1. What are some of the prevailing themes in Wall-E? List at least 3 and choose one to explain in greater depth. Explain your answer.
2. How does the movie explore the theme? Give examples.
3. Wall-E uses references to 20th and early 21st century media, design, and society. Give examples. Why do you think these have been included in the film?
4. Choose from the following: sound design, character design, cinematography, editing, script, architecture, lighting, character animation, or music. How was the particular element used to convey emotion, describe context, move the plot etc…Describe an instance in which your chosen element is used effectively.
5. The movie uses repeated motifs (for example the cockroach getting run over). Describe one and explain why you think it is repeated.
6. The robots take on human characteristics and the humans have taken on robotic characteristics. What does this serve?
7. Overall, would you describe this film as a “good” film? Why? Why not? What would you change?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Found
This animation fuses Dadaist collage, surrealism, cinematic miniatures and web banner aesthetics.
This piece is both a mixed-media sculpture and an animation. You may use a wide variety of media in your diorama including paint, drawing, found objects, photography, collage and any other media or technique you decide will suit the project. The found photograph must be integrated somewhere in the piece. You will be making a looped, animated dream sequence with a combination of assemblage, stop-motion, hand drawn animation, Flash, and Photoshop.
Steps:
1.Find an interesting neglected object or photograph. You might find this on the street, in your basement More than one person may use the same photo. Alternatively you may choose to use a combination of a photo of a person you know and the aged/weathered appearance of the found photo (this is a more advanced Photoshop technique).
2.Apply a character to your found object and create a dream sequence for him or her, it or them. Create a written outline of the dream including the imagery and how it will be used to communicate a narrative without using (spoken) words.
3.Develop a series of thumbnail sketches for each of the following: background, middle ground, foreground, characters and other elements. Make notations about materials, colours, dimensions and construction techniques. Consider that the elements will need to be able to be moved for animation purposes and plan accordingly.
4.Create a storyboard with all of the details of your animation. Use arrows to indicate movement.
5.Build the elements of your animation being sure that the elements that will move in the animation can be repositioned easily.
6.Photograph each element separately using a camera, tripod and a stand. Upload the images to a computer. Make a back-up of the files on a removable USB stick or hard drive. You may choose to carry out the entire animation in a stop-motion technique.
7.Open each element in Photoshop and mask out the unwanted background. Save the original files as PSDs and save a copy of each in PNG format (with transparency). Name each file appropriately.
8.Open Flash and create a new file with the dimensions 1024x 768 and a framerate of 24fps. Import each PNG to the stage in Flash. Arrange each element in it’s own layer. Name the layers accordingly. Save regularly.
9.Create an animation with a minimum of 72 frames to a maximum of 720 frames. You can use tweening and frame-by-frame animation techniques.
10.Publish your finished animation as a SWF with the quality set to high. Name the finished file with your name_animation_final. Copy the file on to a removable drive and submit the file to me.
This piece is both a mixed-media sculpture and an animation. You may use a wide variety of media in your diorama including paint, drawing, found objects, photography, collage and any other media or technique you decide will suit the project. The found photograph must be integrated somewhere in the piece. You will be making a looped, animated dream sequence with a combination of assemblage, stop-motion, hand drawn animation, Flash, and Photoshop.
Steps:
1.Find an interesting neglected object or photograph. You might find this on the street, in your basement More than one person may use the same photo. Alternatively you may choose to use a combination of a photo of a person you know and the aged/weathered appearance of the found photo (this is a more advanced Photoshop technique).
2.Apply a character to your found object and create a dream sequence for him or her, it or them. Create a written outline of the dream including the imagery and how it will be used to communicate a narrative without using (spoken) words.
3.Develop a series of thumbnail sketches for each of the following: background, middle ground, foreground, characters and other elements. Make notations about materials, colours, dimensions and construction techniques. Consider that the elements will need to be able to be moved for animation purposes and plan accordingly.
4.Create a storyboard with all of the details of your animation. Use arrows to indicate movement.
5.Build the elements of your animation being sure that the elements that will move in the animation can be repositioned easily.
6.Photograph each element separately using a camera, tripod and a stand. Upload the images to a computer. Make a back-up of the files on a removable USB stick or hard drive. You may choose to carry out the entire animation in a stop-motion technique.
7.Open each element in Photoshop and mask out the unwanted background. Save the original files as PSDs and save a copy of each in PNG format (with transparency). Name each file appropriately.
