Thomas Doukinitsas
Showing posts with label Time Art. Show all posts
TIME ART: Final Piece

TIME ART: Final Piece

This is a low-resolution version of my final piece:
Note, this is a 1/4th low resolution preview so some things may seem a little blurry. Also this version does not include the three screen separation.

I decided to remove quite a bit of the textual elements in favor of more illustrative flat vector graphics, and i personally believe it gets my point across allot better.
Read More

TIME ART: Evolving my idea

TIME ART: Evolving my idea

So, after a comment by Simon i got:
Don’t feel that you have to limit yourself to just text if your development of you project takes you in a different direction. It would be great to get some of the passion that you have for filmmaking across which will be hard in just text.
and after the review and the feedback i've got I decided to change my idea:

The piece will be more influenced by a real film that i did, and will not be so self aware, and also it will also have flat illustrations, not just text to better get my intended idea across. After all, it's about getting the idea across, not about the technicalities.

I did most of the illustrations by hand in Adobe Illustrator:


i've also been using pantone colors since they seem to have nice color tones that blend well together.

I separated the layers in illustrator so that i can animate them individually in after effects.

In after effects i used most of the things i know about keyframing and masks to get  cool looking but easy to uderstand graphics. I'm also considering adding text somewhere into these sequences in order to try and keep the project's original idea.

I've also decided to group the individual chapters using pre-comps to keep things a bit tidy...

Lastly the front and top views have saved me since one of the parts used a 3D camera, so ajusting all of the 3D elements on a flat surface really helped.

Here are some screenshots from the after effects project so far.
Read More

TIME ART: First Draft and To-Do list

TIME ART: First Draft and To-Do list

During the past few weeks i've been struggling with the structure of my motion graphics piece for time art, but a few days before our final review i managed to get my first rough version done. The way i did this was to mentally split the idea in to chapters, sketch out some of the more complex details (really need to do this more often, pencil and paper are a life saver), and also working together with others just so that i don't go insane by being locked up in a room by myself.

Working with pencil and paper really helps quickly sketch out concepts
Also, it was nice to see someone else feeling my frustration with render times...

This is what i've done so far with time art:

Now, this is still a work in progress and needs allot of work still. Based on the feedback that i got from the reviews i need to:
-Add more detail overall
-Add a considerable amount to the filmmaking section, cause the text itself does not illustrate the concept. I'm thinking of adding silhouettes of my memories of filming along with some more text elements.
-Retime it so that it's more like the filmmaking process itself
-For the editing bit add other elements like sound and color correction
-For the script part maybe show the production and pitching side of things
-For the end it would be much better if it was in a cinema. The audience members could be replaces with words that show their impressions of the film.

Oh... did i mention i have less than two weeks left... :S
Read More

EXPERIMENTAL SOUND: Beginnings of the Project

EXPERIMENTAL SOUND: Beginnings of the Project

After going over Joe's eq, reverb, mixing and compression lessons (skills i already had an acceptable understanding of, but learned a few more tips and tricks), i started assembling my sound project.

Whilst looking at the painting the first major thing i noticed was crowds of people, so i set of to location recording in farnham high street on a Saturday, when there will be allot of people around making noises like footsteps, talking with each other, etc. I also recorded ambient noise in a forest, to contrast the crowd sound and to gradually build up my soundscape, like the painter gradually built up his composition whilst painting it.

After a bit of experimenting, i also wanted to add a low end rumble to represent the large factories in the background, and give my soundscape some scale. I found an atmosphere drone from a collection by videocopilot.net, called "Pro Scores". I eq'd it so that i removed all of the mid and high range frequencies, therefore there would only be a Bassy rumble. I also send all of my environment sounds i had recorded to a seperate bus, and then removed most of the low end frequencies so that they wouldn't clash with the rumble i had added.

Lastly i added a few hits from a stock collection to represent industrial sounds of machines at work, and i also synthesised a sound in logic pro to add some repetitiveness to the track, due to the fact that most industrial activities are repetitive.

During our mixing and compression lesson i balanced out my sounds and made sure that everything was clearly audible but within legal standards.

The multi-track session so far...

The last step now is recording some sounds on Wednesday in the studio to add maybe some hits, using items like pipes and metal.

