now I feel like i have learnt something new. I had only really had such basic knowledge of it from doing a few bits and pieces on Myspace. In the first week I learnt that 'Action Script' was different to 'JavaScript' and 'Java'. I also learnt Internet Explorer is not good to use when testing programming and that Firefox is better.
The Project
To take photographs of our favourite place in Nottingham.
As I don't have a favourite place in Nottingham yet, I got stuck for with ideas. However, after watching Jeunet and Caro's 'Delicatessen' I quickly became inspired by the DVDs menu sequence. It had a very 'french' feel about it from the warm colours used and the french items on the table. It was very user friendly and each object lead performed a particular command. I enjoyed this interractivity and wanted to create something similar for my interactive narrative project.
I took photographs of the 'French Living' resaurant/delicatessen in Nottingham. I explored every aspect of the place by taking photographs from all diffent angles, both wide and close-up. It was quite interesting seeing the photographs back because there were so many it seemed like I could put them all together and there would be a 3-Dimensional model of the restaurant! However went back to my original idea because I wanted the photographs to act as a journey through the resaurant.
First of all I had a few problems with re-sizing the photographs to the required pixel measurements. The 800 wide x 350 high made my photographs too rectangular when the objects in the photos were square. To resolve this problem I had to resize all the photographs to a size which would suit the photographs themselves which was 426 wide x 350 high.
I then found it quite easy & satisfying to link all the photographs together in Dreamweaver. I made one main wide angle photograph the 'home' where all the photographs eventually lead back to after exploring the menu, the sign, the plant pot, the food counter and the table and chairs. It was quite hard to add the different javascript codes because it all had to be put onto the right photographs. After a long struggle I resolved the problems, and everything worked, until the final critique when for some unknown reason none of the photographs linked up. This was quite annoying because I couldn't find out why it suddenly changed after it was all working fine. Eventually I managed to find a previously saved copy where everything linked up fine, so overall I was pleased with my interractive narrative project.
improve my project I would have liked to make the colours of the photographs warmer like the colours used in 'Delicatessen' so it appears to have more of a French feel to it. It may also look more pleasing if the I drew on top of the photographs so they had more of a handmade feel to them like the menu sequence in Delicatessen. I would also like to have some Freanch music accompanying the intrerractive narrative to make the French theme more noticable and believable.
The Project
To take photographs of our favourite place in Nottingham.
As I don't have a favourite place in Nottingham yet, I got stuck for with ideas. However, after watching Jeunet and Caro's 'Delicatessen' I quickly became inspired by the DVDs menu sequence. It had a very 'french' feel about it from the warm colours used and the french items on the table. It was very user friendly and each object lead performed a particular command. I enjoyed this interractivity and wanted to create something similar for my interactive narrative project.
I took photographs of the 'French Living' resaurant/delicatessen in Nottingham. I explored every aspect of the place by taking photographs from all diffent angles, both wide and close-up. It was quite interesting seeing the photographs back because there were so many it seemed like I could put them all together and there would be a 3-Dimensional model of the restaurant! However went back to my original idea because I wanted the photographs to act as a journey through the resaurant.
First of all I had a few problems with re-sizing the photographs to the required pixel measurements. The 800 wide x 350 high made my photographs too rectangular when the objects in the photos were square. To resolve this problem I had to resize all the photographs to a size which would suit the photographs themselves which was 426 wide x 350 high.
I then found it quite easy & satisfying to link all the photographs together in Dreamweaver. I made one main wide angle photograph the 'home' where all the photographs eventually lead back to after exploring the menu, the sign, the plant pot, the food counter and the table and chairs. It was quite hard to add the different javascript codes because it all had to be put onto the right photographs. After a long struggle I resolved the problems, and everything worked, until the final critique when for some unknown reason none of the photographs linked up. This was quite annoying because I couldn't find out why it suddenly changed after it was all working fine. Eventually I managed to find a previously saved copy where everything linked up fine, so overall I was pleased with my interractive narrative project.
improve my project I would have liked to make the colours of the photographs warmer like the colours used in 'Delicatessen' so it appears to have more of a French feel to it. It may also look more pleasing if the I drew on top of the photographs so they had more of a handmade feel to them like the menu sequence in Delicatessen. I would also like to have some Freanch music accompanying the intrerractive narrative to make the French theme more noticable and believable.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Image, Meaning and Composition Blog Assignment
FunctionalityA lamp to light up my room everytime I turn it on.
Aesthetic Beauty
The lamp has two spinning layers. The outer layer is transparent with two images of superman on it, one where he is being heroic breaking out of chains and in the other superman is flying through the air. In the layer behind there is a cityscape of Metropolis
Communication
The lamp reminds me of my childhood and what its like to be young again. People say that to be happy is to be mindless and thats kind of what the lamp suggests.
Decorative / Entertainment Value
The lamp is more of a distraction from any entertainment in my room because people end up getting really transfixed by it.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Narratives - 2 Minute Film - The Plot
At the beginning of the meeting we had quite a few exciting ideas being thrown around based on the theme of hierarchy. Initially our favourite was an idea for our film to be based around the topic of War. The more we talked about this idea we decided that practically it would not be the easiest choice to make because it would take a lot more time than we actually have. Some other ideas were based around hierarchy in prison, in schools and in the office. The office had been coming up a lot and we thought that this was a good basic idea which we could begin our planning for.
