Draft Proposal

Here is my draft proposal, I thought I'd put it up if It's needed for what ever random purpose it may have......... HERE.

Concept Task Week 5:

5 Image sequence, restriction task. Experimental.

Damn it!

I'm really stuck with a solid final project idea! I need to start again with my brainstorm and se if something more suited comes up.

:( dang

Final BRIEF: Concept Task Week 5

Choose ONE of your 4 ideas. Then Recreate it according to ONE of the restrictions below:

- Express your idea as a telephone conversation (dialogue only).
- Express your idea as a sequence of 5 stills.
- Plan your idea as a gallery installation - physical objects in a gallery that the audience can interact with.
- Express your idea as a ‘Post Secret'. See http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
You could imagine this were created by one of your characters - or make it from yourself.

This version of your idea should stand alone. It should come as close to expressing your idea as it can in this alternate form. Please include the outcome in your Workbook.

???

Questions I'm Asking Myself:

I'm really not sure what to go with for my final major assignment concept. I've really been thinking about which concept I should run with, 3d characters or the experimental film?

Questions I've been asking myself: What is the best piece that will show off my skills? What do I want to do after I finish the course? What will work best in my portfolio? Which is achievable? All these questions I've asked myself a million times. 

Finally I think I may have made up my mind, I will head towards the impossible! I will really put myself on the line and go with the experimental film. This is a dangerous concept to go with as it really is a succeed or fail concept, there is no in between with the results.

The reason i will be going with this concept is that I really believe that it has potential to be something great. After the course finishes I'd really like to head towards camera work either in TV stations, documentaries, out in the field anything that I can get into. The experimental piece will be shot with some really nice camera shots which would be a great addition to my final portfolio for work in the future.

Also having the time limit to work too will really push and motivate me to get things done on time, organization will be much better if im under some sort of pressure. If I decided to do this concept out of school it most probably wouldn't even end up being created.

The 3D characters concept is something which I could easily do out of school, 3D is something much easier that can be worked on in your spare time.

Im still summing up all the positives and negatives from each concept and fleshing each out to see where they take me but at the moment, falling chaos' the experimental video piece is the concept path I will be taking.

Kate's Thought's:

Feedback on Ideas:

(1) You’ve got quite a number of genres/ elements suggested here. Thriller and western? Cowboys AND FBI Agents? That lends it a surreal aspect. You’d need to have definite intention in using all these elements. The twist is a common one, meaning you’d have to have the rest of the details developed well so that the film has other points of interest. I’m not as interested in this as in your other ideas – although combining genres if really pushed could be interesting.  

(2) It’s ok to start with a technique you are interested in but you do need to anchor it to a strong concept and make it your own. Following one object after another could be an interesting form for a story – how could you build a common theme around each moment that we see?  

(3) Things falling from the sky and smashing is a nice image. Is this a video piece? Obvious challenges if so would be filming locations/materials and being able to obtain the camera angles you wanted. If you want this to be an ad it will have to be limited to a standard ad length and will have to be very polished. You’ll also need to develop it so that the pay-off is appropriate to the themes/ imagery in the setup, whether it’s an ad or a short film. I’d explore both options if you develop this further. 

(4) What’s interesting here is your use of those really basic building blocks of 3D – why have you chosen these? Do they have distinct personalities as well as abilities? Figuring out the detail of the ‘puzzles’ they need to solve and why it takes the three of them seems a next step.

Concept Task Week 4:

Interrogation 2,

 3D Animation:

This concept is a complete full 3D animation. It starts off with a basic shape like a cube that transforms into a character, the character will grow all the basic features; legs, arms, eyes but still keeping it really simple. The character will then begin to travel along the screen. As his walking he suddenly bumps into a sphere who also transforms into a character, he grows wings and pops out eyes still very basic, has the ability to fly around, they continue traveling along the screen as they bump into a pyramid, who also transforms into a character and all three continue along screen. They come to a roadblock a wall stands in their way, they must work together to get past and solve this problem. They eventually solve the problem but unfortunately get trapped in a box/cage. In this box/cage there is a button on the wall that states: “press to activate”, box boy walks over and clicks button, the camera zooms out to reveal the box/cage is actually the original Box boy before the transformation, the animation clip can then repeat itself on a loop.

There personalities will be defined by there actions; the animation has to be nice clear/clean.

 

Kate's Thought's:

What’s interesting here is your use of those really basic building blocks of 3D – why have you chosen these? Do they have distinct personalities as well as abilities? Figuring out the detail of the ‘puzzles’ they need to solve and why it takes the three of them seems a next step

 

Interrogation: 

Who are my characters?