Here is what i have so far:
Read More

TIME ART: Treatment / Project Proposal

TIME ART: Treatment / Project Proposal

Read More

TIME ART: Emotional... Typography?

TIME ART: Emotional... Typography?

After my last tutorial with Simon my idea radically changed to a completely different concept, so that it becomes more personal.

The idea was think of something that you are passionate about:
  • Filmmaking

Then think of how it relates to time:
  • It takes allot of time to make films

Then think of the emotions that you may experience through that:
  • Joy (of coming up with the idea)
  • Anger, Frustration (whilst making it and when things go wrong)
  • Accomplishment, Fulfillment (showing the final result to people
Now, how do you go about explaining this in a creative way that fits the brief. During Simon's tutorials as he was suggesting things he said "Text", and i really liked that as an idea.

I've been working with text for a while now, but i wan't to explore text and it's relation to emotions more.

I've found two interesting articles to start me off with this:
http://joogpot.eu/knowledge/16-webdesign/57-evoke-emotion-through-typography

I can't wait to develop my idea more, and try and do something that i've not done before, not in this sense anyway...
Read More

TIME ART: New Idea

TIME ART: New Idea

So, after thinking about our three screen installation project, i've thought of a completely new idea that deals with the passage of time.

After a bit of research on how this has been done, the main thing that came to mind was a time lapse, but i don't want to do that - not in the traditional sense anyway - since we are supposed to experiment.

I immediately thought of something Rosie showed us:
http://www.apengine.org/2009/11/watching-paint-dry-by-jo-ann-kaplan/

here i like the rapid cutting and the lack of sound, that makes it a bit more mundane, a mood that i'm going for.

After more digging around, i found a really interesting music video that uses a similar style, but in a more graphics heavy approach:


I want to do something in a similar style, but i'll have to find a way to appropriate it to a three screen installation. Hopefully i will be able to after tomorrow's tutorial with Simon.

Also, after reading this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternalism_(philosophy_of_time) i'm also thinking of the concept of time existing simultaneously across all points in time. Maybe it could be the basis for the conceptual part of my piece.
Read More

TIME ART: Project Ideas and 3 variations

TIME ART: Project Ideas and 3 variations

As i described in my previous post:
"My idea is that on the first screen we see a group of friends playing football. Suddenly one of them kicks the ball of screen, and on the second screen it appears as a mobile device (maybe even a game controller). Then whilst the person on the second screen starts playing a game on his own, the people from screen one look at him in disapproval. As he looks at them after quite a while, he throughs his device behind him, and it appears on screen three as a virtual reality headset (or a similar device). The person on screen three puts it on, and although it seems like he is happy, he is alone in a dark room.
During this piece i want to compare Past, Present and Future, and show how although we think that entertainment is getting better, and more immersive due to the technological advancements, really we are getting less and less social."
Also as an experimentation, i would like to play with the idea that the reality presented in screens 1 & 2 are in fact virtual, so towards the end of the loop, there will be a number of "glitches" to these virtual realities, implying that they are a construction of the person in screen three. Also to loop the footage, i would like to show some sort of a re-start, like what you would do to a game console if the game stopped working.

 Now, there are three ways i've thought of bringing this idea to life:
  • This will all be a 3x1minute locked off shots. This way the viewer will focus on the performance by the actors. The implications of this however is timing the individual screens to match each other...
  • The same live action idea, but filmed like a more traditional narrative, using establishing shots, cutting away to mediums and close-ups to emphasize details in the action.
  • The same concept, but done entirely in motion graphics. Based on my other research on motion graphics, i would like to try a heavily stylized and flat animation style that uses silhouettes.
I would like to do one of the first two ideas, but that will be dictated by the amount of resources available.

Also, i would really like to try and experiment with photo realistic green screen compositing.
Read More

TIME ART: My After Effects Tutorials

TIME ART: My After Effects Tutorials

I have created a series of video tutorials to help out my colleagues who are starting out in Adobe After Effects. I will be updating this page as i make more tutorials.

