Collide
Nicole H.D.W. Sinclair
P1
The Brief Collide: Happiness, The Internet and Your Future Self Collide put simply is based around the collision of a variety of aspects and the affects that result. This brief asks me to consider technology, happiness and my future. It is asking of me to not only think of these topics in general terms but also what they mean to me personally as to create a response which reflects not only my practise but my personality also.
Content Design no longer focuses on purely advertising but covers a range of purposes from medication packaging to a children’s bedtime story and user-interface design for social services. However this brief asks us to transcend from the generic and expand our practise and designs further. In essence I need to capture where I feel the future will take me either professionally, personally, in my technological adventure, or even as a species.
Outcome In terms of outcome the only specification is that it be formed as a digital and physical object. However there is no specification on whether these have to be the same in terms of content, though it is expected that they relate in some form. They could perhaps be different in content though work together as a collection, this will all depend on my idea generation and how my project progresses.
Display Once the chosen ideas have begun to take form and develop, we as a group have the task of looking at our portfolio of work resulting from the project which will then be displayed within an exhibition. As part of this brief it is required that we work together to collate and curate the exhibition.
Thoughts I am excited to see how the project turns out due to this combination of physical with the digital.
Contents The Brief................................................. P2 Initial Ideas.................................... P4 - P7 Research....................................... P8 - P14 Idea Generation..........................P14 - P16 Idea Development........................ P7 - P19 Storyboard................................. P20 - P21 Research Cont............................ P22 - P29 Target Audience.................................. P30 Strategy ...............................................P31 Visual Reference ........................ P32 - P35 Experiments............................... P36 - P40 Development.............................. P41 - P43 Final Digital Piece................................ P44 Development.............................. P45 - P46 Final Physical Piece.................... P47 - P48 Outcomes............................................ P49 Review................................................ P50 Bibliography........................................P51
Initial Ideas Happiness •
Outdoors - Exploring nature, fresh air
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Love - Joy
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Laughter
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Fantasy
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Simplistic Iconography/Illustration - Easy to understand
The Internet & Technology •
Overwhelmed by information
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Bombarded by advertisement
• Absorbed by virtual reality - A space you can programme or design for yourself which can be shared with others. Similar in approach to Second Life and IMVU but using 3-D headsets. • Realistic learning environments - Virtual Surgery as a training tool, Travel environment. • Self sustainability - Indoor greenhouse, virtual environment perhaps for areas affected by extreme weather conditions. •
Security, privacy concerns and measures
Your Future Self
P4
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Be part of a leading design team
• Have a kid
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Share a flat/house with my boyfriend
• Get married
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Explore the world - Travel
• Work freelance while looking after my child
Ideas
Work Aspirations:Brand identity design, typography, motion graphics, illustration and book publishing, packaging, fantasy art
Types of Collision: •
Commercialism vs. Individualism
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Nature vs. Man-made/Technology
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Quiet vs. Loud
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Observation vs. Direction/Distraction
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Ordered vs. Disarray
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Social vs. Anti-Social
P5
Ideas of The Future Human connection and our relationship with technology: • As robots become human and humans become robots. Will this get worse or will people become to embrace real life more and become more balanced. What can stop the distractions? Slaves to the machine. • Do we lose our social skills and individualism as we become more “connected”. As we document more and more through media, how much do we actually “see”? • Do we appreciate things as it happens. How we connect to others. • Social areas – what conventions will we use to socialise? Will socialising be a lost skill in the real life when compared to online?
Technology: Plan the future of earth – create an invention – multiple options for future technology, mix and match “jigsaw”.
Environment: Ecological – turn the city green outdoors and well-being. Social environments. Working environments. Transformed through technology. Virtual job experience/taster - teaching tool. Relaxation aids - natural environment - aid for mental health/well-being. Egg industry - ethical topic - to create a solution which would prevent the killing of male chicks. Style/Environment changing, clothing and/or make-up - inspired from O-LED technology and the “mermaid” sequin cushion.
Self-Sustainability - simulation - virtual environment - indoor “greenhouse” - possibility to use within environments which have extreme weather conditions. Travel Experience - made affordable - access for all, enabling those with severe disabilities or those in hospital to experience environments which would usually consist of long haul flights -virtual/augmented reality. P6
Ideas Escapism: Fantasy –will we become too lost in the world of fiction? Or will this inspire further inventions and improvements. Fantasy style map based upon real-life directions/places - using minimalist style graphics.
Social Codes: Representation of Facebook - appearing part in code jumbled up “posts” - demonstrating a collision of ideas and personalities.
Design As A Mode For Happiness: Can imagery alone ignite happiness? Accidental Happiness – mix and max by random Accidental Happiness - random image generator - mix and match. Happiness: No worries, no worry of responsibility – child-like carefree. Bed, Sleep, dreams. Hugs, comfort.
