It's finally done!

My video finally works on my quiz and the music and everything runs fine - I just need to sort out adding it onto deviantart and my blog. So thats Interactive Media, Moving Image - done, working on my 3d lair, slow working progress but Iv'e been going in every day working on it and just the visual essay. Iv'e figured out how to download the videos I wanted to include so all is well - just hope I have no more bad luck between now and when we finish!

Visual Essay progress

I thought of an idea a few days ago to help answer the big.."My pathway choice is.." I've started to make a whiteboard stop motion of my thought process on deciding the answer.

I'm not entirely sure what will come after this last picture, but somehow I want to try explain my choice through this way. To be continued....

"My Secret Lair"

It was questioned whether we were making a lair for an existing 'superhero' or 'super villain' and turns out, we're not. Reading the brief over and the task is actually "Imagine yourself as a superhero or villain, what would your lair be?" Existing superheros/villains are only our influences. This has made me have a whole new approach to the project as I was basing my ideas on what other characters would need and be adequate for them - as for me, now it's completely different!

Behold: The future!

I've been reading 'The Art of Video Game' and I was surprised to read about the gaming future. Sony reportedly spent billions developing the technology in the Playstation 3, and initially sold them at a loss of nearly $250 each. However, Sony Vice President was recently quoted as saying that there will be a Playstation 4, though its release is scheduled for 2010 at the earliest - I have a feeling it will still be a couple more years yet.

Getting to grips

As I missed a seminar on the secret lair, I tried to catch up in my own time. I've followed all of the sheets, but only managed to accomplish some. I found creating the walkway difficult - I got the basic sructure but when it came down to moving segments, it just didn't want to work, well I was obviously doing something wrong. I'll have to find out in tomorrows seminar. Below are a few things I've picked up on - basic I know but hopefully I'll start to have more to show and improve.

Pacificom Multimedia

On my on-going search for practitioners, I've come across "Pacificom Multimedia". It is a Colorado based 3D Commercial and Architectural Animation firm. It specialises in:

>>Architectural Animations/Design/Illustrations/Watercolorings

>>Multimedia presentations

>>Architectural Drawings

>>Virtual Environments

>>3D Renderings

>>3D Custom Building Models/Furniture Models/Special Effects for Film and Television

>>3D Visual Effects for Music Production

I think this is amazing. Its detailed to perfection. It's a little small on here to clearly see but on their website it looks so much better.

Back to reality

I've been very ill the last few days that has thrown me off track with all my work, including missing the seminar that would of really helped me get going on my lair project! I need a plan of action but I feel too piled under with work now. I need to chilll.

On-going practitioner search

I took out a book at the library today to help further me in my visual essay, in finding some more practitioners that I like and could possibly include in the essay. The book is called:

The Art of the Video Game

By John Jenisch

It has even inspired ideas for my virtual environments project - My secret Lair. I'll post more of ideas and practitioner names when I have read more.

Lectures

Is this going to be another term of pointless lectures? Fair enough making us aware of the government spending and the credit crunch, but I'd like to learn Multimedia funnily enough - I did't take business and economics. WHY are you doing this to us???!

Dr Neo Cortex

I've been thinking more on who to base my lair on for my new project. I've been looking into Dr Cortex, the main antagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series. He is depicted as a mad scientist who seeks to achieve world domination. Hoping to achieve this by mutating the local animals into his soldiers, he eventually creates Crash Bandicoot, but soon rejects him as unworthy of being in his army and removes him from his castle.

I could create his 'castle', including a scientific lab and improvise for the other rooms to make it look like it belongs to an evil/super villain character.

Game Designers

Ed Boon

An American video game programmer who worked for Midway for 15 years, but now works for Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, where he is producer of the Mortal Kombat series.

Will Wright

An American video game designer and co-founder of the game development company Maxis, now part of Electronic Arts. His latest success to date came as the original designer for The Sims games series

Chris Sawyer

A Scottish computer game developer who is best known for designing and programming Transport Tycoon and the Rollercoaster Tycoon series.

John Romero

A game designer, programmer and developer in the video game industry. He is best known for the co-founder of id software, and was a designer for many of their personal computer games including Wolfenstein 3D, Dangerous Dave, Doom and Quake.