8.Open Flash and create a new file with the dimensions 1024x 768 and a framerate of 24fps. Import each PNG to the stage in Flash. Arrange each element in it’s own layer. Name the layers accordingly. Save regularly.
9.Create an animation with a minimum of 72 frames to a maximum of 720 frames. You can use tweening and frame-by-frame animation techniques.
10.Publish your finished animation as a SWF with the quality set to high. Name the finished file with your name_animation_final. Copy the file on to a removable drive and submit the file to me.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Brand
PHASE 1 (Due Thursday November 6th
You will be creating your own brand for your own company.
1. Decide on what type of company you will be (anything related to communications technology - even remotely - will suffice)
2. Brainstorm a name for your company. This could include your own name.
3. Create a list of characteristics that describe your company: personality, aesthetic, market, philosophy, etc...
4. Develop a group of possible strategies to represent your brand. This could include logo, copy text, business card and other collateral as well as more innovative and brand-specific strategies: virals, interventions, music, etc...At least one element should be visual.
5. Begin to develop your logo (logo system, visual conventions).
6. Create at least 3 good candidates for your logo and determine which is best.
7. Research at least 2 companies that are in a similar business to your own and deconstruct their brand: write a precise breakdown of the elements and strategies utilized by your chosen companies. How do they achieve their brand? This should consist of 250 words per company.
8. As you complete a phase, form your own blog that is linked to the wcicommtech blog and begin to construct your project there.
9. Read and provide quality commentary to at least 2 classmates blogs.
PHASE 2
Create an advertisement, collateral, or other visible instance of your brand for use in at least two of the following contexts:
Web
Print
Video
Clothing
Objects
Viral
Storefront
Other
Your brand examples should include rationale as to why you have chosen such a strategy, how it will work, who it will appeal to, and how it reinforces your overall brand.
All work should be exclusively your intellectual property (no unlicensed images please)
You will be creating your own brand for your own company.
1. Decide on what type of company you will be (anything related to communications technology - even remotely - will suffice)
2. Brainstorm a name for your company. This could include your own name.
3. Create a list of characteristics that describe your company: personality, aesthetic, market, philosophy, etc...
4. Develop a group of possible strategies to represent your brand. This could include logo, copy text, business card and other collateral as well as more innovative and brand-specific strategies: virals, interventions, music, etc...At least one element should be visual.
5. Begin to develop your logo (logo system, visual conventions).
6. Create at least 3 good candidates for your logo and determine which is best.
7. Research at least 2 companies that are in a similar business to your own and deconstruct their brand: write a precise breakdown of the elements and strategies utilized by your chosen companies. How do they achieve their brand? This should consist of 250 words per company.
8. As you complete a phase, form your own blog that is linked to the wcicommtech blog and begin to construct your project there.
9. Read and provide quality commentary to at least 2 classmates blogs.
PHASE 2
Create an advertisement, collateral, or other visible instance of your brand for use in at least two of the following contexts:
Web
Video
Clothing
Objects
Viral
Storefront
Other
Your brand examples should include rationale as to why you have chosen such a strategy, how it will work, who it will appeal to, and how it reinforces your overall brand.
All work should be exclusively your intellectual property (no unlicensed images please)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Brainface Product Design
You will be creating a custom Brainface product to be included in a catalogue.
The product will be based on an actual object that you photograph and modify in Photoshop.
1.Bring in an object that you feel would work as a Brainface item.
2.Photograph the object against a plain white background. Be sure to use manual settings on the camera.
3.Do a rough pencil sketch of how you want the product to look. Include the Brainface logo somewhere on the product.
4.Bring the photo into Photoshop and clean up the background.
5.Modify colours, add the logo and other custom elements in Photoshop. Be sure to make the finished product look photorealistic.
6.Save the finished. File and copy it into your hand in folder.
7.Post a compressed version on the blog along with a short descriptive statement.
The product will be based on an actual object that you photograph and modify in Photoshop.
1.Bring in an object that you feel would work as a Brainface item.
2.Photograph the object against a plain white background. Be sure to use manual settings on the camera.
3.Do a rough pencil sketch of how you want the product to look. Include the Brainface logo somewhere on the product.
4.Bring the photo into Photoshop and clean up the background.
5.Modify colours, add the logo and other custom elements in Photoshop. Be sure to make the finished product look photorealistic.
6.Save the finished. File and copy it into your hand in folder.
