The First Time

The final version of my object narrative!!

Through my object narration, I aim to portray the subjective feelings I have towards basketball and my passion for it. The video shows a happy and light mood, intensified through the use of the content included.

The intended audience is anyone who is aware of the meaning of sentimental value, and a strong love for something. Other people who love basketball might be interested in this video, and those who are passionate about something. I focused on individuality, and hope to achieve a degree of interest and curiosity as a result of the video, through the immersion of visual arts media with design elements.

The footage was recorded and then exported into single frame sequences, where each image was edited using the rotoscoping technique. It was then readjusted and included as a sequence. The background was hand drawn to achieve a minimalist representation, allowing the focus to remain on the action and the basketball, as well as other flashing designs and drawings in the frame, that represent a strong love or passion for something – a happy balance.

The flashing colors and designs bring a spark to the video, illustrating my love for basketball, and an elevated sense of emotions that I feel are related to basketball. Their intricate forms demonstrate the depth and detail of passion – an excitement, a feeling, an emotion, that is extremely subjective.

Drawings

The First Time Creative Brief

1. Title—possible name, working title

The First Time

2. Overview—description of concept

The object I chose for the narrative is my basketball. I want to portray the sentimental value and my subjective view towards basketball through the video. The voice narrative introduces the video with a positive approach, setting the tone and message for the video.

I am walking around, heading towards the nike store to get my first basketball. I come out of the store so excited, and begin to dribble the ball and run with it, until I come across a basketball court. I am in my element. That is where I am happiest, I have fun with the ball, dribbling, and begin to shoot around on the court.

3. Audience—who is the intended audience and how this will be considered in project?

The intended audience includes those who are passionate about something, who might understand where this video is coming from, and what having something that you are passionate about means. In my case, it is basketball. It might also include other people who are interested in basketball, in rotoscoping, or stop-motion!

4. Key Message—what do you want your audience to learn from your work?

I hope the audience will get the feeling I am setting across, that with the excessive amount of information and stuff that is out there in the world, there is still something you can be purely passionate about, which can have a positive effect on your life.

Using materials other than the digital forms and combining them can be incredibly interesting, and incorporate a fresh approach. I wanted to sketch the separate elements and designs to add a more personal touch and include more of ‘me’ in the video.

5. Content Planning—what content you will include and how will it will be structured?

The footage will be filmed with a video camera and then exported into single frame sequences to be edited and then included using stop-motion and rotoscoping. The images of myself will be more detailed than the backgrounds. The separate backgrounds will be drawn with minimal elements to strengthen the additional design and drawn colorful elements that will be included.

As  the video proceeds, various  intricate designs and patterns begin to pop up and flash in the frame, and they get more intense as I go along. These include other things that I am passionate about as well, that make up my world. They build up, as my adrenaline builds, with my love for basketball, basically reinforcing the main message. Colorful designs that fill my world, portraying the limitless incredible feelings.

The video will begin with reference to the ball bouncing, and a voice over narration of my script. I also used a track for the video that reinforces the feeling and idea that I hope to portray.

6. Bibliography—relevant sources used in work

The only source used in the video that is not my own is the track by Justice vs Simian, called ‘We Are your Friends’.

7. Visual/Conceptual References—images and ideas that inspire your concept

I was inspired by many videos and ideas, some of which are included in the Project 3 Process category.

Rough-cut

First cut of my video – still to be edited and fine tuned!!

Script

The first time I picked up a basketball I fell in love with the game.

For the competitiveness and intensity it brings.

For the excitement of getting a new pair of basketball shoes that I can’t wait to rock on the court.

For the constant desire to keep getting better.

There is nothing like making the game winning shot, or a perfect backdoor pass, or running a smooth give and go.

To me, basketball is pure joy.

Project 3 Storyboard

Basketball encompasses such a huge part in my life. It is the lessons I’ve learned and experiences I’ve had through basketball that were a great contribution in leading me to where I am and who I am today. I love the game. It is a very important part of me. So I feel it would be appropriate and extremely reflective to create a narration based on my love for basketball, and my very first experience going back to my earlier days, with playing basketball, and buying my first ball. My first time, and how it all began.

I will reflect on the experience of buying my first ball, a subjective look on how it felt, my excitement, and the process of getting it. Along with that, I will incorporate some of my other favorite things, that are shown in this blog, into the video animation, in order to complete my story, and give a more precise view of what kind of person I am. My creative interests and my favorite things, and why they mean so much to me.

The first frame begins with a stop-motion animation of the title of the film, “My First Time’ that will be hand drawn. I will use myself as the model in the video, because who better to represent me than me. I enter the frame walking, and on my way to buy my first basketball. I walk through the city until I find the nike store and enter it. I come out with my very first basketball, and this is a very special moment for me – throughout the whole video, I want to portray an elated feeling, endorphins released, full of color, contrast, and spark, portraying happiness and energy.

I will use rotoscoping to portray my video and hopefully achieve the feeling I want, and send my message clearly. I will be walking through the city with my new basketball, then slowly start running. Meanwhile, there will be flashes, connections and interpretations of other things or objects that may represent me.

I will experiment with many different techniques using photoshop, as well as hand drawing and illustrating these frames. Mainly I hope to achieve an illustrative look and feel, that is a mixture of digitized and freehand, that will show me in all my forms and colors, and communicate a special message about my chosen object. I anticipate that this will be extremely time consuming, however, I believe that this is the best way I could portray this video, and hope to create a piece that will best represent this sentimental feeling.

Extreme detail will be used in this video, and each frame that passes will have something to say, or portray something different about meaningful objects to me, included in my blog. As the frames progress, I start to pick up my pace and get excited with my new basketball. I will start dribbling the ball and running. Then I will come across a basketball court and shoot around, flaunt my ball and use it for the first time.

