Motion Graphic Inspiration

Over the past week I've been looking at different ways to animate within After Effects. Something I'd never looked into previously was how the League of Legends animated illustrations are made. The process which is used to create these is very similar to what I was going to be using in my project. All of the animated illustrations they use are exactly that, illustrations animated with visual effects.
http://www.riotgames.com/illustrations-come-life-league%E2%80%99s-login-screens

Another is Hearthstone's golden card portraits. These are made in Unity using different shader effects, whereas the previous example uses After Effects Because of this, the process is considerably different to mine, but I may look at emulating some of the effects made within After Effects.

There are a lot of different techniques used within these animations that I'd never even thought possible. It'll be interesting for me to see if I'm able to come up with something new, since I'll be creating the illustration with animatable parts in mind.

Goals For the End Result

To communicate what I'm hoping to achieve with this project, here are some examples of how I was imagining the end result would look;

This example is far from seamless, but it's easy to imagine what it would look like if it was perfectly looped. A result like this is very achievable, but I will be testing my limits by doing something with as much movement as this.

This gif is a perfect loop, however the only thing that is animated is the background. So my project will feature a lot more moving components than what this features.

Reflection on Brief Changes

The idea I began with was to look at how kinesthetic learning could be communicated with visuals, showing something moving within a static image. However, as I researched this & snowboarding techniques further, I began to drift more towards having something focused on how kinesthetic techniques could be learnt through visuals instead. The idea of showing motions as a visual is what visual learning is all about, so it made sense to head in this direction. The idea for my animation would stay the same, but the chosen discipline would be a lot clearer.

I decided to go with 20-40 rough layouts because when I did the task for the 'Wise Old Fool', I found my ideas had all but burnt out by around the 30th concept, I began to repeat ideas and wasn't really generating anything worthwhile. I imagine this is close to my limit for any concept development, and 20 concepts is plenty to choose from. If I find I still have ideas left at 20 concepts, then I will continue to produce them until I hit the limit of 40, as that is bordering on too many. From this point I will refine 5 illustrations, as I would like to aim for quality rather than quantity. From these 5 I will animate 3, then select a final piece from those. I will also be doing some animation tests throughout the project to see what I'm able to achieve within After Effects as well as what works and what doesn't, meaning I won't run into any issues towards the end of the project.

Hopefully I will learn a lot in terms of illustration, rendering and effects throughout the entirety of the project, as this is one of the main reasons why I chose to do the experimental animation this way. I've also chosen to limit myself to environments only as not only does a character over complicate the composition, but I would like to focus my attentions on environments and world building from this point onward.

Visual Learning Research

"Singer (1980) suggested that visual perception is probably the most important source of information for sports. The visual learner learns best receiving information through their eyes. The visual learner thinks spatially in terms of shapes, patterns, symbols, concept maps and word pictures (Dunn, 2009). Visual learners are very good at thinking laterally, tuning into the larger picture. Verbal clues stimulate the brain of visual learners in ways that further prepare them to engage in future tasks (Call, 2004). "

Quoted from: http://www.f4lcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Learning-Styles.pdf

Unknown Author. (2012). Identifying learning preferences to develop teaching of sport and the relationship between coach and athlete [Literature Review]. Retrieved on 14th September 2016 from http://www.f4lcoaching.com/general/identifying-learning-preferences-to-develop-teaching-of-sport-and-the-relationship-between-coach-and-athlete/

Brief Mock-Up 04

Brief Mock-Up 04;

Chosen Discipline: Visual Learning Within Snowboarding.

Creative process:

For my experimental animation I will be looking at how snowboarding tricks & manoeuvres can be broken into visual steps, and how when they're well refined they can flow together as one motion.

I plan to create a fully rendered frame, then break it up into individual pieces, as if it were a step by step visual, and then convert the pieces into an animation. I want the final result to appear seamless and look extremely fluid, very similar to how a well refined snowboard trick would look.

I'll be creating a large range of illustrations and concepts for a rendered static frame based off of research on a range of environments. I will be working to my own quotas to create a large variety of different designs leading up to the final piece.
The process I will be working through is; 20-40 rough layouts, 5 animation tests, 5 refined illustrations, 3 roughly animated illustrations and 1 clean, polished animation. I will be receiving peer feedback at the end of each stage to ensure I'm refining the best concepts.

Once I've worked through the above quotas and the quality of the final animation reflects the chosen discipline, the brief will be completed.