Plot Outline
Our character is a business man, well dressed in a suit ready for his day at work. A wide angle shot will show his luxurious office space which is neat, tidy and organised. We intend to have big close up shots of his luxury items such as flowers, coffee maker and most importantly a photograph of our character with the rest of his family. This moment of serenity is interrupted by an email alert from the boss pressuring our character. To represent the boss we intend to use non-diegetic sound saying 'you have e-mail' or to find an AOL e-mail alert and use diegetic sound. As the email alerts from the boss get more frantic, so do the calls on the mobile phone from our characters family. Piles of paper begin to pile up and up and up causing our character to not return home to his family due to his increasing work load. Using a flash animation we intend to show the hierachy ladder of the work place, and the ladder for the family. Quickly the work ladder dominates the family ladder. To show time passing by we hope to use time-lapse-photography on the hands of a clock whilst our character begins to grow a beard and sweat under the pressure from his boss. Slowly, but obviously the walls will close in on our character as if there is no escape. The luxury items from the beginning of the film are now non-existent and his family portrait has been forced on to the floor due to lack of space in our characters claustrophobic office space.
Plot Outline
Our character is a business man, well dressed in a suit ready for his day at work. A wide angle shot will show his luxurious office space which is neat, tidy and organised. We intend to have big close up shots of his luxury items such as flowers, coffee maker and most importantly a photograph of our character with the rest of his family. This moment of serenity is interrupted by an email alert from the boss pressuring our character. To represent the boss we intend to use non-diegetic sound saying 'you have e-mail' or to find an AOL e-mail alert and use diegetic sound. As the email alerts from the boss get more frantic, so do the calls on the mobile phone from our characters family. Piles of paper begin to pile up and up and up causing our character to not return home to his family due to his increasing work load. Using a flash animation we intend to show the hierachy ladder of the work place, and the ladder for the family. Quickly the work ladder dominates the family ladder. To show time passing by we hope to use time-lapse-photography on the hands of a clock whilst our character begins to grow a beard and sweat under the pressure from his boss. Slowly, but obviously the walls will close in on our character as if there is no escape. The luxury items from the beginning of the film are now non-existent and his family portrait has been forced on to the floor due to lack of space in our characters claustrophobic office space.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Short Film Analysis
Big on Love
http://www.depict.org
This 90 second animation follows Karl who recognises a woman/llama who he thinks is Suzanne from 'Llama Lovers.com'. However, she is in fact another woman/llama called Karen. Karen runs into the distance whilst Carl hangs his head in shame. Karen then comes back and kisses Karl. Karl is confused and askes Karen why she kissed him. Karen thought that Karl needed a 'womans touch' and it is at this point that Karls head nearly explodes with excitement. He reaches out to touch Karen but she has run away again. Karl is still happy from her affection, and the animation ends with Karl releasing a happy 'ooo' and a smile.
Usually I'm not particularly interested in animations, however this one just made me giggle. I loved the strange angles used so it isn't obvious whats happening, for example when Karl first met Karen (thinking it was Suzanne) he just dropped his trousers, and then pulled them back up quickly. Luckily Karen didn't notice because he was behind her. Also, when Karen returns after running away from Karl the first time she is shown through the reflection in Karls eye, which leaves the viewer with a certain amount of surprize rather than being spoonfed all of the story.
http://www.depict.org
This 90 second animation follows Karl who recognises a woman/llama who he thinks is Suzanne from 'Llama Lovers.com'. However, she is in fact another woman/llama called Karen. Karen runs into the distance whilst Carl hangs his head in shame. Karen then comes back and kisses Karl. Karl is confused and askes Karen why she kissed him. Karen thought that Karl needed a 'womans touch' and it is at this point that Karls head nearly explodes with excitement. He reaches out to touch Karen but she has run away again. Karl is still happy from her affection, and the animation ends with Karl releasing a happy 'ooo' and a smile.
Usually I'm not particularly interested in animations, however this one just made me giggle. I loved the strange angles used so it isn't obvious whats happening, for example when Karl first met Karen (thinking it was Suzanne) he just dropped his trousers, and then pulled them back up quickly. Luckily Karen didn't notice because he was behind her. Also, when Karen returns after running away from Karl the first time she is shown through the reflection in Karls eye, which leaves the viewer with a certain amount of surprize rather than being spoonfed all of the story.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Narratives - 2 Minute Film - First Group 8 Meeting
Finally after sorting out everything and getting to grips with whats what I am able to write my first 'offical' blog.
Today was my first meeting with Group 8. We decided on a few initial ideas for our 2 minute film. The theme at the moment is losely based around hierachy in the workplace. We had the idea of juxtaposing scenes and differnt points of view portrayed of a character in each scene. Our group is split into two people that like animation and two that are into video production, so we thought we could combine this for the final film. Well we hope for this to be the start of an idea and we can build on this as we get inspired as we go along.
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