Blog 7. Final idea

Design

Technical


On paper a glowing orb is a simple concept, digitally, not so much.  The movement of both the orb and particle system was a simple task. I simply used keyframes to move the camera and composition along the X,Y and Z axis.

Creating the orb and streaks was hard and required multiple tutorials. However with enough willpower i gained a result Im quite proud of. The orbs are in fact 2 solid layers with different opacity's and feather lengths to create a glow effect.

The streaks of purple colour were created using the pen tool, polarised and then linked to a singular Null object so they could be manipulated.

Narrative

Two very important aspects need to be visualised at this point of the animation (1 min 31 seconds).

First of all when the Techno synth comes in at 1.31, part of the animation needs to visually match the beat.
I tried very hard to use Trapcode soundkeyes at this point to animate the streaks of purple colour, however this required a considerable amount of ram to provide enough keyframes, required for the segment of audio i wished to relate to the animation. So i kept the streaks animated how i started them, by simply rotating and emitting them around the singular orb to create a visually exciting array of colour and light.

My way around this was to use a particle system moving at a velocity and direction that suited the progression and tempo of the audio, which I think it does quite well.

Secondly, this is the point where the artist has compiled all of his/her thoughts and settled on a final idea. So being an 'artist' the animation needed a good use of color, lighting and movement. Now again reprsenting an idea is hard when it isnt a visual entity, however keeping with the lighbulb theme i created a singular glowing orb with streaks of color radiating from the centre.

This is also where the narrative starts to switch. Up till this point the narrative has been of a positive theme, but this is where it begins to turn negative. I wanted this part to represent an idea being stolen/ destroyed or even forgotten about because this is when the audio begins to break down. This is  why the 'idea'( glowing orb) and  the artists ' motivation/enthusiasm' (Particle system) move in different directions to show that the relationship between them is being lost and simply to utilize all of the domes space.

Blog 6. Flying through the clouds.

Design

Technical

To create the cloud fly though was a hard task but one that I enjoyed the most. I had seen  previous work where a cloud fly through was used as footage, but I wanted to go further. I wanted a digital cloud fly through that conformed to the aesthetic of my animation. The clouds are simply one image made in photoshop but alter in size, rotation and position to give the effect that they are all slightly different.

So the same image has been duplicated many times and placed accordingly on the scene. To create the effect of 'moving' through the clouds I used a camera and a null object to slowly move through the Z axis to give the perception of clouds moving towards the screen. The clouds also alter in size so that it gives the impression that some are further away than others.


Narrative


Each cloud represents different thoughts by a digital artist was to what to do to his/her idea. Thinking about an idea is a long and perhaps slow process and that is why the clouds move slowly towards the screen, as well as keeping with the progression of the audio. The flythrough ends with focusing on one cloud to represent a chosen theme for an idea and this paves the way the cell animation at 1 minute 31 seconds.

The orbs fly away from the audience and into the clouds, I wanted this part to represent high aspirations of a digital artist. Not only this but it effectively adds to the depth of field.

Blog 5. Representing an idea visually.

Design

Technical


Creating the orbs was tricky. Its something i had never done before, and quickly found that I would need certain plug-ins(Trapcode lux, Trapcode Particular) to create the effect I wanted. The orbs grow lighter in intensity as the music progresses.

Getting the orbs to move in 3d was simple. Using camera movement and key frames, I moved the orbs further away on the Z axis.




Narative


Visually representing anything that happens within the human mind is no easy task due to the fact Everyone has a different perception on how the mind works. So keeping with the light bulb concept and staying true to the minimal nature of the audio I designed two glowing orbs. The only reason that there is two is to create a more visually appealing animation. However in the animation the speed, direction and behaviour of the orbs change multiple times to the time of the audio. This is to represent an 'idea' within the mind of a digital artist being changed many times. Be it a technical reason, or a time saving reason, its something all IDAT students can certainly relate to.

