VCD 302: Design Process

So my design process begins very messy at first; it is just the way I work. I strongly stick to the ‘Double-Diamond-Design-Discipline’ (alliteration is beautiful).

As well structured as it looks up there, it mostly involves just throwing every idea technique (or in this case, having never used After Effects before, lack thereof) at the wall and seeing what sticks. I tend to learn better myself making lots of mistakes and more than likely, making something that looks like dookie (a PG rated word for excrement) and picking the bits that work out from that, rather than following a structured tutorial.

In the book “Graphic Design: The New Basics” by Lupton and Phillips in 2008, line and shape in still images still convey motion, and so adopting these principles in design, particularly for motion design where the shapes and lines accentuate the motion on screen. In particular referencing how changes on a 2d plane can mimic the changes on a 3d plane.

Another one of the key principles of animation is ‘Disney’s 12’; most of which isn’t relevant to the type of motion design I am doing for this first assignment, but I am planning to explore more character focused animation in the following assignment! The most important aspect’s I will be taking from Disney’s 12 Principles, is pose to pose animation (mostly for efficiency of what I am exploring), Squashing, and Slow in and Slow out.

Rhythmus 21 by Hans Richter (screen shot below) and The Innovation of Loneliness (screen shot below that) are two strong examples of animation that doesn’t attempt to mimic organic forms, but rather geometric forms and express a motion through these forms.

My Project

So as stated in my previous blog post, I particularly wanted to explore the title work of the film “Enter The Void” by Gaspar Noe in 2009, in particular capturing the almost staccato high energy sense of change and motion created particularly towards the end of his shot. But to get there I wanted to start with a more traditional smooth motion and transition to the psychedelic kaleidoscope of type the sequence becomes.

And so this is the starting frame of my composition, each dot has been animated to get bigger and smaller as they travel, and pulse soft and rhythmically with the sun behind. The aspect ratio is really wonky because it was originally made to be on a phone, but evidence of the squishing motion and the slow in, slow out principles was first implemented in the comet.

Which breaks the composition into the first break away from the slower more rhythmic forms, a spinning wheel of bright neon colours (using the classic Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow, because I’m a hack when it comes to representing the theme of breaking).

More of that wonky aspect ratio.

But overall my design process has been fun and interesting, I’m looking at exploring every option After Effects gives me, including playing with 3d objects, lighting, and camera angles, and am truly hoping to have a representation of an evolving and accelerating sense of motion.

References

Lupton, E, & Phillips, JC 2008, Graphic Design: The New Basics, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.

Leborg, C 2006, Visual Grammar, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.

Cohen, S, 2013, The Innovation of Loneliness, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Available from: Vimeo

Richter, H, 1921, Rhythmus 21, Animation, Ink and Film, Available from: Youtube

Noe, G, 2009, Enter The Void: Title Sequence, Film, available from: Youtube