P7
Research - Technology Virtual reality Two products which are in the early stages of implementation currently are that of the 4-D experience centre “The Void” and the re-use of “Minecraft” within a learning environment. The void uses plain built up physical environments which can be easily adapted and modified in conjunction with special effects such as smoke machines and fans. The technological element consists of a 3-D environments based upon (or vice versa) the physical dimensions. http://time.com/4095869/the-void/
Minecraft is currently being re-developed as a learning tool for schools and is going to aid the teaching of geography or history. Using current and future technology in combination with a platform in which schoolchildren already enjoy the developers are aiming to enhance the enjoyability of learning and therefore encourage children to seek out learning possibilities in their own time.
In terms of considering how experiences and adventurous journeys can promote happiness this is an interesting route that I could take my ideas down. In addition to this the application of learning within such an environment would be a highly beneficial tool for the future.
http://education.minecraft.net
P8
Research Social Change
https://www.zooniverse.org
Zooniverse is a crowd-sourcing website which aided by the users, completes scientific research which otherwise would be too time consuming to carry out. Using the idea of “many hands make light work� the large amount of imagery to be analysed is trickled down bit by bit to the user as they wish. There is an option to register on the website as to record your contribution to the work, while this also allows you to see what comes from the projects outcome. In order to lesson human error the software collects responses from a multitude of people over the same image as to ensure accurate results. There are many different projects on here from identifying animal species to helping prevent people living in poorer countries from going blind.
I think platforms such as these are pioneering in their field, as not only does it speed research up but also provides quick results leading to further insight. I can imagine this sort of activity taking off to a high-er degree in the future. As more and more people aim to improve their skills through video tutorials, they may be inclined to participate in activities like these as short exercises while getting a feel of accomplishment through their contribution.
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/tedcheese/whales-as-individuals
P9
Research - Post-Internet Thinking Ways of thinking Digital Natives are fluent in the ability to use the internet and technology, the first to try any new advancements. What is the way we take in information when reading off a screen? From reading this article the answer appears to be skimread, whatever we read on screen this tends to be the case, as it is in my own experience also. Why do we not concentrate as well when reading from screens? Perhaps this is due to the different lighting we expose ourselves to or maybe the answer is simply the urge to click onto the other media which is accessible? According to the research 75% of 18 to 24 year olds continue to read traditional book formats. Meanwhile reading paper books can increase mental well-being and help to enrich the readers vocabulary. However this research isn’t conclusive as to how digital books affect the reader and therefore this can only be taken as an indication to the preference of paperback.
How does this help inform my project? I have read about and heard many people talk about the distraction that the internet can prove to be. This is especially so when it comes to concentrating on a task, for example an academic or workplace task. The previously mentioned research proves to show how a tactile form of information, although slower and perhaps less practical in terms of storage, it can in fact be much more beneficial to the mind. Concentration and patience are two qualities which are becoming less and less common the more we surround ourselves with technology. People can find that reading a tactile book can serve as a relaxation aid, partly due to the lack of backlit screens, though the physical sensation in turning a page can be fulfilling in-itself, as is enjoyable the smell of a new book. These small qualities of traditional books in combination with techniques typically seen within young children’s books, such as pop-ups or illusions add to the experience. Article mentioned: http://www.storaenso.com/newsandmedia/ why-people-prefer-reading-in-print
P10
Research Ways of thinking
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Fast Automatic vs Slow Logical
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Anchoring
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Science of Availability
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Loss Aversion
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Framing
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Sunk Costs
Within an animated review of the Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking, fast and slow” he lists and describes the different ways of approaching decisions and judgement. Fast automatic vs slow logical systems encompass the fight or flight reaction verses logical thinking. Meanwhile anchoring is the judgement based on the available facts, this can be affected by the science of availability which is dictated by the media and/ or information you come across. Loss aversion is quite simply the judgement of a course of action based on the risk of loss; framing can persuade a person through the way in which the loss is addressed. Sunk costs is a type of judgement based on the invested past cost verses the possible risk. I feel these points could be useful when thinking about how to frame and present my outcome. This would be useful in terms of looking at social, ecological and economic issues.
P11
Research - Post-Internet Thinking Analogue Interactivity
https://vimeo.com/127806489
Vento is the creation of collaboration Virgilio Villoresi and Virginia Mori. The piece is an analogue book with a more interactive capability then most. Using the pre-cinema technique of Ombro Cinema they have used basic black and white illustrations in this form of storytelling. The magic comes from the reader interacting with the piece. I watched a few other examples of this technique in action, such as with their
http://motionographer.com/2013/06/12/virgilio-villoresi-johnmayer-walt-graces-submarine-test-january-1967/
P12
video “John Mayer - Submarine Test January 1967� and find it to be an interesting and useful technique to used within my own project also. For my project I wish to bring across the idea of technology overtaking our lives, using this technique I can bring an analogue interpretation to the exhibition while encouraging user interactivity.
