For A Dreamlike Depiction of Earth’s Descent, one of my goals is to be open-minded and not reject different methods or styles simply for the sake of sticking with an original idea. This is why I will be conducting research on a variety of different formats that could be used for the final product. Since I have already completed my pitch, I already have a pretty good idea of what I would like to do, but this is the space where I can explore other ways and see if I might want to swap something around or add a new potential product to the list.
Referring back to the client and the research I did on their projects, it is clear that they have a solid array of styles that have been categorised on their website. I found out that Passion Pictures have also done documentaries, educational series and short films other than their main source of development, animation. I’ve created a more summarised glance of their work here:
Main Formats
Animations, commercials, music videos, short films, documentaries, factual series, trailers
Main Mediums
2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion, film
Instantly, I can tell that I won’t be researching things like zines, posters or other published media because they aren’t relevant to Passion’s central sources of work. Despite this fact, following my intentions of being flexible, I will be adding a few of my own formats to explore, even if I haven’t seen them in the company’s collection. I want this project to be reflective of the messages I find important, in other terms, reflective of me, so it may differ from what Passion Pitcures usually release. I will try my best to ensure most of what I’m researching is a form of visual media that can fit into their library of video work, however, I already know that one of them falls outside of this, which I will explain further in that section.
Music Video / Lyric Video
☆♬○♩●♪✧♩ What is it? ♩✧♪●♩○♬☆
Music videos are short promotional films made to accompany a song or other piece of music with integrated visuals and, often, imagery related to the song itself or feelings behind the music. Some artists choose a more thematic approach or simply choose to shoot the performance of the song without any concept. Although they have musical artistic purposes, music videos are primarily made to promote the sale of music recordings or even tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song, e.g. merchandising for toys, food or other products. They can also be described as “illustrated songs”, “promotional (promo) films or videos”, “song videos”, “song clips” or simply “MV”, which is a term used a lot within Kpop. Since their emergence, which was dated back to the appearance of musical short films, music videos have developed through a range of styles that evolve with the ebb and flow of musical and online trends, significant events throughout history, genre resurgences and so much more. Today, you’ll often see vide0-making techniques such as animation, live-action, documentary, non-narrative approaches like abstract film and even a mix of styles (e.g. animation and live-action). The audience demand for variety and the desire to stand out creatively has made combinations like these very popular.
☆♬○♩●♪✧♩ How could I apply it? ♩✧♪●♩○♬☆
I’m considering this format for my project because I like the idea of spreading my environmental message through music. This is by no means a foreign concept and has been done many times before, so I was inspired to take an existing song about the environment and create some sort of visuals to accompany it. After watching the MV for Natural by Imagine Dragons, I felt that a lyric video was a viable option, especially if it followed a similar style that could be done in After Effects. Not only would that give me variety in the final products, but also with the type of animation, the style and program used to create it. Music can be very powerful, and more memorable than other formats at times, but I would need to leave enough time to plan out, design and create the assets as well as animate them. It could be an entire final product on its own, and since I’m certainly doing animation, there may not be enough time. I would also need to think about copyright issues – I wouldn’t be able to market it, or at least, not in the same way, and I could run into obstacles when trying to post the video on social media. This is why, for now, I think this is just an option for spare time.
☆♬○♩●♪✧♩ Example ♩✧♪●♩○♬☆
I’ve chosen a lyric video that shows what kind of product I am envisioning. The style of the text, editing and imagery is all referenced from the official music video of this song, which I personally don’t associate with the song since it depicts Ava Max, the singer, racing against other drivers in muscle cars. It doesn’t have anything to do with the song, whereas with the lyric video, the effect is far more subtle and wild, with themes of freedom and running away popping up in my head and the same confusion and torn feeling from the lyrics coming through in the movement and opacity changes of the text. It would take a while to decide on the look and feel of such a product if I was to do it, but the example I’ve chosen shows that it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. I could have the text, some relevant footage in the background (most of which would repeat with the chorus) and matching effects to make it more cohesive and appealing.