Sid Meier

A Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games. Meier developed the game series for which he is most widely recognised , Civilisation. Today he makes strategy games, such as 'Pirates!'.

Game Design

I've been looking for practitioners for my visual essay and have been focusing on game designers. I've also learnt quite a lot about the disciplines of game design. The definition below is taken from wikipedia:

"Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the production stage and design of gameplay, environment and storyline during production stage".

Disciplines:

World Design

>>Is the creation of backstory, setting and theme for the game; often done by lead designer

System Design

>>Is the creation of game rules and underlying mathematical patterns

Content Design

>>Is creation of characters, items, puzzles and missions

Game Writing

>>Involves writing dialogue, text and story

Level Design

>>Is construction of world levels and its features

User Interface Design

>>Constructs the user interactions and feedback interface

Visual Essay: Where to start

Plan.Abstract.Present

Although I have a few images/videos and ideas for my visual essay, I think I need to do the above to progress in what i'm doing. Having an exact idea of where Im going with this should ease the stress of it and determine a great outcome.

Plan

>>The plan so far: Collecting a vast range of imagery from multimedia work/my own/internet/books and videos of adverts/short films/trailers etc

>>Find three different practitioners

>>Think about reflections and discussion of my critical practice

Abstract

Write up an abstract for the essay. This is almost like an overview of what I (will) have done. This will help me stick to the structure and know who my practitioners are. Also it will determine how I have gone about the essay.

Present

Lastly, I need to consider how I will present the essay, whether it will be on Powerpoint, Flash, Word etc. This will also help with the structure of my essay.

Visual Essay: Making things clearer

I thought i'd type up the brief so I can always refer back to it to remind me exactly what I need to cover and include. Below are parts of the brief that I need to remember:

Title: I am choosing my pathway because...?

Task: Produce a visual essay that outlines and describes your pathway choice for Level Two. This explanation and description is your thesis.

>>Each image in your presentation should have a sentence of commentary, explanation or an attached quotation that provides support for your thesis. (text/audio/graphics)

>>Minimum of 50 slides/images. Should reference three practitioners - uses these to develop and explain your thesis.

>>You should, if possible, add sound or music to the presentation.

>>Your essay should identify and discuss three pathway practitioners. Remember your task in identifying; describing and examining the work of these practitioners is to reflect on your own work and your pathway choice.

>>Why have you chosen these practitioners to discuss above all others?

>>How does their work reflect on your work and your aspirations?

The Visual Essay:

A visual essay will have a thesis, which is a one or two sentence statement that essentially is the point of view of that essay.

The images in visual essays can originate from a range of sources, for example:

>>An image collection that is already available

>>Images that have been produced for the essay

>>Images collected as research data

>>Images produced through your coursework's

Essay Overview:

Your essay should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of your specific multimedia pathway discipline.

You should make specific reference to the works of a number of relevant multimedia practitioners.

>>It is expected that you reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the work profiled

Reflection on your work, specifically your analysis of how your critical practice might develop through this pathway study is an important element of the task.

Music Video

I thought I'd turn up to the making of that video that was emailed out as it would be a good opportunity. Unfortunately, I left after 5 mins. It didn't seem like anyone had turned up - good decision. I arrived in probably the dodgiest area possible, they were running late by an hour so they wanted us to wait around while the band was practicing. A headache after 1 min of hearing this - scream/rock/absolute grunge. Practically noise. I feel bad for leaving as not many other people seemed to appear but I could not of lasted a couple of hours of it, pretending to enjoy myself, I would of ruined their video!

Secret Lair: Functions

Superheros and super villains have lairs which is the base of their operations. The locations may be equipped with state-of-the-art highly advanced technologies, which tend to be disguised and/or in secret locations to avoid being detected by enemies, or by the general public. Some lairs, such as the Baxter Building, are known by the public (even though their precise location may remain secret).

A super-villians and superheros lair can serve a variety of functions:

>>a safe-house, where the heros can conceal themselves from their enemies

>>a laboratory, for experiments and scientific study

>>a research library, covering a variety of topics from science to history to criminal profiling

>>an armoury, for weapons design, construction and storage

>>a garage/hangar/dock

>>a communications centre

>>a weapons platform, for defence of the facility (more common to super-villains)

>>a trophy room, where momentos or significant battles and adventures are displayed

>>a common area, for social activity

>>a medical centre, where the heros can treat their injuries

3ds Max - WEEK 1

There was a lot to take in for our first seminar on 3ds Max, but I'm very eager to get to grips with it sooner rather than later - so I have downloaded a 30 day trial which will just about last me until the end of the project, by which time I'm hoping I would know the software pretty well. This will allow me to practice at home in my own time to get used to it in-between seminar times. I understood most of what was explained in our seminar, so I'm excited to properly get started.