Tutorial 1: Keyframe Interpolation


Tutorial 2: Making it Rain... Potatoes?!? (CC Particle World)
Read More

TIME ART: Artist Research and Emerging Ideas

TIME ART: Artist Research and Emerging Ideas

During today's lesson we had a few tips and tricks from an experimental video artist doing her phd here. She showed us some of her work, and what others have done with multi-screen pieces. Some of the notes from the session were:

What to do?
-Techniques                  
-Themes
-Context
-Materials & Tools
Don’t only make something. Have something to say about what you make.

How to research time and three screen
-How’s it been done
-What’s being said about it
-What is important to you

key word: "triptych"

But, one of the most important part of the session for me was how during a group discussion, i finally managed to start illustrating my idea.

The problem was that i wanted to figure out a way to flesh out my original idea of showing how technology has made all of us less social. The following storyboard came out of a group discussion:

My idea is that on the first screen we see a group of friends playing football. Suddenly one of them kicks the ball of screen, and on the second screen it appears as a mobile device (maybe even a game controller). Then whilst the person on the second screen starts playing a game on his own, the people from screen one look at him in disapproval. As he looks at them after quite a while, he throughs his device behind him, and it appears on screen three as a virtual reality headset (or a similar device). The person on screen three puts it on, and although it seems like he is happy, he is alone in a dark room.

During this piece i want to compare Past, Present and Future, and show how although we think that entertainment is getting better, and more immersive due to the technological advancements, really we are getting less and less social.

Also, i still need to figure out how to add experimental elements to the piece, and how to incorporate After Effects in to the piece. I am thinking due to a lack of resources to film screen 2 & 3 on a green screen, and then composite the locations in After Effects. Firstly though, i will have to get some feedback on my idea to see if it is achievable, and if it fits in with the aim of the unit...
Read More

TIME ART: After Effects Workshop

TIME ART: After Effects Workshop

So, on Friday we did our first introductory lesson in Adobe After Effects CS6...

Now, i have to note here that i have been using After Effects since CS3 back in 2008 when i first got my hand on it. By doing so i know quite a few things about the software, and a few techniques.

However, the "back to basics" lesson wasn't too bad. For example i learned that there was an "Extractor" tool. For years and years i was using the "Gradient Wipe" Effect to do the same job.

During this workshop we managed to complete a composite of live action footage, color filters and blended color solids to create a heavily stylized look:

We were also asked to view tutorials from lynda.com . Although i have pre-existing knowlege, i might run through some of the tutorials just in case i've missed something over the years... ;)

P.S. I love some of the advanced tutorials that lynda.com has on AE, might be posting my impressions soon...
Read More

TIME ART: Research: Flat Motion Graphics

TIME ART: Research: Flat Motion Graphics

If i do end up with the motion graphics route, i would like to base my designs on a flat style, similar to these videos:



From the two examples above i really like the color palette and the fluid movements. I also like the fact that the first example revolves around one shape.
Read More

TIME ART: First impressions and ideas

TIME ART: First impressions and ideas

Although i was exited at first, a multi-screen installation is a tricky thing.

Starting from the creative part of this project, i would like to somehow compare the past, the present and the future, and show how technology is becoming a bigger part of our lives every day, and maybe it's not in a good way.

Looking at the practical side of things, i'm thinking of two ways to get this thing done:

The first would be a full on live action shoot of the same scene, but on every screen we will see a different period in time (past, present, future). To achieve the same shots and movements this might have to be a full on greenscreen shoot with virtual sets, something that i really don't think i have time for, but i will suggest it to my tutor and talk with a few friends from class to see if it's possible. The final result could show for example how socializing has changed over the years, and how with technology we are becoming less social. A good reference to this effect would be the following video:


The second way would be a simpler, motion graphics approach. But i think i need to do a bit more research to actually see how i could portray my idea with motion graphics...
Read More

TIME ART: Brief and Samsara

TIME ART: Brief and Samsara

Today we were given our project brief for Time Art. We are to create a 1 minute vertical 3 screen installation video that loops about time. I look forward to experiment and play with a few things.

Just to get us started with alternative/experimental filmmaking, we wached "Samsara", a must for anyone serious about film. Here is the trailer:


After watching it (and recovering from it) i thought that this was amazingly shot, and took us through so many things, comparing how different cultures live, and maybe showing us that we are not always as civilized as we think... 
Read More

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)