By following the below link you can see behind the scene photos, these document the process they carried out in order to create the accompanying video. After filming the interaction with the book they chose purposefully to not use any post-production. This captures the old yet unique technique in its truest form.
Research - Happiness Mundane to fun As part of the introduction to the brief we were shown an example of design created to evoke happiness and in turn promote social change. The example shown presented a set of stairs made up to “play” like a piano, the idea was to encourage commuters to use the stairs more often. This example along with many others were created as part of a competition called “The Fun Theory”. This initiative was created by Volkswagon to promote change through fun. http://www.thefuntheory.com/award-entries?page=4
In particular it focused on small changes based around exercise, hygiene, traffic awareness and recycling. However when these changes were implemented through the unique fun-promoting methods the actual uptake in participating in these changes was dramatic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSiHjMU-MUo
I looked through the different entries featured on the fun theory website and found quite a lot of really clever ideas which worked so well due to the simplistic design. A few ideas were more complex and therefore looked less feasible to carry out. I loved how changing a mundane task to include an element of fun encouraged passers by to stop and think. This also has an element of encouraging happiness through doing good, though perhaps in a persuasive manner. One idea which stuck out to me was the “Bottle Bank Arcade”, I loved the way the generic recycling point was transformed into a bright and encouraging social point. My reason for talking about this idea is due to the game-like atmosphere which was created, bringing play into an activity which encouraged all from the young to the old to participate. P13
Idea Generation Mindmaps Thoughts surrounding these topics and more:As humans become autonomous in behaviour, will robots become human & vice-vesa. After watching the surreal short film “the boy with a camera for a face”(shown right), it prompted me to think of human behaviour and its many records within the online database. If social conventions were turned into computer coding, how would it look? Could this appear as a list of if commands? https://vimeo.com/151493973
The mirroring of zoology within animal photography in contrast to Richard Billingham’s social documentary photography work and people’s interaction with animals, as mentioned in a lecture by Alison Rowley - When considering this project, I thought in relation to that lecture how could this be seen in relation to volunteer based scientific data analysis, sitting ticking boxes for instance as a basis of study for human behaviour. People observing animals behaviour indirectly through a camera lens, to then be studied themselves. Do we lose connection with our true selves, the more we connect online?
P14
Idea Generation
P15
Initial Ideas Thoughts and Sketches Thoughts surrounding these topics and more:As humans become autonomous in behaviour, will robots become human & vice-vesa. After watching the surreal short film “the boy with a camera for a face”(shown below), it prompted me to think of human behaviour and its many records within the online database. If social conventions were turned into computer coding, how would it look? Could this appear as a list of if commands? The mirroring of zoology within animal photography in contrast to Richard Billingham’s social documentary photography work and people’s interaction with animals, as mentioned in a lecture by Alison Rowley - When considering this project, I thought in relation to that lecture how could this be seen in relation to volunteer based scientific data analysis, sitting ticking boxes for instance as a basis of study for human behaviour. People observing animals behaviour indirectly through a camera lens, to then be studied themselves. Do we lose connection with our true selves, the more we connect online?
https://vimeo.com/151493973
P16
Idea Development Rough sketch(left) portraying one example scene for the animation concept. Using the idea of how people become autonomous in behaviour due to the every-increasing role technology has in our lives, I wanted to take this idea and pair it with fantasy. I have a love for science fiction and fantasy and so this portrays an aspect of my personality which inspires me greatly. Further to this I felt I could push the boundaries of my outcome with the element of fantasy being intertwined within the piece. Although I say fantasy, this coves the darker side of such in terms of horror, though within my representation I plan on bringing it across in a softer style.
To the right is a list of varying mediums and methods I came up with to implement towards the outcome.
P17
Idea Development I reviewed my current mind-maps and ideas with my tutors as to see if there were any ideas which could overlap and converge. Out of this discussion I converges the idea of technology enabling artificial intelligence to become human-like while people become robotic in behaviour with my idea around fantasy and the happiness it ignites within me.
Summary This idea takes technology, happiness and the future to converge within a dystopia en-visage of the future. The future aspect is in terms of how I see technology ruling us as people in how we lead our lives, organise our lives and rely so much upon. The technology aspect is clear within this and so the Happiness aspect comes in two branches. The first being my love for all things Fantasy, while the second is that although happiness can be brought about through new spectacles of technology, i feel it can also be taken away. It can be taken away through technology by our loss of direct social interaction and play, while on the other-hand technology can enhance our social circle by allowing long-distance relationships and creating virtual environments in which we can play.