Short Film
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ What is it? ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
Any film that does not run long enough to be considered a feature film is referred to as a short film. However, no consensus exists as to where the boundary is actually drawn. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a short film is “an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits”. Terms like ‘short subjects’ and ‘featurettes’ basically fall under the same category. Because they are generally used to secure funding for future projects from private investors, a production company, or film studios, they tend to be made by independent filmmakers with either a low budget or no budget at all. These little movies can be about anything and are also commonly used for industry experience and as a platform to showcase talent and can therefore be seen being screened often at local, national, or international film festivals. Sometimes short films are included as bonus features on home video releases or even shown at the cinema, released with a feature film. Nowadays, you can find a lot of creative short media on YouTube and even TikTok, with more platforms rising to the video snippet trend that has hooked the internet at the moment.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ How could I apply it? ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
When I was first thinking of the main idea for this project, I had a lot of thoughts pop into my mind about deep questions and themes about life, death and the Earth. For animation, the main focus is the artwork and even if I add text, which I’m planning on doing, the fact remains that the style and the visual aspect is the primary purpose. So how could I showcase all of the complex subjects that are more effectively discussed rather than interpreted from moving images? This is when I had the idea of mixing an audio discussion with footage. There are some options on how this could be done, for example, a simple conversation with ideas to prompt the viewer’s thought and knowledge on the topic, a voice-over with some of my opinions and questions, or the option I am most excited about – poetry. One of the formats I am researching in this post is a clear example of this, however, the base still remains as footage, and I associate that with a short film. Some ideas I have about the footage are shots of nature or a subject walking through a forest and perhaps even some animation on top. I think this would be really interesting and fun to do, especially since I haven’t created such a final product before. Once again though, I am set on animation and as I mentioned in my pitch, that would be the main focus. So this is if everything goes according to plan and I have the time to add something to the final rota.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Example ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
When I found this video on YouTube, I couldn’t believe that such an amazing piece of media could be free to watch. It has no dialogue or narration at all, but the compilation of clips is far more powerful and carries across the message really effectively. The transition from the untouched-by-man environments and animals to shots of polluted spaces and factories spewing smoke into the air clearly expresses the artist’s concern for the Earth’s future and tells the story of how our short time on this planet has already had so much negative impact. The music is solemn and cinematic, the pace is perfect for each shot to settle and carry across its meaning and there is a nice variety in what we see on screen in terms of colours, textures, angles and more. It’s a brilliant example of how film can be used to explore important themes and also matches my project very well.
Animation
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 What is it? 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
Now we’ve come to the format that I am certain to include in my project and which I touched on in my project proposal and brief. Animation is the brilliant medium that allows storytellers to tell their tales in unique and interesting ways. By using the stimulation of movement using a series of pictures, magic and visceral fantastical worlds are brought to life and ignite the imagination. There are also different methods of animating, which are listed here with the official definition:
* The following is copied from the internet and I have included it as an official reference. Please note the dividers *
»»——⍟——««
Animation is a method of photographing successive drawings, models, or even puppets, to create an illusion of movement in a sequence. Because our eyes can only retain an image for approx. 1/10 of a second, when multiple images appear in fast succession, the brain blends them into a single moving image. In traditional animation, pictures are drawn or painted on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed. Early cartoons are examples of this, but today, most animated movies are made with computer-generated imagery or CGI.
To create the appearance of smooth motion from these drawn, painted, or computer-generated images, frame rate, or the number of consecutive images that are displayed each second, is considered. Moving characters are usually shot “on twos” which just means one image is shown for two frames, totalling in at 12 drawings per second. 12 frames per second allows for motion but may look choppy. In the film, a frame rate of 24 frames per second is often used for smooth motion.
Different Types of Animation:
Traditional Animation
2D Animation (Vector-based)
3D Animation
Motion Graphics
Stop Motion
»»——⍟——««
Animation is a very popular medium, especially in children’s films & TV where the exaggerated visual style helps retain their attention and makes the film more enjoyable for them. Recently, I’ve noticed a rise in animated adult series as well, however, which is great to see since there is a stereotype that animation is only for children. This is definitely incorrect since, in addition to short films, feature films, television series, animated GIFs, and other media dedicated to the display of moving images, the animation is also prevalent in video games, user interfaces, and visual effects. The movement of physical parts through simple mechanics can also be considered animation, such as moving images in magic lantern shows. It is such a versatile, powerful medium and I’m proud to be aspiring to a career in this part of the industry.
Traditional
Sometimes referred to as cel animation and one of the oldest forms of animation in film, the traditional style involves drawing objects on celluloid transparent paper. Similarly to a flipbook, every frame must be drawn in order to create the sequence. In earlier years, this would be done on a lightbox or other version of a table with a light inside of it, so the animator could see the previous frames, but nowadays this is primarily done on a tablet in various programs with frame-by-frame capabilities. This type of animation is used often in 2D films such as The Lion King though not all 2D is traditional.
