all about PROJECT 8

Still frames of my schematic:

FINAL STATEMENT:

I definitely learned a good deal from this project. For one, I had never made a non-linear narrative where I could let the user really interact with the message. In doing a non-linear narrative, where the viewer can control the pace of this design artifact rather than simply sit and watch without pushing any buttons, I believe that my message is clarified. Before, when it was just a print, I could only say so much. All the information was generic and if a person wanted more information, it wasn't there. But in my user oriented schematic that I built on flash, I was able to add that extra information. When each word on the schematic is rolled over with the moused, a definition pops up.

The viewer tends to read the schematic from left to right because it is structured linearly. So each word and definition is read chronologically — however the viewer does have the option to look at any word or play the animation at any given time. The animation is played when the viewer clicks on the SOUCRE A button. The arrow moves from left to right thus demonstrating the linear, chronological importance of the schematic.

I was glad to get my feet wet with Flash .3 scripting. That demo that garret gave was most helpful. Now I won't be nearly as intimidated to get into that in the future as I would have been without learning those basic functions.

process: IDEAS

final artifact: (for some reason, the sounds didn't upload to YOUTUBE)...

I was still having issues exporting and .mov file from flash. I attempted a number of solutions after doing a considerable amount of research on the matter, but to no avail. I found that even profesionals had issued complaints to adobe saying that this has been an issue with flash. and surprisingly enough, adobe still charges up the wallloo for their product. But I did what I could, and for the most part the motion piece is as you see it. but minus the bits left behind.

and here's my logo build

My understanding of the theory of story structure was richer because I was able to use more channels than one. by using different channels simultaneously, I message can be conveyed a great deal more effectively than simply using one channel. However, I realized pretty quickly that in adding more channels than necessary, a message's meaning can easily be distracting or altered unnecessarily.

I thought that by simply using only two channels (image and sound effects) that my message was quite clear, and quite effective. It seems quite capable of holding the audience's attention for the whole of its duration. and I think it is quite memorable, and the message is clear: that is, YOT makes toys which are creative, innovative, and inspire imagination.

I found it to be quite a challenge to compose these visual elements in a fairly beleivable way, which would still seem playful and yet somewhat realistic. another challenge was to add sound that was approriote. so there was a considerable amount of compilation of sounds (I used audacity for that). I had to time them, layer them, and cut them, then reimport the audio files into flash. it was a bit of a process, but one that I am comfortable doing by now.

I had many versions of how the toy blocks move. I tried making them swing like on a crane and that was tough. I also tried to create a 3D cube for those toy cubes so that I could have the block spin as it moved. that didn't work very well. Id probably want to use After Effects for that. duh. I found it helpful to look up real videos of these actual mechanism from the real world. I used that to inform the way I put my objects into motion. At least you can understand what each object is doing. that's nice.

I'm glad the transitions are fairly seemless too. I'm proud of the carrots swinging in toward the end.

PROCESS

________

PROCESS:

the visual components that i had to photoshop and set to motion in flash:

these are the blocks I would use for my 'construction site' with the beeping construction sounds.

I was trying to get a neat way to let the block swing for my motion, I wanted this 3D block to hang like it was the wire of a crane, and it would spin around, showing different sides to it. But that didn't work out so well. especially since I was using flash. but i tried.

Noah's ark is a bit tough. It's much harder then I thought it would be to make this piece move along as if it were floating on a flooding wave. I have lots of flash files as iterations but don't think I will upload them all to here, if I need to, I can open the file and watch them. The same is true for all of them.

and sound was a big part. I had to go online and find good files. then i took them and compiled them together in audacity. here is my neatly organized compilation of sound files.

COMBINED CHANNEL FINAL THING

Untitled from joseph shopen on Vimeo.

pro 4 text

text_channel from joseph shopen on Vimeo.

READING RESPONSE

UNDERSTANDING COMICS (CHP 3)

The chapter begins by talking about a philosophical issue – that is, do things that we don't sense exist... when the tree fell on the ground with no one there to hear it, did it make a sound. That issue.