Location I based the fantasy aspect upon my idea around creating a virtual fantasy map based upon a real life location. I decided to choose Whitby as my location of choice due to my personal relations with Whitby and the Gothic, fantastical spirit which emanates from there. This fantasy spirit which resides around Whitby is in part due to the Gothic architecture and the famous book “Dracula” in which the character ends up at Whitby.
Zombies Due to the drained of life, slow behaviour you can see adopted by those who use their mobile phone while walking I decided that the best way to interpret this dehumanisation of our behaviour is through depicting people as zombies. My aim is to present two scenarios as to remind people to appreciate life as it happens and the importance of direct presence and social communication. The first scenario will depict a scene in whitby consisting of a busy stream of shoppers, not holding any technology but instead speaking to each other and experiencing the world through first hand experience and physical contact. However the second scenario which show the same scene but with a dramatic contrast: this time they will be seen holding different forms of technology and in turn be represented as a worn down zombie.
Vampires Due to the strong associations of vampire tales with Whitby I considered perhaps using a mixture of these two monsters within the scene, though I feel the vampire aspect would not quite bring across the loss of experience well but rather envisage the opposite. However on second thoughts the portrayal of a vampire may very well work in terms of depicting those creating “selfies” and in turn portraying a thirst for virtual approval. The idea of thirst may well be an interesting analogy to the addiction that people can find when using social media, for example feeling the need to be constantly P18connected to everything at once.
Output Ideas
Using the above “Instructables” how-to as a guide for building my prototype.
I have decided to temporally abandon the idea of incorporating vampires within the imagery. I decided to take this change of plan as I want to keep the idea simple in theory therefore enabling the audience to understand the ideas clearly when visualised. However this may change later within the prototype stage. For my physical outcome I am going to produce a morphing image, this would initially depict a character wearing a VR Headset, to which when transformed they would become a “Zombie”. The idea behind this is to show how people are becoming more reliant on technology in order to organise, socialise and be entertained. Due to the discovery of the book “Vento” I have decided to carry this technique of “Moire” or “Slit” animation within my own project. I feel this tactile, analogue convention of cinema will aid the idea of embracing analogue conventions, this is in an attempt to prevent the loss of our humanity. Although I myself am intrigued and inspired by the new technology available and almost constantly use this on a daily basis within my own life, I feel the constant interaction with screens can alter how we socialise for the worse. Further to this I feel the constant bombardment of information and media can make us forget how it feels to just sit and relax, or perhaps talk on a one-to-one basis without external noise. Initially from watching the video I had presumed my aim was unachievable with the moire technique and so I looked into where I could send off for a printed lenticular sheet. However after discussing this with my tutors, they informed me that my aim is achievable using the Moire technique with Acetate and all depends on the spacing of the lines.
P19
P20
For the main part my outcome will be animation based, here I have sketched out a storyboard with rough annotations as to the scene and content. The animation would start with an image of a user interface screen, which would then be activated by the character selecting the QR code. This would lead the viewer into a technological social journey of realisation. The character would be transported to the part of the world his friends are currently active/present in. All characters but a few would appear as zombies, though turn back to their true form once the VR Headset is removed. Although their form is no longer within this
monstrous visualisation, their slow inactive behaviour still resembles that of their alter-ego. I had struggled to come up with an ending scene for this animation, however upon talking through my idea with my peers this became resolved. My peer suggested that “they turn round to have no face�, this led me to decide that once the character taps their shoulder to grab the attention away from the held technology, they turn round to reveal themselves still appearing as the monstrous zombie. This will reflect how people can become addicted to technology being unable to feel at ease without their constant fix.
P21
Research Survey
To help gauge the general public’s perception and enjoyment of technology as it is today, I decided to produce the following survey. As you can see above I shared the survey through social media, such as Twitter and Facebook as well as the University’s Unimail system. I received half the responses through one platform while the other half on the opposite. I asked for the correspondents’ age, preference as to what technology makes them happy and the reasons for this. Further to these questions I asked how they imagine technology to influence our emotional well-being. Across this page and those that follow I have included screen-grabs from the general overview of question. I have then added a few select individual responses, of which gave a great depth of detail to their response. From these results I will write a little about my findings, how and if they will feed into my project.