To package the animation I will need to spend time working in After Effects to composite and connect everything seamlessly. I could also create a non-looped version which compares the original illustration to the completed animation. [238 words]

(150-250 words)


Scope of the project:

The final animation will be a complete loop of around 10 seconds, I will be allowing myself 3 seconds leeway.

The software I will be using throughout the project will include Photoshop, After Effects, Maya & Mudbox.

The format for the completed animation will be a full resolution .mp4, and a compressed .gif or similar loop-able format. Towards the end of the project I will test different formats for creating a looped video, as I feel a .gif may not be the most appropriate.

I will not be requiring any extra resources or equipment for the project.

Some restrictions I will be setting myself is that the final animation must be done within a single after effects composition , to make it easy to loop, and the level of detail for the final illustration must not be too complex that it creates seams. The limits for detail will be investigated during the animation tests. I may also decide on a set colour palette to use in order to limit designs, this will be decided when I begin refining the rendered frames. [180 words]

(150-250 words)


Objectives of the project:

I will be utlising peer feedback to determine if the overall quality of the project is high enough. I am aiming for my final animation to be completely seamless and for each 'separate piece' to move in a unique way, meaning It won't use repeated frames.

I have taken on this project as I think it will be a good way to improve my texturing, visual effects and illustration abilities all at once. I also have a very strong interest in my chosen discipline, so am looking forward to researching it further.

My final animation will be targeted towards an adolescent to adult audience who will find the style of illustrations appealing. The target audience could change dramatically depending on what my final illustration is.

Throughout the process I'll be using the animation principles I've learnt to convert snowboarding techniques into animated movements. I will be using design knowledge to create something that is visually appealing as a static image as well as an animation. I can make use of narrative principles to create the sense of an entire world within a short looped animation. [185 words]

(150-250 words)

Snowboarding Research

The concept of learning to perform snowboard tricks is very similar to learning the animation principles. To begin with you learn each one step by step, only using one principle at a time; but with practice you combine all of the techniques together without even having to give the fundamentals a second thought; the result is a very smooth combination that blends the principles together seamlessly.

As you can see in the videos, a trick has several 'parts' to it (setup, take-off, air, landing & ride out), with each part having a series of movements you must perform in sequence in order to land the trick. As the rider gets more advanced they will begin stringing together all the different motions without even having to think about the basic movements.

How I want to go about creating my animation loop is exactly that, I want it to look like a well refined snowboarding trick. The viewer should be seeing the animated illustration as a whole, rather than seeing something that is broken down into steps. It would not be until they took a very close look at the animation that they were able to see the processes used to create the final loop.

This video shows all the different motions involved in performing one of the simplest snowboard tricks. To someone who doesn't know how to do the trick they might be unaware of the complexity of the movements, but to someone who has practised this trick countless times they might not even be aware of the movements they're making, as it comes without thought.

This video is an example of how more complex tricks include a combination of different techniques, the more difficult the trick is the more movements the rider must combine in sequence in order to land the trick successfully.

Kinesthetic Learning as Visuals

This is an example of kinesthetic learning being broken down into visual steps.

Source: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/4445-how-to-ollie-on-your-skateboard

Comic Remix

Since I missed the class for the first exercise on playing; here is my comic remix.

Abstracting & Patterning

"What does society look like when it is working at its best?"
I combined the ideas taken from the patterning & abstract transdisciplinary exercises to create this loop.

Brief Mock-Up 03

Brief Mock-Up 03;

Chosen Discipline: Technical Elements of Snowboarding

Creative process:

For my experimental animation I will be integrating the element of kinesthetic learning being broken down into visual steps.

I will be animating an otherwise static image in After Effects by breaking it up into individual moving pieces, giving a still frame life and movement.

I'll be creating a large range of illustrations and concepts for the static frame based off of research on a range of environments. I will be working to my own quotas to create a large variety of different designs. the quotas are a minimum of;
20-50 rough layouts and 5 animation tests, 10 refined illustrations, 3 roughly animated illustrations and 1 clean, polished animation. I will be receiving peer feedback at the end of each stage to ensure I'm refining the best concepts.

Once I've met all of the set quotas and my final piece is a fully animated seamless loop the brief will be complete.

To package the animation I will need to spend time working in After Effects to composite and connect everything seamlessly. I could also create a non-looped version which compares the original illustration to the completed loop. [187 words]

(150-250 words)


Scope of the project:

For my final  animation I will be aiming for a completed loop to be anywhere between 2-10 seconds.

