HA6 - Task 6
For this project we had to produce an E-Sting for E4, using our own imagination and come up with a unique idea that we can base out ten second sting on.
From previous experience, I realised that my time management skills weren't great so i had to get right in and produce and outline schedule and production log. I created the outline schedule according to when the assignment was due in, and then our deadline was extended, which caused me to fiddle about and upload another outline schedule. Although it was lots of fussing about it kept me on track. The production log is a sort of basis for this evaluation because I have written down in there what I have done every lesson, and i have also sued print screens to back up what I am saying. The print screen shows whoever is looking through my blog, the process of what I went through in order to create my E-Sting.
I then had make research and familiarise myself with the E4 and E4 Stings websites, to see what material had already been used, and then i could develop my own ideas generation. I didn’t spend too long on this because it was a quick research task, and I really wanted to get stuck in to generating my own ideas on paper. I produced 2 and a half sheets of idea’s and the one that really stood out to me was an idea where the E4 logo is on skates, and it has features that makes it look like a body, and it reaches out and grabs the outlines and puts them in itself.
At this point I had to add things to my outline schedule because the deadline was extended which therefore gave me more time to work with. And at this point i was regularly keeping my production log updated.
Once I had my final idea, and I had to produce a storyboard to show what process I would go through when recreating it on screen. I also made a storyboard for another idea too just in case the first one didn’t work but it did work so I stuck with that one. I found this part difficult because I had to work with the frames but I eventually got the hang of it again. Even though I found it difficult I did enjoy this part of the project because it displayed my knowledge in creating 10 second stings, and using Adobe Premier Pro too.
Task 5 involved me actually making my sting and putting things together and the evidence for this is all in my production log which is on HA6 - Task 1 on my blog. It was more of a practical process than having anything to show for it, and the main thing I have to show for it is my finished sting. I did lose track of time towards the end of the college year and could of had it finished sooner. If I was to produce this again I would definitely manage my time better, although it started off great at the beginning, It can sometimes fall when you don’t want it to. But I’m very pleased with what I have produced and enjoyed this assignment alot because it refreshed my memory on what I know I can actually do if I put my mind to it.
Evaluation & Article Combined
For this assignment we had to analyse particular motion graphics, and produce analysis sheets i which they described techincal comments, techniques/advanced techniques and a description of what is going on/what we see.
The first thing i want to talk about is the technical analysis of the sheets, which include video format, screen ratio, resolution, frame rate and compression. The main video formats used on analysis are wmv. and H.264. Some advantages of wmv. are that its file size is the biggest and can be embedded pretty much everywhere, for example: YouTube, Blogger etc. Also Vimeo is a great uploading site to use and is more professional. H.264 is also a standard for video compression and is currently one of the most used formats for the recording, compression and distribution of high definition video. It is a codec that uses dramatically lower bit rates but still manages to keep the quality of the image to a high level. These are the two main popular video formats that are used daily in adverts, films, TV programmes, stings, idents etc. DiVx is a good codec and compression file and is mainly used for files that you want to upload to the internet; it keeps the quality at a standard level. If in the future you want to change these files to a better quality, then the H.264 codec would be a great one to compress the file, as it will have a better image but the file will be smaller.
The average frame rate used in the 4 examples is 30 fps, and this is used because it gives a sense of reality to what you’re watching. A downside to using this particular frame rate is that it hinders the suspension of disbelief because it reminds the person of reality TV, because of the rate it is filmed in. Using 24 or 25 fps gives a more ‘cinematic’ feeling and doesn’t make what you’re watching look like a ‘home video’ rather than a film. Resolution means how many pixels are in the image, and the quality of the picture depends on what size screen it is being shown on. For example, putting a HD picture into a smaller screen keeps the quality of the HD but takes longer for it to load. It requires a codec to compress the file, and the end result is that it gives you a lower resolution image and takes less time. It is the same situation where 1080p content will still be watchable on your 720p display, with a marginal decrease in quality.
Example1
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Wrestlemania WWE Animated Caption
The first motion graphic I am going to talk about are animated caption. I chose a WWE Wrestlemania caption, because it caught my eye with how the graphic moved on the screen. This clip was sourced from YouTube. Moving on to the techniques which are used, there is quite a few. For an animated caption, the techniques are what you would expect; it uses animation, movement and visual effects to create the animated caption. It also uses motion graphic to display the rotations that happen on the animated belt. The visual effects that are used help create an illusion that it is very realistic, and using the belt as the main focus point we know it is about wrestling.
In this particular motion graphic, it uses a lot of sharpness on the object, and because of this i think it gives off a fierce aura, which relates to wrestling. The sharp lines and edges add more depth to the motion graphic, more than it would if the edges were soft. The graphic doesn’t use opacity, blur and distortion on this occasion, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be used when being recreated; this is what makes a person’s piece of work their own, by taking something and putting their own twist on it.
Sharpening edges is very easy when you know what to do, and what program to use and this is Adobe After Effects. It gives you a choice of tools to use and sharpen is one of them, and once you know what the tool looks like, its easy for you to navigate to this in the program.
Moving on to what I can actually see in the clip. At the beginning we see WWE Wrestlemania arena, with a massive crowd full of people, all cheering and applauding. The animated caption comes in on the screen from the left hand side. It spins round on the screen, and makes 3 rotations then finally lands in its final place. The ‘W’ logo in the middle of the caption spins around then lands itself in the centre, and that is the finished animated caption.
