Cook Update

I have decided to go back and change the Cook sequence as a break from Guy Fawkes. This is what I have achieved ...

 

Further work

• Sort out timing, needs slowing down somehow as the places names appear too quickly to read 
  
• Change colour of the text - black for the place names makes them stand out too much
  

More Guy Fawkes Trials

3D camera layer and basement footage

3D camera/words/flickering fire footage/streaks of light

3D camera on the words and light streaks layers. 

I don't think it is necessary to use the 3d camera or layers as it is just making things more complex. As I am rotating the images you can see the edges so if I was to use this I would need to work on this problem. Also changing the perspective of the letters distorts to writing making it more difficult to read.

I have put a sepia glow adjustment layer over all the footage which I think is really effective in removing the greenish night filming glow. The only problem with this is in some of the footage the filming then looks over exposed. This can be corrected when I pick out my exact final clips and I can do this with that issue in mind.

Trapcode Trial

This is my experimentation which I have finally managed to make using AE Trapcode plugin and following internet tutorials. 

Now I have completed it I have realised that this won't work as well as I had hoped with the footage or the words I have created. I have also tried to create some typography only trials using my created alphabet and the Guy Fawkes rhyme. I have then used my original long exposure light photography with masks in AE to create my own moving streaks also.

Using the light exposures

My typeface and words created using the light writing. I really like the glow effect of these letters and the highlights of the light however as it was difficult to write each character has turned out quite modern, informal and rounded and I'm not sure this is exactly what I wanted for my Guy Fawkes sequence. However I want to attempt to use it against my footage.

More footage...

Some of the other filming I achieved:

Footage ... Guy Fawkes

Examples of the footage I managed to capture for Guy Fawkes. I used a sony night vision camera so the footage has a real spotlight effect which I would hope to tone down in my final sequence.

My filming aims were to record:

• an old cellar
  
• a flickering fire
  
• a spark
  
• a gloved hand
  
• boots
  
• all with an eerie/tense atmosphere

Ideas - draw out plans along the wall???

The only way I could get a flame was to use a match however Guy Fawkes obviously would not have used safety matches so need to use the sequence in such a way that this is not shown - maybe through masking of the footage

 

Light Streaks

Research - 

I really like the effect of ipod nano advert with the light streak running through. I have found these clips on Youtube that I also think could look effective and would next like to try and create my own version of light streak movement with the After Effects plug-in Trapcode Particular.

Guy Fawkes Idea

I have been researching and experimenting for this sequence over the weekend and I really like the idea of creating some kind of light writing/graffiti effect to link to the firework and fire aspect of Guy Fawkes. I have been trying to capture some lighting effects using long exposures (5 -30 seconds) Originally I wanted to spell out the name or the guy fawkes poem however this was too difficult and I think it would become incomprehensible on a title sequence therefore I tried to stick to simple shapes to use for plotting out the route/gunpowder plot plan and letters to create an alphabet.

Cook sequence so far

I wanted the quote to have some context so have decided to include a statue of Cook beforehand at the very beginning of the sequence for reference. 

Research Images:

Cook Background and chosen figure:

The background I wanted to look like a piece of old paper as though it could be pulled out from an ld traveling journal or such like.

Other files to I need to make up my titles - map, map lines of longitude and latitude to represent Cooks mapping skills, compass marks. From research I found that Cook's journey's were more easily represented on drawn out slightly differently from the standard atlas so I arrange me composition in this way too.

This how far I have come with my sequence at the moment I want to add more detail to the journey part such as plants representing Botany Bay and maybe put in the names and dates of destinations Cook encountered or explored. 

Experiment - Quote

Motion sketch to create exploding quote - needs slowing down... 

My experiment - random explosion of quote in AE

Altering scale of random exploding quote

The ending - reversed from the beginning all letters come together to form Cook's name

Text effects - Cook

For my Cook sequence I wanted to include some kind of animated type so firstly I experimented with different effects I could apply to the initial quote at the beginning of my sequence. 

Out of these effects the two closest to the kind of animation I want to achieve are the explosion and flying in/out clips. However neither is completely right so I attempted to produce the effect myself. For these I used motion sketch, keeping each character of the quote as an individual layer and moving them outwards. Next I changed the scale and rotation of each to make the whole quote explode more randomly and finally I rearranged them back into the correct start positions. (see following posts ...)

Captain Cook and Guy Fawkes Ideas and Storyboards

My initial ideas for CAPTAIN COOK

• An exploration of museum artifacts
• A narrative of his three voyages
• Around the world - spinning globe
• Journey through the eyes of Cook - his design and papers.
• Animation from map/storybook

COOK Rough Storyboard - 

• Start in present day - photograph of Cook monument. 
  
• Move from a quote to show his three voyages. 
  
• Pick out main points with visual imagery such as the Sun and Venus, trigonometry, algebra and astrology charts to depict his mission to track Venus traveling across the Sun or plants specimens and aboriginal tribes people to show his discoveries. These I will figure out from further research into specific details of his travels. 
• Have line/map route running through the entire sequence to illustrate his skills as a navigator and mapper

COOK Final Storyboard:

I have decided I want to complete this sequence in After Effects again this time using more typography and my own imagery. 