The software I will be using throughout the project may include Photoshop, After Effects, Maya & Mudbox.

The format for the completed animation will be a mp4, webm, gif or similar loop-able format. Some research may need to be done here to decide which format is the most appropriate.

I will not be requiring any extra resources or equipment for the project.

Some restrictions I will be setting myself is the level of detail for the final illustration. This is because the more detailed the illustration is, the more difficult it will be to animate a seamless loop. I will be testing the level of detail I will be able to achieve whilst working through the test animation phase of the project. I will also have to be wary of any technical constraints while working within After Effects as everything is going to need to fit within a single composition. [168 words]

(150-250 words)


Objectives of the project:

I will be utlising peer feedback to determine if the overall quality of the project is high enough. I will be pushing myself to create something to the best of my ability. If my final animation is completely seamless and each piece moves in a unique way then I will be pleased with the end result.

I have taken on this project as I think it will be a good way to improve my texturing, visual effects and illustration abilities all at once.

My final animation will be targeted towards an adolescent to adult audience who will find the fantasy style illustrations appealing. The target audience could change dramatically depending on what my final illustration is.

Throughout the process I'll be using the animation principles I've learnt to convert snowboarding techniques into animated movements. I will be using design knowledge to create something that is visually appealing as a static image as well as an animation. I can make use of narrative principles to create the sense of an entire world a short looped animation. [175 words]

(150-250 words)

Exquisite Corpse Animation

My transition for the class Exquisite Corpse animation.
The final frame was provided to me by Lauren.

Brief Mock-Up 02

Brief Mock-Up 02;

Chosen Discipline: Technical Elements of Snowboarding

Creative process:
• What aspect of your chosen discipline are you going to integrate into animation?
- Kinesthetic learning broken into visual steps.
• How will it integrate into the animation process?
- I will be animating an otherwise static image in After Effects by breaking it up into individual moving pieces.
• How will you generate ideas and content?
- I'll be creating a large range of illustrations and concepts for the static frame based off of research on a range of environments. I will be working to my own quotas to create a large variety of different designs; Anywhere between 20-50 rough layouts. Further developing 10 of these concepts. Then choosing 3 of the selected to be completed illustrations, and to be roughly animated.

1 chosen final animation to be cleaned and polished.

• At what point will you know the project is “finished”? What will mark the end of your process?
- Once I've met the previous quotas and the final piece is a fully animated seamless loop.
• Will you need to do anything extra to the animation to “package” it in an appealing way?
- Compositing and effects in After Effects to connect everything seamlessly. I could also show a comparison to the original image.
(150-250 words)


Scope of the project:
• How long will the animation be?
- A short loop, anywhere between 2-10 seconds.
• What software or other animation tools will you be using?
- Photoshop, After Effects, Maya & Mudbox.
• What format will it be in?
- The completed animation will be a video, gif or similar format.
• Will you need to source any extra equipment or resources to complete the project? If so, have you considered how you will source them?
- None.
• What other restrictions or parameters need to be considered?
- The level of detail, technical constraints, a consistent style & colour palette to connect everything as one illustration.
(150-250 words)


Objectives of the project:
Your brief should be written in a way that encourages a good standard of work. Here are a few things to think about:
• How do you know if you’ve done a good job? How will you measure the quality of whatever the end result will be?
- Create something that's animated seamlessly and mesmerizing to look at.
• What do you hope to get out of it? Is it purely for enjoyment? Are you trying out new techniques? Is there a particular skill you’d like to improve on?
- I would like to improve my texturing and illustration abilities; learn about procedural generations within Maya and After Effects, and further explore advanced techniques within After Effects.
• Who are the target audience?
- An adolescent to adult audience who will find the style of illustrations appealing. The target audience could change dramatically depending on what my final illustration is.
• How can you utilise your existing knowledge of animation, design and narrative principles to enhance the appeal of the project?
- I'll be able to use animation principles to convert snowboarding techniques into animated movements. I will be using design knowledge to create something that is visually appealing as a static image as well as an animation. I can make use of narrative principles to create the sense of an entire world a short looped animation.
(150-250 words)

Brief Mock-Up 01

Brief Mock-Up 01;