P22
Research
P23
Research Survey Results
It is evident from the responses I received that the majority of people do find the internet and technology to bring them happiness, however as one user points out it isn’t the actual device but rather the capabilities it provides and the way it is used which creates the happiness or indeed sadness. Connecting to people around the world is a key factor in people’s reliance on social media and the internet and due to the clear popularity around platforms such as Facebook it becomes obvious that communication is the first and foremost priority for web users. Further to this they want to share content and exchange experiences, with the way virtual reality is moving this may be possible on a larger more immerse scale. However, a few respondents to the survey have noted the apparent feeling of wasted time they build up through becoming so absorbed within technology. Perhaps there needs to be a clear reminder for people to withdraw from their mobile phones and computers and instead meet up in person every now and then. It has also been noted that this immersion in the internet effects their productivity, so work needs to be done here to ensure a productive work-life balance. P24
Research
P25
Research Survey Results
The next few pages display three individual responses. I have selected these three due to their length and the detail each respondent has gone to when describing their answer.
P26
Research Individual Response
P27
Research Individual Response
P28
Research Individual Response
As seen from these three examples, it is across all age ranges that people are realising technology and the constant need for connecting can indeed stress us out more then it is worth. However, it is all to be taken in moderation, the words spoken on these examples are wise and should be taken into account by all. In addition it reflects the aims of my project and the worries that some are having over the persistent and reliant use of social media as a tool for communication. We have seen a consensus that the internet will continue to thrive as it has been, though some suggest this will wane as the new technology for the millennials(or Generation Y) becomes the same ordinary everyday tools for generation Z. As seen above some concerns are a lack of empathy towards others, as is the lack of real life social skills. For my project I want to address this concern using an abstract representation of the “nightmare� it could become. The way in which I will be framing it has been used by other designers before me, though I am hoping to create my own take on the concept. P29
Target Audience My target audience is predominantly the millennials and younger. These are the generations whom are most involved in social media and other new platforms around communication with friends and virtual environments. Through my dystopian representation of the future I want to communicate an important message about being present within the moment itself. This is to concentrate on what is happening around you as you are in the moment, rather then worrying about updating your digital presence to match. Millennials are known as those who were born after 1980, so this covers people in theirs 30’s and younger. How would I reach this audience? I would reach my target audience by following my strategy as mentioned on the following page. The digital outcome would be the main element to reach this target audience as they would be targeted through online advertisements and the images would then be shared and travel the internet as different users share and create conversation on the topic. This would hopefully lead to in an increase in real life social gatherings and a re-instatement of family time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdQgsmYKxLM
In terms of the physical piece, this could be displayed in subways and bus stops within the advertisement boards. As mentioned (right) this would consist of a moving poster in analogue format playing at a set speed as to produce the same transitional effect. A piece that inspired me for this next idea was the above example of a subway video advertisement. The designer has taken the space the poster would sit in and thought about how they could add an extra element of depth into the piece. In this instance that was through monitoring the trains arrivals and departures and reacting to such appropriately. One way to increase the impact of my design would be to take a guerrilla approach and set up pressure sensitivity on the glass pane to the stand which could then respond to touch. For instance if someone leaned on the board, say if using their phone, then a groaning sound could be played to prompt the bystander to look up at the poster. This would then reveal the “zombie� that they have become through their lack of awareness. P30
Strategy
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/outdoorTOP-aluminum-alloy-poster-standing_1246199486. html?spm=a2700.7724857.0.0.uddjFy&s=p
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Rotating-threesided-aluminium-advertising-board_60078473959. html?spm=a2700.7724857.0.0.ItXRlk
As part of this project we are to curate an exhibition to which all students upon the course wil submit their work for review. My plan is to present the animation which works as a standalone piece and/or with further context alongside my analogue outcome. The physical piece will provide the audience with a tactile interactivity which will re-engage the public with analogue techniques, while the message from the piece is brought across visually. However, the way in which it is to be displayed will be determined on the curation team formed within the event planning. In terms of the pieces outside of the exhibition, my plan would be to incorporate the moire poster as an outdoor advertisement. The strategy for displaying such a medium would be slightly tricky, as initially I thought with regards to light-box rotating poster stands that the technique I wanted to create wouldn’t be viable. However there are three options available, one option would be the possibility of creating a custom-made poster display which would automatically slide the top layer across that of the base layer. On reflection if we could use a transparent material as the “poster” which is rotated within the earlier mentioned stand then this very well could be a possibility also. Another option would be the type of billboard as shown to the upper right, these billboards use a shutter or vertical blind style technique to transition between designs. The third option would perhaps be an ideal solution if implemented on a smaller scale, as due to this method of transitioning there would be the possibility of three images which would transition between each stage of the transformation. In this instance there would be perhaps no need for the Moire slits to be implemented as the transition technique would act as such.
Digital Outcome:-
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=W1flY1L0m3U
The digital animation could be displayed on social media websites to raise awareness via a looped GIF where the advertising space is provided. Another way the animation could circulate among this age group is through image and video sharing platforms such as YouTube, GIPHY and Tumblr.
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Visual Reference
I looked online for varying examples of how zombies can be portrayed. My reason for doing this was to study the different styles and carefully select one to base my own upon, which would best suit the mood and audience intended for my piece.