I will experiment with different editing techniques, transitions and effects in this video. I will voice narrate certain points in the video, and have a soundtrack playing as well.

I’m going to shoot the footage downtown tomorrow morning, im so excited!

looking for some inspiration

I have a few ideas for my third project, but need to choose and develop one. I like the animation in this video, and want to have a similar feel to mine, but with more detail. I love the mixture of photographic stop-motion with illustration.

Hopefully with all this inspiration I can get a great story out of a few of my favorite objects. Right now it’s between a story about my first basketball, and following a day in doing the things I love, influenced by the book eat,pray,love which will incorporate my favorite things.

I think this video is great. I love the idea of using the bed as a canvas on which everything happens, where the surroundings are mostly still in relation to the bed. The stop-motion brings something very personal, maybe it’s the feeling that the viewer is included in every step in the woman’s daily life. It feels like a daily diary entry being animated, and that is the effect or feeling I hope to bring in my video – project 3.

The soundtrack corresponds well with the video, in reflecting the story being told, as the stop-motion is pretty abstract allowing the viewer to use their imagination in relating the two aspects. The frame transitions are relevant to the nature of the video, as it progressing and accelerates with time in terms of content and speed.

The use of different elements in the video that move through the canvas create a more interesting picture in addition to the woman’s activity. I like the interaction between the woman and the different elements, that creates a more real situation, like the violin, her struggle with the scarf, and the motion of the bed sheets from underneath her. Stop-motion creates a very interesting effect in relation to the passage of time.

Freehand: The Development of Typography

This is the final version of my countdown!

The challenge is to conceptualize and execute a 10-second (not including titling and credits) visual countdown sequence based on SMPTE Leader. I aim to portray the development of typography in conjunction with using the visual arts media that will push forward creativity through this piece.

The intended audience is anyone who is aware of the traditional SMPTE Leader and understands it in context. Those who are aware of the art world and the role of typography in our lives. I focused on individuality, and hope to achieve a degree of interest and curiosity as a result of the video, through the immersion of visual arts media with design elements.

The footage was included as it was recorded. It was slightly edited to increase effectiveness and sped up. I produced everything from scratch with a blank piece of paper and a camera to record the process. Paint, ink, and pen were used in a variety of ways to design the numbers from 10 to 2 in their corresponding typefaces. I maintained a handmade quality to the work, which creates a personal character to the video, and highlights the process.

The process is also very interesting. The development and progress of typography is an important aspect of the video, which I want to show does not always require digitizing and the computer. The countdown shows that it can sometimes be more interesting to manipulate typography freehand.

From Me 2 U

This is the final version of our video From Me 2 U!

The challenge is to combine sound and still images to create a one minute video based on the noun ‘language’ and the verbs ‘mix’ and ‘exchange’.

The intended audience is anyone who is interested in stop motion and time-based communication design. The video was aimed to challenge the viewer’s perception and creativity in telling a story.

From Me to You portrays a story that communicates natural and technological aspects of mixing language, which also includes the exchange of information. Illustration was used in order to best depict the feel of the story, using images to reinforce the sound being heard. Photographic representation of a paper plane is always present to carry the viewer away to the different stories being told and sounds being heard. Stop motion is created by different images of a girl reacting to the sounds being heard and getting lost in the story.

The video was created with a somewhat abstract intention, thus a detailed storyboard was avoided to allow the viewer to create their own picture. It begins with a typewriter to set the theme of telling a story, of which many emerge, as an exchange of language in all forms of communication, whether it is in form of a dialogue, birds chirping, or children playing.

Inspiration

bliss. from 4khz on Vimeo.

What I love about this video is it’s personal touch, it seems unedited, uncut. From the filming to the sound, it allows the viewer to feel as if we were there at the scene, and could therefore relate to the video.

The footage allows us to focus on minute details and look for them within the scenes. Starting with tiny white particles in the clear blue sky, and moving down to the landscape.

The filming style as well as the soundtrack focuses on serenity and bliss, something that can be deeply felt and related to. The trees in the frame are blurred, which I feel complements the soundtrack and adds to the mood of the video.

I am inspired by the overall concept of ‘bliss’ and feel like it pertains to the memory, a good memory, a peaceful moment. It could tell a story.

The vintage feel of this video, from the first frame, with the tape-like features brings a familiar aspect and more personal touch. I love the way the images are shown as documentation, and something happens everyday during the week. It resembles the way a person may present diary entries, which again referes back to a very personal place.

The hues and washed tones add to the vintage feel of the images, and creates a story being told by somone. It feels like a person is sharing what they love and what they do through documentation. I like the different transitions and effects being used, and look forward to experiment with them. The soundtrack is not bad, but I think I would have played something different, and will definitely look into that a little further and take from this inspiration.

I love the contrast that is created whether its done in the use of color, shadows, or size and hierarchy, shape and composition. It is very interesting that throughout the whole video, only one aspect and object is being shown, but we somehow do not get bored of the leaf, since it is being portrayed in a limitless number of ways to depict the beautiful transition from fall to winter.

The Typewriter

The frames and transitions in this video are very interesting and related to the content and purpose, which is also assisted by the use of soundtrack. I love the contrast that is created within and between the frames, between the bright colors and faded tones, rough texture and smooth surfaces, and sharp or blurry focus.

The composition of the frames is engaging also, as there is a balance created by the crop and scale of the images and content within it, creating a hierarchy and interesting shapes. The video engages the viewer as it begins slowly and intensely starts to build up in speed, frame rate, contrast and sound leading to the end of the film, to slow down again in the final frames.