There will be three main characters each character transforms from a simple shape (cube, sphere, pyramid) into a more advanced character but still fairly simple that only has those basic features.

 

What style is the animation going to be like?

The animation will have a clean simple style to the characters and the background environment. Soft and clean.

 

What are the puzzles they must past?

A wall of some sort with an odd shape hole in the middle of it, the three must work together to create the shape needed to pass through the wall.

 

What is the length of the animation?

The animation will be around 30-40 seconds long that can be replayed on a constant loop.

 

What background is going to be used, color, white, real scene?

The environment will be very simple either a soft light solid colour or a basic white background with shadows from the characters, very simple.

 

Are the characters going to be textured?

No they will be sold colour no textures, one colour will be selected to each character but using various shades to make the character soft.

 

What are the characters personalities?

The box boy is the smart safe, sensible one; the pyramid is the tough muscle guy, and the sphere is the curious character who gets the others into trouble but still has a cutesy tone to its personality.

 

What's the sound/ music going to be like?

The music will be happy subtle tones; the characters wont talk but will make harmonic grunt type noises when they communicate to each other through their actions.

 

What is the target audience?

Target audience will be a younger age as it does deal with a happy feeling theme, which would really intrigue a younger based audience. Anyone interested in animation will also be interested in watching the clip.

 

 

Inclass Interrogation of Idea:

Interrogation,

Name: Michael Hall
Concept Synopsis:

The third idea is sort of random; it’s a experimental video type concept that I think may be great for a TV add of some sort, would sit well in that medium. The basic plot starts off with objects falling from the sky. TVs, cupboards, glass windows, all fall from the sky from a great height. There will be lots of quick camera cut shots, close ups, wide shots etc, hence the chaos feel.

After all these random objects fall from the sky smashing into the ground the camera will turn and pan to the perfect degree (which will be the top view), to reveal a picture from all the smashed objects.

The chaos has created unity with itself creating a very calm pleasant picture of the product being published.

Product may be my name, title of production, logo, or maybe just a cool picture of a dragon fighting a man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWnj7ZNxa_M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bb8P7dfjVw

The Sony Bravia Ads are a perfect example of what I would like to head towards with this concept. The Ad of the explosion of colours starts off with a calm atmosphere then transforms into chaos as all the colour explosions set off. Once the chaos is complete the calm atmosphere returns, a pleasant outcome that restates the product being published. The use of the chaos actions has produced a clear calm product outcome. The same kind of feel/ motion I would like to take to my experimental video.

Project Type:

• Experimental Film

Are you Stuck with anything?

• How to pull it off?

Interrogation:

How will I create the camera movements involved?

I will possibly build many rigs and use dollies etc to create the flow of some of the shots but the rest will use steady cams for more close up shots.

How many cameras will be used to shoot with??

Im guessing around 5-6 to get all angles at once as it's hard to redo the shot over if one angle doesn't work so well.

How big is the crew/ how many people needed?

I have many people that will be willing to help out, but the crew needed will have to be around 10 people, mostly needed for the filming.

Why do I want to create this piece?

I want to create this piece because I believe it could work! It has potential to being a piece that would really stand out in my portfolio. The image I have in my mind is really strong that if it works out would create a very interesting stand out piece. Not to mention fun to make :)

Target audience?

Im thinking that it would be a great piece that would sit well in a TV advertisement medium. So the target audience in that case would be the TV audience. But for this assignment the target audience would be film / experimental based people that would find this clip intriguing. 

Sound scape that will be used?

I would like the music to be the dominant part of the sound scape, which will be some kind of opera type music. The sounds of the objects smashing will either be non- existent or at a very low volume with effects added to suit the shots.

What's the location that will be filmed at?

In the country area where I live, there is plenty of open fields which I am available too.

How will I get the equipment to be used throughout the piece?

I have most of the equipment including the rigs, but I will have to hire extra camera which will be the small 3 chip DV cameras.

How much will the production cost?

The cost could be anywhere up-to $1000 which is the costs of getting the objects to smash, and the organization and building of the rigs will be the most cost heavy issues.

How do I want it to be interpreted to the audience?

I want the audience to interpret this piece how ever they want too, but the main interpretation would be gaining the understanding of the connection between the imagery and the product in such a abstract relationship.

BRIEF: Concept Task Week 4:

Interrogate Idea:

Interrogate one of your other ideas. Choose AT LEAST ten questions from the lists generated in class (by all the groups). (I may also provide some additional questions to choose from.) Ask and answer them of one of your ideas.

