Disks - Final

Will bring in two disks. One will be constructed DVD, other will contain .mv4. . . files from compressor of all works. No AE projects, etc.



No .movs
Files ran through compressor on 2nd disk

Self-Critique - Feedback Response

A lot of stuff could have been pushed more. The graphics need to be a bit cleaner, the outlines not so harshly contrived. Shorten the length. Get the point across better, there's some confusion as to what's trying to be said. . .


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Need to change:

Pacing - too slow
Get new, better images of door(s)
Go with only having one door; make door open on hinge
Cut to white towards end is awkward
Get point across more
Don't stack bunch of images on one layer
Confusion spatially
Change Text
Take text off of doors

New SB

Fear, and how fear instills in us a want to just hide, to just get away from the problems and never having to face them. To face our problems, we must open the door for ourselves – no one else can do it – and face whatever obstacles happen to lie beyond it.

The little boy protagonist is afraid. Afraid of what? It’s unclear, as I wanted to keep that fear, whether rational or irrational at a distance from the audience. The scene pops back and forth between him and the door, because something beyond it, not the door itself, keeps him afraid.

The dragon statuette serves as a visual motif for two things: one, strength, the inner strength, and the second purpose is how a visual thing like a beast of its caliber can instill fright into our hearts and keep us in our places, afraid, and unable to move forward. His throwing of the dragon object I want to symbolize his coming to terms with the task that he must do – go to the door, open the door, and open it and face what’s beyond it.

Animatic

http://jonkeegan.com/subway_tests.html


I came across this guy's work, and out of the several sites that I looked at, his was one that really caught my eye - probably more so for the aesthetic quality than anything. This animation was done in After Effects as a pencil test/animatic for an animation sequence he would later work on. From just viewing this, you can already get a sense of the actual atmosphere of the piece. From the beginning, I seemed to have been drawn in to his world. I was drawn into a familiar yet slightly not-so-familiar/intriguing city world at an almost personal level with its inhabitants as they go about their day, getting to and fro from where they need to go. The main concentration is, of course, the subway itself, the act of getting there, taking a ride, and taking in all the sights and the tiny querks that most people on a daily basis fail to recognize, or often take for granted.

Final Statement

My research topic this semester dealt with dragons, and how I wanted to use the idea/concept of the dragon as a metaphoric icon, replacing more literal depictions with an appropriation of a draconic figure. I have wanted to portray the idea of dragon-as-metaphor in a different light in each of my animations: dragon as destroyer in my promotion/change piece, and dragon as mysterious, untouchable and withdrawn beast in my redone version of the masking practice exercise. For my final motion graphics project, I want to portray the idea of dragon in a positive light through its water-bearing associations in ancient Chinese mythology.

My inspiration for this final piece was derived out of an interest in Chinese myth and how it idealizes the dragon as the bringer of water (a life-sustaining substance we all need) and good omens. I plan to represent the dragon, or aspects of the "good" dragon association through the mysterious, masked stranger who appears towards the end of my final piece. This dragon-masked figure will stand as a symbol of the good omen, despite how dark, daunting, and unpredictable his actual appearance may be, and in the end, a bringer of the rains (after bestowing the talisman/amulet to the protagnist), rain which my protagonist had hoped to come across since the beginning.

Final Project Proposal

Due next week

Organize all created movies - edit, clean up, re-render if needed. . . compress
Will bring them in on built portfolio disk (don't actually burn disk yet)


Final project idea complete with storyboards (detailed!)