Chosen Discipline: Technical Elements of Snowboarding

Creative process:
• What aspect of your chosen discipline are you going to integrate into animation?
- How the movements required to perform technical tricks and maneuvers can be broken down into steps.
• How will it integrate into the animation process?
- I will be animating an otherwise static image with it broken into individual moving pieces.
• How will you generate ideas and content?
- Illustrations and concept generation inspired by Snowboarding pop culture. Testing procedural generation and sewing different combinations together in After Effects. I will be creating renders within Maya and other assets within Photoshop to piece together a complete illustration within After Effects.
• At what point will you know the project is “finished”? What will mark the end of your process?
- When I have a fully animated loop of an image, and each frame of the animation works well as a unique static image.
• Will you need to do anything extra to the animation to “package” it in an appealing way?
- Compositing and effects in After Effects to connect everything seamlessly.
(150-250 words)

Scope of the project:
• How long will the animation be?
- A short loop, anywhere between 2-10 seconds.
• What software or other animation tools will you be using?
- Photoshop, After Effects, Maya.
• What format will it be in?
- The completed animation will be a video, gif or similar format.
• Will you need to source any extra equipment or resources to complete the project? If so, have you considered how you will source them?
- I don't believe I will need any extra equipment.
• What other restrictions or parameters need to be considered?
- The level of detail, technical constraints, a consistent style & colour palette to connect everything as one illustration.
(150-250 words)

Objectives of the project:
Your brief should be written in a way that encourages a good standard of work. Here are a few things to think about:
• How do you know if you’ve done a good job? How will you measure the quality of whatever the end result will be?
- Create something that's animated seamlessly, but each frame remains looking like a completed illustration.
• What do you hope to get out of it? Is it purely for enjoyment? Are you trying out new techniques? Is there a particular skill you’d like to improve on?
- I would like to improve my texturing and illustration abilities, also learning about procedural generations within Maya and After Effects. I will be trying something entirely new, animating a static image.
• Who are the target audience?
- An adolescent to adult audience who will find Snowboarding pop-culture style illustrations appealing.
• How can you utilise your existing knowledge of animation, design and narrative principles to enhance the appeal of the project?
- I'll be able to use animation principles to convert snowboarding techniques into animated movements. I will be using design knowledge to create something that is visually appealing as a static image as well as an animation. I can use narrative principles to convey a story within a short looped animation.
(150-250 words)

Essence of Snowboarding

I wasn't entirely sure where to go with this exercise. Because my discipline is breaking the sport down into steps, I decided it'd be appropriate to create a Digimon inspired character;
And what better way to define the sport than the elusive Bogan, which lead to this monstrosity.

Model of History

I decided to look at this exercise from an intergalactic perspective. I tried to show the expansion of the universe while showing a planet orbiting the sun to communicate the idea of time progression.

Developed Transdisciplinary Idea

After thinking about the idea & discussing with classmates I've decided to focus on the technical sides of the sports where there are specific movements to be made in sequence in order to perform an action.
Things such as tricks or runs where each and every movement must be precise/planned in order to come together to complete the movements.

Feedback:
I talked to Dane about this idea, working to my strengths & interests, Dane suggested I look at portraying movement within static frames. Or look at the mathematical side of procedural generation, or even the maths involved within sport. The idea that appeals the most to me out of the two is definitely portraying movement within static frames. I will begin refining this idea shortly, and seeing if I can find anything similar to what I could potentially achieve.

Kinisthetic Learning + Snowboarding Research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1zEBh5HLH8
https://child1st.com/blogs/resources/113559047-16-characteristics-of-kinesthetic-and-tactile-learners

Hamish's Animation Brief

An experimental animation I made based on a brief provided to me by Hamish. The brief described an experience Kayaking, where Hamish was watching Jellyfish beneath the water. He then hit them with his paddle...

Transdisciplinary Animation, Initial Ideas

I would really like to create an animation which is based on the movements of a sport. Particularly Skateboarding Snowboarding, or possibly Ice Hockey.

When everything goes right with these sports the movement is very flowing and natural, the tricks are made to look effortless and weightless. However, when a trick is failed or an action must be taken the movements are very violent and sporadic.

With these sports there is also a lot of technical skill involved which often goes unnoticed. These could be very small movements to centre the athletes balance or a very small shift in weight to prepare for a trick/jump. I think it could be a good idea to include some of these very small details within my animation.

Dane mentioned I should look into Kinesthetic Learning.

Abstract Water Animation