Bouncing Ball & Class 4

This week we worked on a bouncing ball. This helped us to learn to basics of getting fluid motion with our animations and making them look realistic.

The techniques used to create this short piece can be used when creating a variety of motions in animation. The key is to make everything look realistic. It's not just going from point A to point B. The ball goes from Point A, speeds up to point B, squishes as it hits the ground, then slows down while returning to Point A at regular size. A lot of thought has to go into every movement of the ball -- what makes the ball look realistic?

This is a lesson I hope to bring with me when creating my midterm project -- the city-scape. I want to come up with animations that are realistic to the scene, while providing something interesting to look at for the viewer. As talked about in the previous blog, I also hope to add animation that adds and supports the story. By creating more "realistic" animations, there will be less distraction and focus on the way things are moving (for example) and more focus on the story.

Class 3 Thoughts

Class three was all about the tools, furthering our knowledge of flash, getting used to symbols, and continuing to advance our skills. Every week there's a new challenge, a new way to think of design. Now, the challenge is learning to think in "symbols." It's an essential part of creating a flash project to fully utilize the symbols -- they are there for a reason. In the end, symbols can greatly aid any designer in creating a fantastic flash project. Although, it takes a sharp mind to think and design in a way where they can aid you. For example, symbols are great because you can use them multiple times on the one stage, but any change made to one (of the same symbol) on that stage, and the symbol changes for all of them.

I enjoyed the viewing in class titled Bathtime in Clerkenwell because of the clever use of repeating symbols.

This video shows the incredible potential of the designer when utilizing a simple flash tool such as symbols (and repeating symbols).This intricate flash video was really made with just a handful of symbols -- it's amazing to me. I want to try to remember this when I am creating the more intricate projects for class (such as the midterm and final project). The really creative part of the project may not be in how fancy or detailed the drawing is, but how the symbol is implemented into the piece along with clever animation.

Sometimes it takes seeing how other designers think, before creating your own masterpiece.

Class 2 Thoughts

We viewed a handful of videos in class today. While watching, I continued to think about the city project we are continually working on for our midterm grade. "What made these video clips so successful and great that they would be chosen as 'excellent animated video pieces'...?" is what was running through my head. The video Oktapodi stuck out the most. It wasn't necessarily created in flash, but the design, the animation, wasn't the part that stuck out to me in this video. The "hero," so to speak, was the story-line. I, the viewer, got so engrossed and committed to the storyline, that the animation came secondary. The animation was made beautifully, mainly so it wouldn't be a distraction; the story is what captured the attention of the audience.

This is what is most important when creating any motion graphic or "short story." Let the story be the prime/main focus and the animation come second. BUT, make the animation so good, that it never distracts from the story. This is what makes a great animated piece. I hope to implement this mentality into my story as I create and design my midterm project.

Time Intensity: Class 1

In class this week, we viewed a handful of video clips regarding different art of motion graphics. One of the most frustrating parts of working with graphics (particularly moving graphics in flash) on a computer, is the time intensity. It takes so long to "draw" the piece on the computer and then giving it motion takes a great deal of patience. Watching those video clips in class made me realize how truly easy we have it now. The amount of labor, diligence, and vision it took to make a cartoon in the 50s/60s, for example, is mind-blowing. The biggest motivation for me is to have a clear vision of what the final product will look like; it can be so rewarding to see a motion graphic completed that you/I created. I look forward to that moment.