I tried to utilize as much of the space I could, not only to create a depth of field but so that the orbs visually represent the 'idea' travelling to different areas of the brain.

Blog 4. The first 16 seconds.

Design 

Technical


 To do this part was fairly simple. By using 2 lens flares I animated the brightness and opacity over the course of the first 16 seconds of audio. The audio changes to a more harmonic tone at 16 seconds and this is why the light dims at this point, to show that an idea has been formed. The blue colour and cloudiness of the scene give the light atmosphere and depth, something of which is essential for a truly immersive animation.

Narrative


For my idea to work the first 16 seconds had to represent the birth of an idea within the mind of a digital artist.We as society generally represent someone having an idea as a light bulb switching on. I adapted this in my animation.

Blog 3. Storyboard, final idea and narrative.

I wanted to create a meaningful narrative, something that i and others can relate to. So instead of trying to come up with an idea, i made my narrative about the theme of ideas themselves. So my animation would visually represent the thought process of an idea that a digital artist has. Going through the process of the idea being born, taking shape and finally being changed/ killed. I think this is an interesting narrative because we as digital artists are constantly thinking of new and creative ideas but yet have to change them or forget about them for various reasons. I want to capture that visually.

I have not had much experience with either Blender or After effects, but after struggling to get with blender even to do the basics I felt after effects would enable me to fully realise my idea.

So now I had my idea I had to gain a decent amount of knowledge on after effects in a small amount of time.
Ae tuts and video co pilot were a huge help in my quest to find help on After effects.

http://ae.tutsplus.com/

http://www.videocopilot.net/

Blog 2. Choosing the audio

Music taste differs from person to person, so its not a good idea to start using a song just because you think it’s good, others may disagree and this would bring down my whole idea. Anyway here is my choice.

While this might  im sure that it can be appreciated. For me personally this is one the greatest songs in the genre of minimal techno. Its progressive and simplistic beat takes me away and i want to recreate that feeling visually. 




Existing work and inspiration.


Theres a lot of similar work all over the internet, but all in the same style. Most people use trapcode soundkeyes to form a relationship between the visuals and the bass/treble of a song. It produces results like this.








Both interesting to look at, but neither immersive or 3D. Also neither of them have a narrative which is something I want to utilize in my project. So now it was time to storyboard a general idea.

1.Re-presenting Reality: First thoughts...

Brief.

“Produce a short  film for the IVT, which encapsulates an interpretation, or explores an aspect of perception and representation. We have primarily focused on visual perception, but you  are welcome to consider all elements within the perceptual field. Through the lecture series you should develop an understanding of theoretical foundations of perceptual development and capacity  - particularly those relating to  the embodiment in perception: biological, physical, cultural, social, and environmental factors, which are active in visual processes.”

First thoughts...

I found it hard to imagine exactly what I wanted to create for this brief because I had so many ideas but no real connectivity between them. I wanted to utilize something I have a great passion for in my project. I also knew I wanted to work heavily with audio at some point during my time on the course, so naturally I thought that this could be a great chance to.

Music is one of my biggest passions, from the intricate formations of minimal techno to the heaviness of drum and bass. Whatever the genre I am amazed that different styles of music can engage certain emotions and body language. I wanted to tap into this and create a visually provocative animation driven by a suitable audio track.

So in my mind I started piecing together what I could do and with what genre. So the next task was to look at examples of similar work, and choose the perfect song.

This is my favourite music video of all time and the main source of inspiration for choosing an audio animation. In my opinion this is such a good song and what I consider to be a truly original idea. Directed by Michel Gondry, it creates the effect of a continuous train journey using several bits of footage. However each visual element represents a different beat in the audio. It’s quite obvious that the amount of time that went into this project is substantial and something I will not be able to do. However my ideology is the same to an extent. I want my animation to be in time with the music and certain elements to react based on the bass or treble on the track.

So to keep my workload down, i knew i had to choose a minimal track.