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 Example 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
2D (Vector)
Technically, this category can also fall under traditional animation, since early Disney films like Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast are both 2D and hand-drawn. However, vector-based animation can exist outside of this label since it is 2D but not traditional. It isn’t controlled by pixels but by vectors instead, which are characterized by pathways with various start and endpoints, as well as the lines connecting these points to build the graphic. Shapes can be created to form a character or other image and mathematical values are used to resize them, creating that smooth motion that vector animation is known for.
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 Example 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
3D
Today, 3D or computer animation is the most common type, but just because actual drawings are replaced by computers doesn’t necessarily make it easier. It can be a long intense process since animators have to use programs to move the body parts of a character around and set their digital frames when all of the parts of the character are in the right position. Again, this is done for each frame, and the computer calculates the motion in between. You still have to have patience and skill and be extremely proficient in understanding action and movement in order to tweak the curvatures accurately. Since 1995’s Toy Story, this medium has gained a lot of traction.
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 Example 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
Motion Graphics
Motion graphics, also known as motion design, refer to pieces of animation, digital footage and graphics that create the illusion of motion in order to communicate something to the viewer. They can be combined with sound, which is often seen in multimedia projects but is primarily used in business, usually with a focus on the text. Motion graphics can also be seen in title sequences and adverts and are associated with vector-based animation which creates the misconception that they have a similar style. In reality, motion graphics can be 2D or even 3D.
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 Example 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
Stop Motion
Once again, the basic principles of the traditional style are shared with this type of animation. However, instead of drawings, stop motion adjusts physical objects in each frame. It is a filmmaking technique that involves manipulating objects in small increments, capturing individually photographed frames one at a time until the illusion of motion is produced. Stop motion encompasses claymation, pixelation, object-motion, cutout animation, and more, but whether it’s clay or puppets or even lego, the manual adjustments can make it a long, arduous process. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a good example of the technique in film.
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 Example 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 How could I apply it? 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
As can be seen above, this medium has a lot of different types and is prevalent in a lot of the media of today’s day and age. I think that in order to capture the magic and chaos within surrealism, the format needs to be equally as wonderous and versatile, and 2D animation can achieve this. I have experience with vector-based and I want to try and improve in my desired medium, and as for 3D and stop motion, they seem fun but I don’t have enough experience there, which causes concerns for the quality of the final product. For my final major project, I want to come away with work that I can be proud of and use as my stepping stone to university and my dream career, and for that, I really need to focus on improving within the 2D realm. I want to create different scenes and characters, all fantastical and/or surreal in order to transmit my message about how we’re taking our planet for granted. I plan to have minimal animation with some of the settings so that I can finish everything that I want in time.
Video Poetry
｡o°✥✤✣ What is it? ✣✤✥°o｡
This is a recently discovered format on my part and I came across one when looking for examples of the short film + conversation combination that I mentioned earlier on. On YouTube, they are mostly referred to as visual poems, but this can cause some confusion as written poetry that is structured to represent an image is of the same name. But essentially, it is poetry in video form and can therefore be referenced by the terms video poetry, video-visual poetry, positronic, poetry video, media poetry, or Cin(E)-Poetry with some variation depending on the length, content and techniques employed. The category is quite wide since there are a lot of approaches to creating a video poem. For example, digital poetry is an example of such videos that use digital elaboration and are entirely generated by software. However, when absent of such effects, video poetry is akin to performance works or a poetry reading recorded in video (digital or analogue). From the numerous examples that I have seen myself, I can say that they stereotypically have images, text and narration. The voice of the poem and the music/audio is extremely important as it is a core part of the experience in communicating the mood, but of course, the footage also plays a major part in delivering the poem.
｡o°✥✤✣ How could I apply it? ✣✤✥°o｡
I love the relationship between visuals and text and a video poem is a perfect way to explore more formats as I specified in my pitch. Because environmentalism is such an intricate and deep theme, there is a lot that can be said – and because surrealism is such a visionary and fantastical style, there is a lot of experimentation in the ways that it can be said. The marriage of these two aspects creates an exciting opportunity within my project to explore other ways of transmitting ideas to the audience which is why I am thinking of using footage and having myself talking on top. So why not make it a poem? Why not dabble in a more artistic manner of communicating the thoughts and ideas that I wanted to employ in a short film. Both are viable options but this one is even more interesting with the added layer of complexity. I could draw inspiration from existing environmental poetry and use my own experience and passion to write one myself, perhaps even throw in a few of the questions that I had planned to ask in a conversational manner with the audience (again, in a short film). Of course, the forest shots and possible application of scribble animation remain and can be added here as well.