Visual Reference
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Visual Reference
Visual Reference
Another element of the visual reference as in terms of what virtual reality headgear currently looks like. I looked at those shown left as a guide to how they may develop in the future, which with innovations such as Google Glass I imagine the virtual reality technology to follow suit with smaller headgear as technology advances further. This would eventually(hypothetically) enable VR headsets to look almost identical to that of a pair of sunglasses. With the project being based around how I see the future heading, this was an import aspect for me to take into account considering the theme I have taken the project down.
I decided that for the style of animation I wanted to produce, it would work well if I could combine real-life video with cel-shading animation techniques and edge outlines showing. I chose this style of animation due to the cartoon, comic-like appeal which will be suitable for a younger audience, especially in terms of generation Z. Combined with the real-life video action this will portray the distinction between reality and virtual. In addition, as is the nature of my storyboard the scene will move from virtual to reality, though once we are settled in reality the virtual will permeate into the lives of the characters and therefore bring across this message of real-life social disconnection through technology.
Experiments Initial Moire Image To begin the experimental process I began by creating the Moire (or slit) animation. In the first instance I decided to base this off of a reference image as to gauge the best method and technique to create the final piece. I chose an image of a man smiling as to bring across an initial friendly persona which would then be transformed into the washed out, disfigured “zombie” version. I started by sketching the person out using pencil, fine-liners and paper, to which I then scanned into the computer to then be traced over digitally. I started the process using traditional drawing techniques due to not being accustomed with the digital drawing process using a graphics tablet. I did however begin to use such later in my development. The next step took me to give the character a base colour before adding in the details.
Originally I wanted to keep a simplistic comic book style aesthetic to the piece, though from having drawn out the sketch in a realistic style, I had decided to see how achievable or suitable it would be to use such for this project. I used various brushing to work out how to accurately recreate a “stubble” texture before then deciding that the process and feel of the piece in this way was too out of touch with the aims of the message, focusing too much on the realistic element when the aim is to provide a sense of fantasy while displaying an important message about social interaction.
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Experiments Initial Moire Image
This led me to using a much different approach in presenting the physical piece, this time through purely digital vector imagery. I learnt from my earlier experiment that the image needed to have a simplistic appeal which would resonate with my comic book style approach to the project and the digital outcome. As before I chose a reference image from the internet to base my initial design off, before then developing it further. Above you can see I have used the curves and levels tools to exaggerate any highlights and shadows to enable much more accurate implementation of such. I used an image of a model here due to the neutral expression portrayed and in addition to bring across the idea that forever seeking personal beauty ideals which is perpetrated through app’s like Snapchat, does not equal to an effective social life or sense of fulfilment. I found using this more simplistic style to be much more effective in bringing the basis of the message across. With the experiment shown right, the glow from her skin is shown effectively which when juxtaposed against the “zombie� transformation will work to great effect.
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Experiments Initial Moire Image
As mentioned before, I looked into current VR headset designs and then implemented them as shown. The first(shown left) is based on them as they currently appear, though as seen look very outdated as a envisage into the future and so I developed the look of such accordingly.
My next step was to develop the second experiment and see how it worked once the moire affect was applied and printed.
As shown in the screen-grabs I used pre-existing images of skulls and muscles as shown in anatomy illustrations as my guide on how the “torn� and damaged eye should appear.
P38
Experiments Initial Moire Image
Above you can see the experimental prints I created using the images shown opposite. In order to learn how to create this I read the “instructables” guide and for this experimental print I used their own provided “slit frame” sheet and adjusted as to allow for a larger image. However, as you can see above the effect is very strenuous on the eye and due to such I plan to reduce the amount of slits in my development. Furthermore I found the colour image to have the most impact in fact, I feel this is due to the contrast of the colour against the black lines, therefore allowing extra details to show through. Across the next few pages is a description of how my experiment regarding the digital outcome performed.
P39
Experiments Initial Animation Firstly I asked one of my peers to be the initial example character before I was to film the actual film. This would give me a guide as to how long the rotoscoping would take throughout the process. To the left you can see I have taken the footage and roughly rotoscoped my friend out of the frame as to knock out the unwanted background. My plan is to implement a vector image backdrop to add to the comic style effect within the final video. I then frame by frame using Photoshop, drew linework into the video to create the comic-book look, similar to that of Roy Lichtenstein’s popart.
After creating the line-work I found it looked more engaging without the real video in view and rather as the linework on its own. I found this piece took a fair amount of time and learnt that I would need to become quicker with my rotoscoping if I wanted to create the full storyboard.