You should also be working towards your concept presentation (Week 7).

Research Task week 3:

Research For Idea:

This idea is sort of random; it’s a experimental video type concept that I think may be great for a TV add of some sort, would sit well in that medium. The basic plot starts off with objects falling from the sky. TVs, cupboards, glass windows, all fall from the sky from a great height. There will be lots of quick camera cut shots, close ups, wide shots etc, hence the chaos feel.
After all these random objects fall from the sky smashing into the ground the camera will turn and pan to the perfect degree (which will be the top view), to reveal a picture from all the smashed objects.
The chaos has created unity with itself creating a very calm pleasant picture of the product being published.
Product may be my name, title of production, logo, or maybe just a cool picture of a dragon fighting a man.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bb8P7dfjVw&feature=related

The Sony Bravia Ads are a perfect example of what I would like to head towards with this concept. The Ad of the explosion of colours starts off with a calm atmosphere then transforms into chaos as all the colour explosions set off. Once the chaos is complete the calm atmosphere returns, a pleasant outcome that restates the product being published. The use of the chaos actions has produced a clear calm product outcome. The same kind of feel/ motion I would like to take to my experimental video.

Concept Week 4 Idea's:

4 Idea's:

Idea 1: First idea is a short film. It will be a short thriller/ mystery/ action type film of a cowboy western character coming across a devastating scene where bodies of FBI agents and gang members flood the dessert floor. The hunter character explores the scene to find out who is behind the dramatic amount of bloodshed only to find out the character behind it all is actually a small fury rabbit! Or something unbelievable like that.

 

Idea 2: My second idea is to create a world of 2D images that will be placed into a 3D environment, a environment full of 2D layers. The use of this technique could be used to show off such topics as: An object moving from A to B (like a paper plane flying through the sky to a destination) clouds, tree, environment will be moving 2D layer elements. Another idea could be a bullet fired that will travel through an environment slicing through everything it touches. Or a leaf blowing in the wind, which leads onto other objects that will take over as the object the camera will follow. Sort of like the piece Gena Moore showed us in advanced 3D of a wine TV add, it dealt with 2D elements animating in a 3D environment, It’s a concept I’ve always wanted to try.

 

Idea 3: The third idea is sort of random; it’s a experimental video type concept that I think may be great for a TV add of some sort, would sit well in that medium. The basic plot starts off with objects falling from the sky. TVs, cupboards, glass windows, all fall from the sky from a great height. There will be lots of quick camera cut shots, close ups, wide shots etc, hence the chaos feel. After all these random objects fall from the sky smashing into the ground the camera will turn and pan to the perfect degree (which will be the top view), to reveal a picture from all the smashed objects.

The chaos has created unity with itself creating a very calm pleasant picture of the product being published. Product may be my name, title of production, logo, or maybe just a cool picture of a dragon fighting a man.

 

Idea 4: The final concept is a complete full 3D animation. It starts off with a basic shape like a cube that transforms into a character, the character will grow all the basic features; legs, arms, eyes but still keeping it really simple. The character will then begin to travel along the screen. As his walking he suddenly bumps into a sphere who also transforms into a character, he grows wings and pops out eyes still very basic, has the ability to fly around, they continue traveling along the screen as they bump into a pyramid, who also transforms into a character and all three continue along screen. They come to a roadblock a wall stands in their way, they must work together to get past and solve this problem. They eventually solve the problem but unfortunately get trapped in a box/cage. In this box/cage there is a button on the wall that states: “press to activate”, box boy walks over and clicks button, the camera zooms out to reveal the box/cage is actually the original Box boy before the transformation, the animation clip can then repeat itself on a loop.

There personalities will be defined by there actions; the animation has to be nice clear/clean.

 

So that’s my four basic concepts, I might stick with either the 3D animation or the Experimental Film, I’ll see where they take me once fleshed out a bit more.

BRIEF: Research Task Week 3:

Your RESEARCH TASK for Week 3 was to do some visual research for one of your ideas. Find some research images (moving or still). Provide a reference and a brief paragraph explaining what aspects of this visual research are relevant to your concept.

Concept Task Week 3:

BOOK COVER

AGAINST GRAVITY
GARY GIBSON 
Publisher: TOR
Category: SC FICTION
PAPERBACK BOOK, $21.95, In Stock (Stock On Order) Which Shop? 

In the late twenty-first century, you will find a very different world. Little is as it used to be, and many are not what they seem.
Kendrick Gallmon, survivor of an infamous research facility called the Maze, is trying to pick up the pieces of his life, even though he knows the Labrat augments are slowly killing him. Then one day his heart stops beating, forever, and a ghost urges him to return to the source of all his nightmares, a long-abandoned military complex filled with entirely real voices of the dead.