｡o°✥✤✣ Example ✣✤✥°o｡
An absolutely beautiful example of the sort of thing I’d like to create is the video above. There is narration and captions, which I like, and the same old-film effect is used throughout, on top of all of the footage to make it cohesive. There are no abrupt transitions and the pace is natural so that we flow from one shot to another with the rise and fall of her voice. It’s calming and thought-provoking if you truly listen and try to understand her words. I love that the poem has such powerful imagery and what we see often matches what we hear, like the “leaves doused in green”. Precisely these types of shots and this video format style is what I’m envisioning for my project.
3D Models
⭒❃.✮:▹ What is it? ◃:✮.❃⭒
3D models are mathematical representations of three-dimensional things. They are used to portray both conceptual and real-world visuals for a number of aspects within media, such as stimulation, art and entertainment, but also for planning, drafting and design work. TV and motion pictures, scientific and medical imaging, 3D printing, virtual reality, marketing, manufacturing, video games and computer-aided design are among the many industries that benefit from this type of work. For 3D animation, models require a skeleton, the painting of weights and careful construction because the polygon layout can cause issues such as unusual deformations. The typical mesh of a 3D model is a structural base consisting of polygons. However, models can also be constructed with NURBS which are smooth shapes defined by bezier curves, relatively computationally complex.
⭒❃.✮:▹ How could I apply it? ◃:✮.❃⭒
We have been working with a 3D software called Maya this year and I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge into the three-dimensional part of the industry despite not planning on entering it myself. I have found that I enjoy 3D, especially the modelling and sculpting aspect, and more recently, simulations such as those provided by Bifrost as well. I certainly don’t have enough experience to animate in 3D however, since we’ve hardly touched upon that area, and even if I did, I don’t think that it would be right for my project which will most likely involve a lot of bizarre, complicated objects that would take far too long to animate. However, some elements, I feel would look awesome in 3D and would also provide a more engaging line of final products. This is why I am considering creating 3D models of certain parts of my animation for example, perhaps elements I couldn’t fit in, or just those taken directly out of the video. It would be interesting planning out a model with my own idea as a reference, adding colour and maybe even some movement in light of what we did recently with liquid simulation. I do have to think about time and capability though since I am not very technically confident in my skills without a template for example.
⭒❃.✮:▹ Examples ◃:✮.❃⭒
I’ve found a few examples of the models that I really like and that give me ideas for what kind of things I could create. I don’t believe I can reach this level yet with my current level of knowledge however the fantastical and surreal examples show me that this is being explored currently and that there is inspiration to draw from. My favourite pieces of 3D art often have imaginative settings, beautiful textures and colours and the character work has a stunning level of detail. For my products, I would probably focus on surreal scenes and objects such as the first and last pieces, rather than characters but they are still a brilliant source for fantastical and surrealistic ideas. There is a large variety here but I have also found more consistently stylised work through an artist’s website. There are recurring themes of space and bubbles but my attention was drawn to the surreal concepts and the creativity in the compositions.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ > > MBSJQ < < ︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Final Choices
After doing more research on the topics that I was interested in, and also those that I added and recently discovered, I have decided on one primary product, two secondary and one tertiary. They go down in order of importance, with the primary one being my main focus and the product I will be creating as a minimum, and everything else, left as extra if there is time remaining.
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○
Primary:
2D Traditional Animation
Secondary:
Video Poem
3D Models
Tertiary:
Lyric Video
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○
I’ve chosen to do traditional animation for my main product because, as I have explained in my pitch, I think that it is best suited to the topics of my project due to the freedom it grants. Vector-based animation is faster but it can be more restrictive and certain movements aren’t carried across the same way as with the traditional style. In addition to this, I am planning on doing a 2D animation course for my bachelor’s degree and this would help improve my skills and ensure a smoother transition into university. The next two products that I would like to attempt if I have completed the animation, are a video poem and 3D models. I think these would add some variety to the final products that would make my project more appealing and give me a chance to experiment with surrealism with other formats. Finally, I have put the lyric video as my least important one. I don’t think it is realistic to expect to do three extra products, so I have bumped this down and created a third tier which, although unlikely, is for an even more optional product depending on time. Since I don’t think I’ll have the time left for a lyric video as well, I am content with viewing it as a backup in case I am not satisfied with a product of higher importance. I didn’t want to leave it completely off of the list because I wanted to show the ones that I am considering, that are my favourite and that I would love to complete for the dream lineup of final media production.