P40
Development Filming and Cutting
For the final animation, I borrowed the university’s Nikon D3200 and a sturdy professional tripod in order to film the live scenes. I asked my friends to star in my video as the character, to which two agreed. In the first video I set it within Whitby due to my connection of happiness there and the connections with fantasy. With my first actor I shot a few scenes multiple times due to the scene being considerably busy, this would make some scenes difficult to use due to the public walking past. Therefore I decided to revisit the scene for the film the next day and set the tripod up to record myself as the character, however I found although the tripod was set up and secure the wind affected the video quality greatly. To ensure I had some scenes which were usable I asked my second friend to star in the movie, though this time set in Scarborough I had to rethink the location. I chose the steps leading to the seaside part of town due to the view which is easily recognisable with the castle in the background. In order to put the different scenes together I taught myself how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, I used video tutorials online in order to learn how to do so. Last but not least, I filmed myself pointing as though I were selecting an invisible icon, this clip was to ensure I had a scene to super-impose the user-interface graphics into. Using the fridge as a scene beginning, as if the fridge worked as a digital message board, I superimposed the brand logo out as to ensure the focus remains on the story.
P41
Development Rotoscope Animation
Once I had cut and exported the film accordingly, I imported the film into Adobe Flash. I experimented using Photoshop, After effects and flash and found flash to be the most appropriate for this part of the process. I chose Flash due to being able to use vector shapes to create the animation, therefore allowing any later up-sizing of the video. In a few scenes I found my actor had smiled and to test whether I could obscure this I created a quick sketch of what the “zombie” transformation may look like and found this worked well enough to obscure any smiles. However after rotoscoping the first initial scene it became clear that the process of rotoscoping the full storyboard would be too much to take on within the time-frame I had available. This is especially so when the piece was required to be ready for an exhibition arranged as a group effort by myself and my peers to take place on the 25th of June. This first scene lasted 4 seconds and so to rotoscope the video to its full length of at 30 seconds would take a considerable amount of time to do on my own, not to mention the vector elements needed for the scenes. Due to this I decided I needed to re-think my approach to the digital outcome and decided that the message could be brought across in one single scene instead. I decided that this scene would comprise of a person using their phone before taking a photograph which upon lowering the phone would reveal the transformation. The flash from the camera would enact as a symbol to the change and also present the idea of narcissism through the popularity of “Selfies”.
P42
Development Take 2 - Rotoscope
The above screen-grabs show the range and terms and conditions for using a marker brush set for use on Photoshop. This set is free to use on the condition of crediting the brushes creator, to which I will credit him in the description of the outcome. I experimented with a variety of brush sets before choosing the above. I felt the above set had an interesting grunge like texture which could be applied well to the ink look of a comic book, while also portraying the dark undertone of the video.
Due to the time constraints in combination with the length the scenes take to pan out, I decided I needed to create a much shorter animation using the same concept but with a more simple approach. I took two videos of my friend, one stood as normal while I asked him to open his mouth in the second. In order to make sure the two different shots were aligned right, I create some way-finder points using the paintbrush and a single layer, this was a simple yet effective way to adjust the frame accordingly. In order to be able to edit the video in Photoshop I used Adobe After Effects to knock down the FPS from 25 to 12 and exported the file as a jpeg sequence. This was then imported into Photoshop as shown above. Initially I created a blue outline as a guide for the drawing, though found this to be unnecessary due to the flexibility of working in Photoshop and so re-coloured this to the black. Using some images found on Google as a guide, I mapped out where the bone structure would appear within the actor’s face. P43
Final Piece
I created two versions of the character, one detailed were there is shadows and the other much more simplified. Originally I was going to re-draw the whole face and body out for each frame and as such was going to use the simplified version. However after contemplation I decided that it would be much better to use the detailed version and simply copy and paste the main layers across all frames. In order for the animation to play as though the character is alive, I moved and altered areas of the body accordingly as to how the actor moved.
For the camera flash I initially tried to imitate the light in a realistic manner, though I found this took away from the comic book style and so kept these as simple lines to represent the flash. Finally I exported the animation. Prior to exporting I altered the frame-rate to 10 Frames per second as to slow the playback timing and omitted any unnecessary frames.
P44
Development Physical Piece
For my final physical piece I initially decided to create a new character using one of my friends as the model. However as time approached towards deadlines I found the best path to take would be to continue on the last experiment I had created for this aspect and alter it further.
As you can see I have taken the vector image and re-coloured the different areas as appropriate. My next step was to enhance the eye’s deterioration by subtly changing the whites of the eye to a pale salmon, meanwhile I added various veins across the eye to achieve a bloodshot effect. I felt the piece needed taking further in order to shock the audience and encourage speculation around the piece.