Key Aspects of Blurb:

• Different World
• Nothing is what it used to be
• Research Facility
• 'Maze'
• Lab-rats killing the professor, Mentally/psychically
• Non beating Heart
• Ghosts'
• Nightmares
• Voices of the dead

Basic Quick Thought's:

• Rat's eating the last of a corpse but leaving the heart untouched
• Two people one on each side of the cover, one resembles death the other life
• The professor stuck in a maze with giant Lab-rats watching over him!

Cover:

BRIEF: Concept Task Week 3:

BOOK COVER TASK

Design a cover for one of the book titles provided.

You can source images and graphics from the internet if you want, or make your own

- How will your design allude to the content of the book
- How will your design suggest the style and genre of the book?
- How will your design appeal to the target audience of the book?
- What about the author? Is the author important?

(Publishing houses also often want their own branding identity to be visible in their titles – eg. Penguin – but don’t worry about this for this task)

Books (Pick 1):

- AGAINST GRAVITY - Gary Gibson
- STEEP APPROACH TO GARBADALE - Iain Banks
- GROTESQUE - Natsuo Kirino
- HOLLYWOOD WIVES: THE NEW GENERATION - Jackie Collins

Research Task Week 2:

A callous pair who used their pet ferrets as bowling balls and posted footage of it on YouTube said today: "It's not cruel - ferrets love playing games."

Now removed from the site, the footage showed English YMCA worker Andy Thomas and a female colleague hurling them at plastic bottles at a centre in Halifax, Yorkshire.T

he woman is heard joking "now I've got video evidence for the RSPCA" as she throws one. 

Thomas's brother Lee, 38, did call the RSPCA.

I found this article extremely random, I couldn't believe that someone has actually bowled ferrets at bottles! What the hell! Then somehow got this random act into a news paper article! 

This intrigues me how ever how this article actually came to happen! How did the writer come across this story? Why did the bowlers make this public? Why were they even doing such a random act? 

Thats what I find most interesting about this article is the path it took to becoming a article in a news paper in the first place.

Possible concepts:

• A 2d animation of people using random animals as everyday objects in real life, (a toaster could be a squirrel, a vaccum cleaner - a seal, a tall lamp - a giraffe)
  
• 'Attack of the Ferrets' the ferrets are bowling balls that realize that the are being abused so they form a plan of attack to take over the world.
• A world where the worst thing you can do is to abuse ferrets, ferrets are gods in the world of men. The story is about a serial offender who continuously abuse's ferrets. The FBI is after the culprit.

Just some quick possible concepts that could be formed from this article.

BRIEF: Research Task Week 2:

Non-fiction starting points.

Find an article in a newspaper or magazine online that you find interesting as a ‘starting point’ for concept development. Provide a URL and a paragraph (at least) that explains what you find interesting about it and why.

Optional extra: Note down some ideas about how you could develop a concept visually using this starting point. Are there visual metaphors you could use, or does direct representation seem best?

Concept Task Week 2:

Representation and Character

Step 1 - Start with a person you know

The character I choose goes by the name of Patrick, a mate from an early age in the primary school days all the way to current times.

Characteristics:

- Random

- Humorous

- Adventurous

- Devious

- Excitement

- Erratic

- Spontaneous

- Has the heart of a mountain lion

- Maturity of a 8 year old

Step 2 -  Describe a scene or situation involving this person  

A soothing breeze blows through the corridors of our holiday home flapping the curtains in every room. The Gathering has merged to one location for a week of  memorable drunkin fun on the beach of Ocean Grove. The day was at the beginning and already above 30 degrees. Patty suggests to head down for a session down at the beach with the tanning sun. Everyone quickly agrees.

Myself, Patty, Kade, Matty all start to screen up with some Sp30+,  Patty decides to randomly paint his name on his back with a strong stroke of zinc cream.  Also inflating wrist floaties made for 5 year olds around his biceps and a lifeguard bib hat stolen from a night club with a sponsored logo tag 'bundaberg rum'. We were set! Everyone headed towards the scorching sandy beach.

Fifteen have gathered to bask the sun rays alongside the cool yet violent  waters of the Ocean Grove main beach. Once camp was set up a game of beach cricket was in store. As the ball was getting smashed around we suddenly noticed the beach patrol life savers were heading our way, Patty with a few of the others were dressed up with floaties strapped to the arms and a genuine life saver bundaburg caps. As they got closer we were wondering what they were going to say. 

