Workshop: AFX

Motion Graphics from Jennie Chinn on Vimeo.
This was our second workshop on After Effects in which we were shown how to put together our chosen music clip and the different images we had previously created using Photoshop, and make a short animation clip which we then uploaded to Vimeo. I think the most effective part of the clip is the second series of images. I originally intended this part of the clip to look like the neon face-paint many people wear at festivals however I think given the effect I have used, it works more effectively as flashing lights. Overall, I found this task quite challenging as I have never used this software before or created any sort of motion graphics before but I thought for a first attempt it went fairly well. If I was to make another one, I would add more images to it to make the final clip look more slick and professional.

Culture and Representation

This lecture was about different cultures and what represents them, we looked at various examples such as culture club and bits of Yinka Shonibare's work. 
Culture is about shared meanings and representation is the way we make sense of and share meanings.

'We use the word culture in these two senses: to mean a whole way of life – the common meanings; to mean the arts and learning – the special processes of discovery and creative effort. Some writers reserve the word for one or other of these senses; I insist on both, and on the significance of their conjunction...Culture is ordinary, in every society and in every mind.'

Raymond Williams

culture club

Lecture: Typography

'font is what you use, and typeface is what you see.'

-Norbert Florendo 

Johannes Gutenberg

Adolphe Cassandre - posters

Jasper Johns - painter influenced by the pop art movement

Marinetti

Neville Brody (ad for Nike)

Dan Friedman

bornmagazine.org

Physical Process; Interior Drawing

Our task this week was to do some sketches of the interior of the Creative Arts building. I found parts of this quite difficult as it was hard to get the perspective right in the drawing. To help with this, I first took a photo of the area I wanted to draw as sometimes I find it can be easier to draw from a photograph than from a primary source. After doing a rough sketch, I scanned the drawing in to my computer and tried editing it on photoshop to add colour.

Seminar: Urbanized

We watched the film Urbanized which is a documentary about the design of cities by Gary Hustwit. 

I enjoyed the film as it looked at the reality of redesigning a city and the problems and challenges that can occur. For example Stuttgart 21 was featured; this was a railway and urban development project which planned to destroy a popular woodland area in order to build an underground train station. Many local people were unhappy about the proposed plans and therefore protested against the demolition. The film also included parts on the design and construction of modern buildings in big cities such as Brasília which I found particularly interesting to look at.

Seminar: Convergence

Convergence means to forcibly bend together.

During this seminar, we reflected on Mondays lecture which was on the same topic. 

To help us further understand the meaning of this word in a graphical context, we looked at William Burroughs cut up method.

We were given newspapers which we had to cut up and collage back together in whichever way we wanted. I only had one double sheet of newspaper to play with therefore I wasn't able to be too imaginative with my collage, however I enjoyed this exercise as it was something different and it gave us the opportunity to further understand convergence.

              

Lecture: Convergence

'Convergence is doing journalism and telling stories in the most appropriate medium.'

-Quinn 2006  

Convergence example; Disney.
-like their own economy as they have dvds, books, costumes etc.

Studio: Sense of Place

The theme for this week was Material/Form/Sound.

I concentrated more on Sound as I wanted to develop my ideas from the previous week in which I looked at people and conversations. 

I looked at designer Matt Booth because one of the projects he has done focuses on the visualisation of sound data which I thought looks very aesthetically pleasing and fits in well with the concept of sound and conversations within a place.

Workshop: CC Process

During this workshop we were taught the basics on how to use InDesign. I thought this was particularly helpful as I have never used this software before, I have only ever used Photoshop. 

Our task was to try and recreate some posters by Joseff Muller-Brockmann. I found this quite difficult, however I think my attempts at the various posters were fairly successful considering this was my first time experimenting with this program.

Lecture: Histories of Animation and Graphic Design

'white space is to be regarded as an active element, not a passive background.'

In this lecture we looked at a huge variety of different designers from different movements. For example; Theo Van Doesburg, Kurt Schwitters - Dadaism 1922
Wes Wilson - Psychodemia movement  1966-68

Jamie Reid - Punk movement 1976

Studio:Sense of Place

This weeks theme was people/movement/navigation.

This work is some portrait typography by Juan Osborne who is a Spanish architect and designer. I found his work and thought it could be a good way to include the conversations people have as well as just their appearance.

Because of this, I then went in to town to collect photographs and voice recordings of people going about their daily lives. 

     

Workshop: AFX Process

For this workshop, our task was to begin working on a motion graphics video clip which we would then upload on to our newly created Vimeo accounts. This clip would consist of a series of 10-20 images we would create ourselves using Photoshop in order to make a short 10 second long clip based on a book or music event of our choice. We also had to choose a short clip of music which would fit in with our clip.
I chose to do mine on Creamfields Festival as I have been to a few festivals before and this was my favourite.

Here are some of the images I created;

   

Seminar: Approaches to Research

In this seminar, we played 20Q.
The point of this was that you can't just guess at things, you need a response and context.

• being open to change
• parallax
• call and response

Seminar: Ideas/Theories

During this seminar we were asked to create an illustration of what we think our creative process is like. I tend to procrastinate a lot and end up leaving things to the last minute, however I work well under pressure even though this can be quite stressful. 

Lecture: How to Have an Idea

'An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.' 

-Oscar Wilde

 novelty is not always something new.

creativity: 'the capacity for creative thought is the rule rather than the exception in human cognitive functioning.'

-Thomas Ward (psychologist) 

• preparation
• incubation
• illumination
• verification

organising information:

• location
• alphabetical
• time
• category
• hierarchy 

consumerism: ideology, desire, advertising, social control

Studio: Sense of Place

The theme for this week was grids/frames/macro/micro. 

      

I went in to town and took photos of any kind of grids I could think of; this included the pavement slabs, tiles on the floor and drains.

I also found a selection of artists and designers who look at these sorts of things such as Piet Mondrian, Ben Heine and Lauren Wargo who looks at maps.

Physical Process; Location Drawing

During this workshop we went out in to town and were required to do sketches from 3 different locations; Market and Piazza, Gothic Quarter and New Street shopping area. 

I tried using a variety of media, including markers which I've never used before.