P45
Development Moire Animation
Directly above this text is an image of the A3 card and just short of A3 frame in which I plan to construct the physical piece with. In this image I am measuring the visible area to ensure I can resize the imagery as needed. Once sized up i decided to introduce a cinema style border as I felt the image was most effective and striking when viewing the eyes predominately. To the upper left I have begun to de-construct the nose as to create a gash into the skin. As shown to the right of this, I have then stripped back the skin to reveal the bone and muscle layers. I used various reference images, such as is visible in the first image to ensure I accurately visualised the facial structure.
P46
Final Piece Physical Piece
To the lower right is a screen-grab showing my workings out for the slit frame, in addition is the make and model of the camera I used to shoot the digital animation. To the upper left you can see the first version of the moire animation, I felt this one limited the amount of detail able to show through by having all three images split between the page. I decided to multiply the amount of slits to 12 though only have the first and last image included. The middle image was useful in terms of easing between the human and zombie form, though in this case I found it worked better without the transitional frame. Before exporting the file I first checked how it moved by using the “slit� layer as if it were the physical piece in my hand. This simulated the effect fairly well and therefore the next step was to print out the piece and fit it together within the frame and card.
P47
Final Piece Final Result
On this page you can see the mentioned final physical piece before being exported and the settings I saved the file at to ensure the colour would print correctly as on screen and to a high standard.
Initially I printed my design on a sheet of A3 paper, though found the quality of the print to lack any lustre due to the printer I initially used. The printer I used first was the laser printer and due to that mentioned I decided to re-print the piece on the large format printer. This produced a much more satisfactory print and in addition to the quality of the print I chose a semi-gloss paper as to produce a richer finish. P48
Outcomes
Still taken from the digital animation and tweaked slightly to work as an artwork poster.
https://vimeo.com/172646823 Final printed Moire animation. P49
Review What Have I Learnt? I have learned throughout this project not to over-push myself, though at the same time I feel I could have achieved more had I not spent as much time upon the research aspect. I am happy with my final digital outcome, though would have liked to create perhaps two scenes from the initial storyboard. In terms of the final Physical piece I am satisfied with the result, though feel it could have become more impactful if developed further. In any future projects I would spend less time on the research and therefore allow for quicker but more adventurous experiments, while also moving onto the development and final design stage much sooner. This would allow me more time to persist and develop the final piece.
What Are You Happy With? Although much shorter then I initially anticipated, I am happy with the final digital animation the most. This is due to achieving the comic-book style I was aiming for while incorporating a grunge aesthetic to the line-work. This brings across the apocalyptic association with zombie which tie in with my dystopia envisage of the future. Something I would have liked to have added to the animation which I may do at a later point, is to find a suitable soundtrack which fits the setting of the piece. This would add extra appeal while diverting the online viewer’s attention to the advert.
What Would You Change Or Develop Further? If I were to carry out this project again, as mentioned above I would try a wider range of experimentation and then push this forward into the final design as to enable more time to be spent on developing the final outcome and expanding upon it further. In terms of the physical piece I would have taken the image of my friend and used this as the final image, this would have been achieved through spending less time upon the initial experiment. If the Digital piece were to be displayed within a bus shelter I would set up motion sensors so that if a by-stander happened to lean against the stand, this would trigger a groan soundtrack from behind the poster prompting them to pay attention to their surroundings. In regards to the Physical piece I would consider alternative printing options, I would experiment with risograph printing as to see what effect this achieves in comparison to the solid graphic. In addition to this I would perhaps make a further two posters using the same technique of Moire animation, though one example being represented through a mobile for instance. I feel this is needed as although the idea of VR glasses being updated to suit trends is a feasible option, there needs to be a crossover with the technology we are used to now. This would allow the audience to understand the piece quicker and with more ease.
P50
Bibliography https://thevoid.com/#the-vision http://education.minecraft.net/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqXVAo7dVRU http://www.thefuntheory.com/entries-toplist?page=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSiHjMU-MUo http://www.printpower.eu/UK/Why-people-prefer-reading-print http://withstandfilm.com/-book-store-/ vento-a-book-by-virgilio-villoresi-and-virginia-mori/ https://vimeo.com/villoresi http://motionographer.com/2013/06/12/virgilio-villoresi-john-mayer-walt-graces-submarine-test-january-1967/ https://www.dandad.org/awards/new-blood/2015/ wetransfer/2743/home-maker/ http://johndasfundas.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/make-kinegramslit-animation-moire-download-print.html http://www.instructables.com/id/2D-Moire-Slit-Animation/ http://zoon0.tumblr.com/post/70813297524 http://www.grand-illusions.com/opticalillusions/angry_and_calm/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLfLSjbm4s8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=088HrlSCcoA http://www.print-leeds.co.uk/services/lenticular/ http://www.design-design.co.uk/3d-lenticular-technology-printingtelevision/
Collide
P52 University Of Huddersfield
ŠNicole H.D.W. Sinclair 2016