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ITV Sport World Cup Sting
For the sting, compared to the animated caption, this sting uses more effects and techniques. This makes it more detailed and more enjoyable to watch. The main technique that was used in the sting is animation, which is what brings the motion graphic together. Movement is also a key effect in the making of this because it is always moving and flowing into its next movement smoothly, and it moves from different positions on the screen a lot. It uses motion graphics to create the illusion of the movement and rotation because it is all done a computer, which is Computer Generated Imagery (CGI).
There is so much going on in this sting such as the movement and the rotation. I think rotation is used just as much as movement and it makes it ‘busy’. An advantage of the sting being full of things going on and being busy catches the eye more and makes people want to watch it more. I think that nothing overpowers anything, its all even and the use of graphics and visual effects are spread out evenly through the clip.
With the clip also using audio over the video, it gives the clip a more multimedia status, because it is exploring different parts of the media in one clip. This gives an extra edge to it than what it would if it had no sound at all. As I’ve said it uses rotation throughout and some other advanced techniques that it uses are sharpness. From watching the sting I could see that when the halo like objects are present on screen, the edges and the colour of these are very sharp and helps tone down the amount of curves and circular motions that are going on. The halo objects first appear blurred around the edges then the sharpness is gradually created as they turn around more. I’ve noticed from close inspection that the motion graphics don’t use opacity but they have a certain glow around the edges which makes the object appear lighter and brighter than it actually is. There is so much more going on in this motion graphic than there is in the previous one, and the finished result with the extra techniques used gives it a much better outcome.
In the sting, we can see a trophy turning round, which then forms a globe like structure, but could also be mistaken for a football. As it is based on the world cup, it think the structure looking like a globe and football is intended, and it kills two birds with one stone, by incorporating them two into one object. The ‘spherical object’ then looks like it is being formed from liquid in an upwards motion. After this has formed, the halo objects then appear on screen and circle round the trophy. I think that they may have done this to show ‘togetherness’ and that the two are connected and have to unite to form something special. The motions in this graphic are much more different to those in the wrestling one, because there is more going on.
To recreate both the stings and animated captions, I would use a program called Adobe After Effects. There is a wide range of animation, effects, tools that can be used to make something extremely similar. Below is an example of what can be found in After Effects to help you gain a better understanding.
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Monsters Inc.
For task 2, we had to again analyse our chosen motion graphic and choose 3 examples. I chose to analyse Titles and Credits becasue i felt i could give a alot of insight into the sequences. I'll go into detail on what goes into producing title sequences, the pros and cons of codecs/compression for this particular file and most importantly the technical comments. I will also discuss and compare techniques/advanced techniques thata re used to create the final product.
My first example of Titles and Credits that i looked at was Monsters Inc. I decided to analyse this particular sequence because it is all animation based. The technical comments for this are as follows:
Aspect ratio: 2.25:1 Anamorphic wide screen
Frame Rate: 23.976 fps
Resolution: 1280 x 688
Compression: A codec which can be used to compress this file is one called x624. A benefit of using x6n4 is that it offers the best quality yet the smallest file size.
Techniques which are used in this are those such as animation, movement, rotation and sharpness. All of these are used together to create the final sequence. The placement of objects and the way they move makes it clear to us that it is ananimated clip, and its also beneficial becasue it lets you know that the actual film is going to be animated, becasue we see characters that tell us this, To recreate the rotation and animation, i would use Adobe After Effects as it is the best program to use. To animate objects it involves key framing and moving the object onot its next position, this is easily done becasue i have had the experience to learn. As demonstrated earlier in the evaluation, there is a sharpen tool in After Effects wo create the sharp crisp lines and edges we see in animated sequences. Not much visual effects are used in this as there is no 'live footage' used in the slip, becasue it is all done on the computer in programs such as After Effects.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The second clip that i chose to analyse was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Like Monsters Inc it uses quite a few techniques/advanced techniques to displlay its graphics within it.
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen
Frame Rate: 25.000 fps
Resolution: 720 x 344
Compression: A codec which can be used to compress this file is one called DiVx. A pro to using this codec is that it is easy to set-up and use and is also very popular due to its ability to compress lengthy videos.
But you may not want to use this one as you have to pay for it, so an alternative codec that offers the same and is just as good in how it works is x624.
The techniques which are use in Ther Girl With The Dragon Tattoo are very fluid and in depth. The choice of colours used in the clip are very dark and this gives us an indication of how deep the story of the film actually is. It strays away from the ttypical animation and focuses more on using real life figures to create the graphics they want. The movement used in the clip is very elegant and detailed, and the lines of the fluid are crisp and flow really well.
The graphics used set the mood for the film, and draws the viewer in.
The techniques which are use in Ther Girl With The Dragon Tattoo are very fluid and in depth. The choice of colours used in the clip are very dark and this gives us an indication of how deep the story of the film actually is. It strays away from the ttypical animation and focuses more on using real life figures to create the graphics they want. The movement used in the clip is very elegant and detailed, and the lines of the fluid are crisp and flow really well.
The graphics used set the mood for the film, and draws the viewer in.
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