They pulled over yelling "Where did you get those caps?"  A group of young trainees were aboard the trailer of the patrol car looking down at us thinking, 'you tools!' Patty shrugged off the bad vibes and yelled out "They're Bundi Caps, genuine life saving gear!" We laughed as they snubbed at the response and went on there way. 

Shortly after a random old granny walked over to Pat and asked " Where are the flags for swimming, I cant see them, Haven't you put them out yet!" Pat quickly explained that he was not a Life Saver, the old lady didn't understand and continued to ask the same question. 

"Maybe you should put them out! People will get confused at where they should swim!" We laughed as he got asked over and over the same question. Eventually Pat got the message through and the old granny trodded off down the beach, still bewildered.

A short time was spent playing some cricket then a walk along the beach was next on the schedule. Two hours had passed before we found our selves back at the camp. One of the girls decided to top up the group with some more sunscreen, Sarah noticed on Pat's back had gotten a fraction red. She asked " Did you put any sun screen on underneath the zinc?" 

Pat "Nah i want my name to stay on my back so all the girls on the beach will know my name!" Fool! 

Step 3: Another list – What would this person be if they were:  

• -  Weather? A lightning storm with no clouds
• - An animal? A Lion, lazy at times but still does his thing
• - A household object? Paper weight
• - A machine? Vacuum Cleaner
• - A place? a snowy mountain peak
• - Music? The Hansons - Mmmmbop, ba duba, ba bi, ba du, Yeah!
• - A colour? A highly Saturated Purple
• - A font (optional)?

        

• - A fictional ‘archetype’ or stereotype? Mr. Shifty

Part 4: An image

A Hungover Shifty Lion who idolizes the Hansons...

BRIEF: Concept Task Week 2:

Step 1 - Start with a person you know

-       Think of a person you know

-       It could be somebody you know now, or used to know, somebody close to you or not so close - but with a memorable personality

-       Write a list of some of their key qualities – how would you describe their personality?

-       You should list at least 3 qualities.

 

Step 2 - Describe a scene or situation involving this person

-       Now describe a real scene or situation involving this person that you can remember that demonstrates one or more of these qualities about them. You can also be present in the scene if you wish.

-       Write in present tense.

-       The aim is to write so that what happens in the scene – the character’s actions – DEMONSTRATE the character’s personality, without having to explicitly describe it

-       (Length: 1 paragraph to half a page)

 

 

Step 3: Another list – What would this person be if they were:  

-       Weather?

-       An animal?

-       A household object?

-       A machine?

-       A place?

-       Music?

-       A colour?

-       A font (optional)?

-       A fictional ‘archetype’ or stereotype? (eg. the superhero, the wicked witch..)

 

Part 4: An image

Choose 2 or more of your answers from Step 3 and create a character that combines their visual characteristics. This character no longer has to depict the person you started with.

Use any form of image-making you like – a rough sketch or diagram is ok  

Concept Task Week 1 (From Mark's Class):

 Assignment: Creativity,

MICHAEL HALL – s3137823

RMIT University, Design & Social Context, School of Creative Media 

Program Name: Bachelor of Arts, Multimedia

Course Name & Code: Concept Development COMM2183

Lecturer: Mark Lycette

Step 1:

 Words: MEMORY, EFFECT

 MEMORY:  

• Recollection, remembrance, reminiscence, celebrity, frame, renown, reputation, commemoration, memorial

1. The mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving impressions, or of recalling or recognising previous experiences.
   
2. A mental impression retained; a recollection
   
3. The state or fact of being remembered
   
4. Computers. The part of a digital computer in which data and instructions are held until they are required. 

•  Memorise, Memory
  

    EFFECT:

• Verb; cause, create, effectuate, produce; accomplish, achieve, carry, compass, complete, conclude, consummate, contrive, do, execute, force, negotiate, perform, realize, work.
  
• Noun; consequence, event, fruit, issue, outcome, result, efficiency, fact, force; power, reality, validity, weight, drift, import, intent, meaning; purport, significance, tenor
  

1. a result, consequence
   
2. power to produce results
   
3. the state of being operative
   
4. a mental impression produced, as by a painting, speech, etc.
   
5. (of stage properties) a sigh, sound, etc, giving a particular impression
   
6. personal property
   
7. to produce as an effect. 

• Effective, Effected
  

Step 2:

 Brainstorm:

Site References: 

• http://www.memory-key.com/news/2005/news_2005Jun.htm
  
• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Freud/Dreams/dreams.pdf

Related Book:

• Freuds Dream Theory - The Interpretation of Dreams