Motion Graphics...

This is an example of motion graphics made in After Effects:



The shapes move and flow nicely, because I can tell they have used keyframes to make it run so smoothly. It's just shapes popping up and appearing at the right moment
On After Effects you can work on a big canvas, then focus the frame in the section of the image you want to be in the animation; so this creates an opportunity to make my solution to making my animation easier.
This is another, more technical motion graphic:



I like the fluidity of the transactions, because it makes it interesting to watch!
The audio suits the style of motion very well, giving it a futuristic feel.

Possible Idea - The Golden Age of Cartoons

As the title says, I want to base my animation on the chronology of the Golden Age of cartoons.

I think this is a significant time in the animation world, because this is where artists started to realise (inspired from the animations by the Fleischer Brothers, Reynaud, Starewicz and Reiniger) they can combine humour with drawings/stop frame movements; and this time period has seen some significant pieces of animation to inspire future generations into making TV series, feature films and games.

I wrote out a list of all the animations included in the lecture:

Writing it around this circle gives me a better perspective on how much information I want to include in my timeline - and theres a lot in there!

I will experiment and test the spacing of the lines, and work out how much information needs to be included/how big the images should be.
I still need to decide how to include images - should I draw them myself or find images from somewhere else?

I drew some of the characters that I would include in passing:

I think drawing all of these, plus more, will take me too long to make this animation. So to effectively manage my time, I have decided to revert back to my previous idea of using the first inventions to animate with, since there's less information there, and it will make my animation more straight forward.

Idea Development

I've looked through my notes and decided I want to base my animation on the devices used to animate "in the beginning".
This is because it seems more informative, and gives me the opportunity to explore different ways to present each bit of information; such as in these sketches:

These are a few different examples of transactions i could make between each bit of information, then when the transaction ends it will pause - straight on - at the object so viewers get a chance to absorb the information.

After making a quick storyboard, me and my tutor realised that my animation would be too complicated, and I realised there are a lot easier solutions.

I have decided I want to explore a simple circular timeline, where I will make all the images before hand around one centre point. I will focus the frame in one section of the canvas, so the information passes bits at a time.
I just need to decide what subject to base my animation on - since using this technique will allow me to include more information within 30 seconds.

Annotations around it are information I would insert if I was to base it on 'The Golden Age of Cartoons'

Lecture 11: Postmodernism

Postmodernism is the plan to modernise our lifestyles, but in an affordable way.
Modernism collapsed because it was promoting a lifestyle that no one could afford, so designers changed their ideals to a postmodern world.

Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, Pompidou Centre, Paris, 1972-77

James Stirling, Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany, 1977-83

These two images are examples of how cheap materials have been used to make useful building parts. The pipes on the outside, the poles and architecture could be seen as a form of art, as well as useful.

Philippe Starck, Juicy Salif, 1990

This fruit juicer seems like a pretty ornamental, useful household object. However, it's regarded more on its aesthetics rather then its practical use. It's function doesn't work as well, so people would rather buy it as an ornament.

I think the idea behind postmodernism is good, because it's trying to give us a more affordable lifestyle. 

However, after reviewing a lot of the recent architecture, it doesn't seem as practical as the objects we 

use at the moment, it seems to have been made as a form of art rather then it's usefulness.

Lecture 10: Modernism

Modernism is an artist movement, formed in the early to mid twentieth century; which explored the lifestyle of their time.
It represents how the Western world became modern, starting to create and use modern technology which was moving away from being governed by The Church, Monarchy and Patriarchy.

Jean-Honore Fragonard, Swing (1767)
Represents how the rich people lived, compared to the poor

The Industrial Revolution (1789)

This was the first ever bridge that could be lifted to allow boats to pass underneath, as well as coming together to allow cars and pedestrians over the top. This was a revolution of it's time, and has shaped our future technology.

Gustave Caillebotte's interpretation of how rich people lived (1877)

He observed the lives of people in a rich town, and realised they all wear certain, high class clothes, walk around with fancy umbrellas, and the streets are generally very clean.

Pablo Picasso's Cubism movement. Les Demoiselles D'Avignon (1907)

He was the pioneer of the cubism movement, he developed his own style from previous modernism works, starting a whole new era in modernism.

Typography and fonts were established between 1540 and 1996

This has lead the way through effective advertising and graphic design works, which have paved the way towards the future.

However, after this movement, the idea of modernism started to fail, since the luxury life style that it was representing was unaffordable to the general public; which is the irony in the idea that everyone can live luxuriously.

Practical - Ideas for an Animation

Focusing on the Animation lecture we received, I want to make a walkthrough of part of the history of animation.

This could be represented in a timeline, simply moving through the information rather then animating characters or a narrative.

This is a good example of the technique of animation I could use:



It runs through information and facts using smooth transactions, simple shapes and typography to represent or describe the narration. This could work well as a chronology, since it is only visualising the information, rather then creating a narrative.

It could link into the information I find for my essay if I review some of the history of animation; The directors I research could have made a significant point in history.

The first section of this (below) is a good example of how I could approach this project; Since it clearly shows a timeline, and little movements within each picture it would be a good way to map out the chronology.

Essay Questions

Before the Christmas holidays, we were given 5 questions to choose from to write a 3000 word essay for. These are based on seminars we've been having since September:

1.    To what extent does animation fit with traditional notions of genre in cinema and film, and how has it responded to or developed these? Refer to specific examples in your response

2.    What is auteur theory and how successfully can it be applied to animation? Refer to specific examples in your response

3.    With reference to specific examples, to what extent can theories of the avant-garde be applied to animation?.

4.    How successfully has animation been used as a vehicle for politics, propaganda, or social cause?  Refer to specific examples in your response.

5.    How successfully has animation been used to represent gender and/or otherness? Refer to specific examples in your response

I decided I want to write about the auteur theory, because it's interesting to see what qualities an auteur has and who qualifies from the animation industry. 

I can talk about directors such as Tim Burton, Nick Park, Ray Harryhausen, Steven Speilburg and Alfred Hitchcock. About how films are distinct as their own - the character designs and visual styles generally look the same.

I will also write about how animating companies such as Disney take credit away from the animators and original authors when making feature films, as Disney's versions become the stereotypes.

http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/siryan/screen/auteur%20theory.htm