As artists, we inherently use the technique of CLOSURE to communicate particular things. Closure simply relies on the viewer to piece things together, or to complete an image or idea. By utilizing these inherent skills of the human brain, the artist/communicator has a more simplified task – and is relatively free to a certain amount of fragmentation and rendering styles and things...

It is not possible to draw the planet AND everything on/in it all in one picture frame. [unless it was a really big frame that was temporally sensitive (using motion)...] It's hard enough to communicate one human action in one frame. It is easier to do with time based media than it is with comic strips because one has only so much space to work with when rendering a comic – so the images and messages are very fragmented. for comics there are different levels of fragmentation. they can be as simple as say two stills of a stop-frame animation, or the can be as complex as going from one scene to another (ie two characters are at a gas station in one frame, and in the next the are on the beach).

The author who uses CLOSURE (I wonder why the used that word to name the concept) is able to make it more easy or difficult for the viewer to follow what he is communicating.

NA PRO. 3 DETAIL NARRATIVE

Channel: Moving image.

Concept: showing toys that teach inherent, fundamental skills to children and relating to the real world.

.What I learned by way of project objectives:

The objectives that I used were (1) objects associated with the topic (2) using the visual language.

For the sake of clarity and simplicity, it is important to think through the narrative.

.What I learned by exclusively using one particular communication channel:

The channel I chose was moving image. The real challenge of the project was using only one channel. There were times when I would catch myself trying to clarify the message of the narrative by using text. When I couldn't do that, I had to find new and different ways of clarifying things by simply using the imagery. That's where I had to rack my brains and think through thoroughly about how my narrative was constructed and how I could fine tune it even more so that the concept would be more relevant.

.How I constructed the story by utilizing what I know about narrative, and what did I learned from that process:

The narrative was intended to be constructed with a simple and precise story line. Being forced to use only one channel dictated how I was to construct the narrative. I learned to be more concise with the message, and to use simple imagery and and movement that could only be seen in a certain way – thus avoiding confusion by including other possible connotations. That was the intention.

TOYS:vimeo:

http://www.vimeo.com/14602082

project I (part 2)

Recent developments:

In the emotional/expressive spirit of the brand-based narrative I have decided to change the audience to be children who are interested in ... toys in general. I plan to use two chanels: image, and sound effects. I will exaggerate/substitute sounds for each toy that are appropriate in an effort to make the visual more interesting/intriguing.

pro I (part 1)

I will go for BRAND BASED NARRATIVES. I hope i will have more opportunities to do things that are more expressive but also in some ways are informational.

________

Just writing things down sometimes helps me. I simply wrote anything and everything that held my interest, and if I thought it might work for the project or it was too broad, I would elaborate a little bit.

________

Looking at some videos helped a bit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m_x1MlMR-Y

http://www.otis.edu/academics/toy_design/index.html

________

SO...

.innovative TOYS - toy design

.conservation of ARCHITECTURE

.GARDENING

.cullinary

_________

I think I'll go for the INNOVATIVE toy design. Toys that are practical, sturdy, educational, with an apealing aesthetic quality and a timeless design...

_________

Demographic Information:

1. Identity/values: The audience will be children Parents who appreciate unique/innovative toys of quality that are sometimes (in some aspects) educational as well. (i.e. objects that are not only practical and interesting but can inherently teach a child the basic laws of physics among other things).

2. visual and symbolic codes?

3. "communication styles" - As the source is for the most part online (see 4) the audience must reliably be computer/technologically literate. Being of a certain mentality or mindset (i.e. generally responsible and wanting the best for someone they care for and who is in their charge) the parents may expect the source from where they acquire these TOYS to be reliable.

4. The main outlet for sales will be online.

____

dif related sites:

http://www.ruttikorn.com/?ContentID=ContentID-091130151421997

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldAs9XVXovw