Initial Ideas for GUY FAWKES

As the brief is to try different approaches and moods for each sequence I want to attempt to film parts or the whole of my Guy Fawkes work. From research my thoughts are to film parts of the gunpowder plot, I only really want to create a series of clues as to what happens. My aims for filming are as follows:

• A gloved hand
• A dark underground cellar - could use caves?
• Gunpowder barrels
• A spark
• A fire
• Leather boots
• Writing of plans and warning letter (possibly put blur on text to only key point distinguishable)

Sound

I have been searching for a dark and threatening audio track to complete my sequence. Ideally I wanted it to come from the same period as William Blake's work and be something that complements his gothic romantic and biblical themes. From suggestions on the internet I have looked into the modern and jarring work of Shostakovitch as well as Rachimaninov's dark symphonies and piano concertos. I think that in the Tate's commissioned work using Carmina Burana's Carl Off is really effective in building tension and setting the mood.I am aiming for something similar. So far my preferred track for this sequence is Mars the Bringer of  War by Holst. 

 

Although I like this audio at the moment I am finding it difficult to make the movement I have already created fit with the pace of the music. I have decided to carry on looking for something which still has the same dark and intense qualities but is maybe a little more reflective and slow at the same time. 

I am also going to start my second and third sequences, these will be based upon Guy Fawkes and Captain James Cook. I now plan to work on them all together to help me keep the three looking like a series.

Sequence so far

The sequence slowed down into 20 seconds with background and titles ...

Backgrounds

Today I plan to add the backgrounds and sound to complete my first sequence. As I have previously unsuccessfully attempted to blend the figures against Blake's paintings, I have decided to create my own. I wanted these to fit with the paintings whilst being quite plain as I found that using Blake's artwork was too busy and distracted from the animated figures. 

I have used watercolour to create backgrounds inspired by Blake's work. I particularly like the flames and plan to put these behind the tormented figures as shown below.  

Originally I planned to start the sequence on a lighter background wash (see angels above) and have this become darker, however when I put this together in the animation it just became disjointed. Now I have decided to use only the darker wash and alter the brightness/contrast of this between key frames in After Effects.

Type

My chosen typefaces for this title sequence:

William Blake - Edwardian Script

Great British Heroes - Gill Sans

 

Ending???

Sketchbook page - initial ending idea...

Series title???

The BBC's series was called 'Greatest Britons,' for my series I have chosen a name along similar lines... 'Great British Heroes.' I plan to have each person's name written in a unique style of typeface but this title will remain constant between all. I will therefore choose a simple sans serif typeface (Gills Sans, Helvetica, Verdana, etc??) that will not distract or compete with the other elements of the animation.

Attempt 2

This is my second attempt I have taken out the figure I didn't like but I still feel the sequence moves too quickly. To solve this problem, I am going to reduce the key frame differences in each figure's scale and position. Hopefully, this will help the sequence flow more smoothly. 

I also want to add the series title at the end to maintain a link between all three sequences.

Almost..

My first attempt at the full sequence.

I am pleased with how it is going in general but there are some bits I want to change: 

... the animation is too long and moves to quickly

... some of the images don't focus properly as they are moving too fast

... I would also like to remove the figure shown below as I don't think it fits very well anymore.

Blake Backgrounds????

With this sequence I was testing how I could add some kind of background to the figures. I tried to rotate the figure in the foreground and then merge/fade it into another of Blake's works. 

The two paintings I used:

Animation Update

 

These animation sequences are where I am at now. I've just been playing around with a camera layer and making the figures 3D. I like the added depth this gives but I think that the distortion the 3D property adds to the figures makes the sequence look strange. I prefer the movement I have created with the 2D layers so far but want to experiment more with this tomorrow.

Animating angels

Here is just a quick example of what I plan to do with the cut out figures. I am happy with this idea now so my next step is to continue adding and animating more imagery from Blake's work.

Storyboards...

Now I have found the figures I want to use I feel more confident in storyboarding a sequence that will work. Here are two ideas from my sketchbook. As I now have all my files prepared my next stage is just to go into After Effects and experiment with the imagery I have. 

More figures

Further examples of Blake's figures that I have cut out and adapted for experimentation in After Effects                        

Further Research

From the scanned images I have decided I want only the main figures to move therefore I have had to take them into Photoshop cut them all out and prepare them for After Effects. Here are some examples of my chosen artworks and figures so far..

Paintings

I found some really good books on William Blake in the library which I was able to scan his paintings from. I went through these to find images that I thought would fit well in my sequence. There are quite a few repeated motifs and figures within Blake's work so I have mainly been looking at links between paintings and picking out elements that I could animate into each other smoothly. 

Below are examples of my sketchbook pages where I have been trying to work out ideas from the found imagery.                                                                                                                           

Storyboard Idea 1

Now I have worked out how to animate parts of the work as though they are being drawn out I have started to think about how this could be put into my title sequence. Rather than just being a series of ink drawings I want to combine these with Blake's paintings in order to keep the sequence interesting and add more of a feel for his overall work. Below is my rough storyboard for this.                                                                                                             

Imagery from research

Examples of further imagery and ink drawings I have picked out from William Blake's work to animate. I particularly like the bird and snakes and think this could be used effectively at the beginning of the sequence.                                                                                                                                                                  

Masks

Quick Experimentation for my first title sequence

William Blake's etching scanned into Photoshop, small section made into ink outline.

Imported to After Effects, masks applied to reveal the image over time.

Further work??

Sort out speed/ add to complete etching or background/ try with feather on the mask