7.Post a compressed version on the blog along with a short descriptive statement.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Logo
Create a logo for Brainface. Do several thumbnail sketches and determine the best option. Transfer the design to the computer and execute the logo using Corel Draw. Create at least 4 final variations for comparison and choose the best logo to present.
Due at the end of next class.
Due at the end of next class.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Elements and Principles
From the list below, choose one of the elements or principles and become an expert on it. Develop a 100-200 word explanation of your chosen element or principle and include an example image to support your work. Include links to any research sources you have used. Post your finished work on the blog.
Elements
LINE
SHAPE
TEXTURE
COLOUR
VALUE
FORM
Principles
BALANCE
EMPHASIS
MOVEMENT
HARMONY
CONTRAST
RHYTHM
Elements
LINE
SHAPE
TEXTURE
COLOUR
VALUE
FORM
Principles
BALANCE
EMPHASIS
MOVEMENT
HARMONY
CONTRAST
RHYTHM
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Field Assignments
Carry out one of the following every two weeks. Check this list often as it will continue to expand over the year. Due Friday or Monday of each week (as announced).
1.Ransom Letter
2.Found Typography: create a word or sentence using photographs of letters.
3.Record an environment: make an audio recording that describes a particular place.
4.Create a working button in the real world
5.Drawing with a camera - Create a light drawing
6.Create an instructional illustration for something very simple
7.Slapstick – create an image or short video that utilizes slapstick
8.Miniatures
9.Create a poster for a specific location.
10.Use an old piece of technology.
11.Storyboard a daily event.
12.Create a drawing using only type.
13.Create a music mix (clean) for the class.
14.Make a simple household object appear scary.
15.Review a commercial.
16.Create a special effect.
17.Devise a beat and record it.
18.Try something open source.
19.Organize a thematic screening.
20.Make an absurd podcast.
21.Communicate with objects not normally used for communication.
22.Animate your dinner table.
23.Publicly critique the design/art abilities of a tagger.
24.Record a rant.
25.Find a hideous piece of graphic design and document it. Defend your choice.
26.Find an amazing piece of graphic design and document it.Defend your choice.
27.Rebuild/recreate a scene from a movie.(can be done in pairs)
28.Transplant the soundtrack from one show/movie to another.
29.Make a tribute to someone in this class.
30.Make a regular object look fat.
31.Make a drawing of a sport event.
32.Learn how to fly (and document it)
33.Adbust something.
34.Make a kung-fu movie.
35.Change something grotesque into something beautiful.
36.Make a camouglage poster.
37.Carry out the instructions of Erwin Wurm.
38.Carry out a project on learningtoloveyoumore.com
1.Ransom Letter
2.Found Typography: create a word or sentence using photographs of letters.
3.Record an environment: make an audio recording that describes a particular place.
4.Create a working button in the real world
5.Drawing with a camera - Create a light drawing
6.Create an instructional illustration for something very simple
7.Slapstick – create an image or short video that utilizes slapstick
8.Miniatures
9.Create a poster for a specific location.
10.Use an old piece of technology.
11.Storyboard a daily event.
12.Create a drawing using only type.
13.Create a music mix (clean) for the class.
14.Make a simple household object appear scary.
15.Review a commercial.
16.Create a special effect.
17.Devise a beat and record it.
18.Try something open source.
19.Organize a thematic screening.
20.Make an absurd podcast.
21.Communicate with objects not normally used for communication.
22.Animate your dinner table.
23.Publicly critique the design/art abilities of a tagger.
24.Record a rant.
25.Find a hideous piece of graphic design and document it. Defend your choice.
26.Find an amazing piece of graphic design and document it.Defend your choice.
27.Rebuild/recreate a scene from a movie.(can be done in pairs)
28.Transplant the soundtrack from one show/movie to another.
29.Make a tribute to someone in this class.
30.Make a regular object look fat.
31.Make a drawing of a sport event.
32.Learn how to fly (and document it)
33.Adbust something.
34.Make a kung-fu movie.
35.Change something grotesque into something beautiful.
36.Make a camouglage poster.
37.Carry out the instructions of Erwin Wurm.
38.Carry out a project on learningtoloveyoumore.com
Name Assignment
Your task is to make your name memorable using any means necessary. Using any medium, or method, you will embed your name in the minds of classmates and teacher. You might choose to create something graphic, something narrative, object-based, associative, etc...
Due next class.
Due next class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)