Semester

I learned a lot during this semester in Motion Graphics. I never had touched flash before so having gone from knowing nothing to knowing as much as I do know is incredible. I would never consider myself an expert in this program but I have grown so much in just a few months. In the beginning of the semester I definitely struggled with keeping up with the program but now five months later I have a good grasp on how to work it. I wouldn't say I can see myself using Flash in the future as a design professional but I appreciate the fact that I learned it and that this course was a requirement. I hope to use some of the projects created in my portfolio next year because they show my growth and another aspect of design I have grown familiar with. I had a lot of fun this semester in this class even though some of the work was stressful to say the least and VERY time consuming!

Fable

For my final project I did the fable, Tortoise & the Hare. I chose to do this fable because I felt the story line would be simple and entertaining to lay out in both illustrator and flash. When first attempting to create the table I figured I would struggle like I did a few times during the semester with some of the tools and concepts we have learned. By the end of the fable I came to realize that everything came together well and easier than I had originally thought. Throughout the fable animation I used many skills we have learned such as the walk cycle, zooming in, repeated background and motion tweens. Everything came together nicely and I am proud of what I was capable of doing. I also worked hard to make my illustrator drawings more professional compared to some in the past. I enjoyed this project and think it turned out great. Now that we have presented our fables I found it interesting to compare mine to another student who had done the same story. We both used similar skills and had similar characters but in the end had two completely different animations.

Mermaid

I can't say that I enjoyed this animation clip but it was definitely interesting. One thing I realized was that some of the animation looked close to realistic while other parts looked so still and painted. The animation for it's time was probably amazing but because of current capabilities I am able to see how much graphics and technology has changed. For example, when the boys hair moved or when the girl was in the water, I was able to tell that it must have been a bunch of still shots of multiple drawings or paintings. The animation wasn't able to flow as it would if it were created today.

From a design view I believe the colors went well with the plot. I also believe that the constant change in story kept me interested even though the actual story was hard for me to understand. At the same time, the jumpiness of the animation made the story more eerie and almost made sense.

Chico & Rita

The clip I watched of Chico & Rita was definitely interesting. The story is about two Cuban lovers brought together by music and how they meet obstacles tearing them apart. The setting is Havana and New York City.

My greatest take away from this movie was from the use of city background. Because we have been learning how to put together a city and how to create the lights and other aspects of the city to make the animation more realistic this was something I could relate to and appreciate. One thing I noticed about this animation was that the people were less realistic than the backgrounds. Once reading the article we were assigned I realized why this was noticeable. The article read; "The real life of the animation is in the backgrounds, especially the streets of Havana, which are exquisitely rendered and meticulously colored. The filmmakers spent several months shooting on location in Havana, and their care produces a vision of the place that is both lyrical and realistic." This means that the movie its self wasn't just created from pen to paper or on the computer. Everything was based off real scenery and the background was definitely more of a focus than the characters.

I enjoyed watching this clip and reading about it. I feel that some of the animation didn't look to difficult considering the movements of the people weren't always flowing. Though this is how I feel, I feel that making the story and animation simple can make me as a designer learn how all the skills we have taken in could be used.

Sketching!

I really enjoyed reading this article. I know that in past classes we have been encouraged and sometimes instructed to draw or sketch before looking at the computer. Whatever the project was we were told that sketching would always benefit us and help us come up with ideas as well as start our mind on its journey to the final product. I personally have struggled with sketching in the past and have always jumped to the computer. I have rarely felt that it helped me. The only case where sketching did come in handy was when I was instructed to create a logo back during freshman year.

The most interesting part of this article was when the author spoke about the benefits of adding color to his sketches. He would start with black and white images used with a pencil and then slowly add color to them. By adding color he was not only bringing more life to his images making them closely related to how they would look on the computer but he was also over looking what he had done. By adding color after the fact he was re introducing himself to his ideas so he can then adjust them. As he said he would "reengage" himself with his sketches and this would produce huge benefits.

Another thing I found very interesting about what the author said had to do with him using sharpie. By using sharpie he was forced to be simple and put down his basic ideas initially. I think this is important because when sketching you aren't supposed to have full detail of what you are trying to accomplish. Sketching is to help start the brain flow and bring out any ideas that could be possible.

Bathtime in Clerkewell

I really enjoyed this short animation. I found it to be interesting because the entire clip seemed to be made up of simple shaped characters just repeated in different ways. Based on what we have learned i'm assuming that this artist created the characters and made them symbols. They then probably kept dragging them on to duplicate them from the library and thus created the repetition and in the end, the army of birds. I felt that in terms of design the artist was successful in capturing my attention. Something was always moving and with the story going along with the images one would have to keep watching to understand what happened. I appreciated the fact that the entire stage was used and not just the bottom. I also appreciated how images used early in the clip were brought back in the end. This showed that the actual images could be so simple and just duplicated to continue a story.

I felt overall the clip was funny and also enjoyed the music. Though the clip was only black and white, it was just as interesting as any colorful animation I have seen. I think this is because the artist kept things moving and kept a story line. Also one would never think of a bird rebelling against its owner so this concept was intriguing.

Chobani Yogurt

I chose to watch the video "Chobani Champions". I really enjoyed this video and what the company was trying to do. The video was playful, captivating and interesting. It definitely was made with skill and specific intent. The overall object of the video was to be aimed towards children and to entice them into eating Chobani yogurt. While the children were the main audience wanted approval of, adults would also be a key audience the designer would need to care for. Adults would be buying the product for their children and we all know parents are difficult to market too. I believe the video was successful in attracting children and adults. The colors were simple and easy to visualize and the bubbles and certain design choices could definitely be attractive to younger kids. Also the fun faces and the constant scene changes would keep children's attention and interest them in the things they can do with the yogurt in their presence. In terms of attracting the parents, the designers were successful and intelligent when using the basic colors as well so the parents wouldn't be distracted. They also were smart in choosing the write design of the scenery and word choice as well as details of graphics for the older generations to appreciate.

I enjoyed watching this video. It was fun and really did interest me in the yogurt. I already eat regular Chobani and after this video seeing the fun and excitement the children's yogurt brings and the imaginary purple, blue world, I would consider buying it.