My initial thoughts lie around characters and lairs from Mortal Kombat and Call of Duty -where each space needed to be created can be for a different power/weapon/hide out. I'm sure this will change but these are my ideas so far.

Other possible ideas I may research into:

Super heros: - "someone of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities/a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers, and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime."

>>Indiana Jones

>>James Bond

>>Robin Hood

>>Superman

>>Zorro

>>Batman

>>Wonder Woman

>>Spiderman

>>Hellboy

>>The Incredibles

Villains: - "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel/ a character in a play, novel or the like who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot."

>>Cruella De Vil

>>The Joker

>>Captain Hook

>>Voldemort

>>Queen (Snow White..)

>>Green Goblin

>>Dr Evil

>>Syndrome

Virtual Environments: "My Secret Lair" - WEEK 1

The Brief

The Task: Imagine yourself to be a super hero or super villain, what would your lair be? Create a 1 minute animated fly-through of 4 linked spaces that best represent your secret alter ego.

Influences: Think Bat Cave, Dr Frankenstein's lab, the joker's lair, superman's the Fortress of solitude, and the fantastic 4's Baxter Building.

Content: Through looking at environment and prop design we shall explore and practice modelling, texturing, lighting and camera techniques with a view to a greater understanding of the animation production pipeline. We shall look at the work of big studios and independent animation auteurs with a view to developing an understanding of the creative and professional context of this vocation.

Week 1: Modelling 1: standard primitives, extended primitives, splines, lofts and lathes

Logoramá

I love this. This won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It is written and directed by François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, and produced by Autour de Minuit, and created over the course of a few years. It features and depicts events in a stylised Los Angeles, a world told entirely through the use of more than 2500 contemporary and historical brand logos and mascots.

Moving Image Vs Interactive Media Vs Virtual Environments

I found todays lecture soo useful. Having a second year from each pathway explain in detail what they're doing really helps make my decision making a lot easier. Now I know for certain that Interactive Media is off the cards - all it took was hearing about the different types of language in terms of Actionscript etc, I didn't realise there were so many. Definitely doesn't sound as though I can be very creative and imaginative as I would like to be. I think I always knew this was one of the pathways I was never going to take, especially considering how i STILL can't get my quiz to work!!!!

I liked the sound of Moving Image, I'm not fond of working in groups just in terms of having to rely on others, but it turns out at the moment out of seven assignments, 6 of them I think are individual. Working with various companies seems very exciting and a good way to receive job offers.

Virtual Environments seemed hard core. Three projects running along side at once - I can barely finish the three projects at different times. However, I like how there are three different pathways within this, and according to the second year, an individual pathway can then be defined within different pathways.

What to do? Think. Think. Think.

Visual Essay

I feel I should have started this a long time ago, but Its been hard deciding what pathway to take. So far I have been making a list of things I like and that I have seen that interest me - just need to get moving a bit faster. I'll Post a few in due time!

Back where I started

Flash still not looking good. It's so so so frustrating seeing as it was my first project and we are now moving on to our last. The music will only play externally, so its clashing with the music when the video plays - which sometimes decides not to even play. Who even plays these quiz' anyways - I wanted to learn a bit on Web Design. When I have the patience, I'll go back to it and TRY AGAIN on what to do.

Filming Figure

Helpful feedback - Figure:Take One

Below is the first edit on my Moving Image project. We have had to film another version due to the tape corrupting during the workshop scenes. However, through feedback and our groups own analysis, the damaged part of the tape in a way ties in with theme of our film. It has forced us to be more imaginative and with slightly more editing it could actually look intentional - possibly. We are working on another version to have the comparison anyways.

Moving Image class feedback:

1. Do you know what the film is about?

>>Yes

2. If so, what?

>>Award ceremony that goes horribly wrong/A guy who is messing with technology

3. Technically rate the editing: 1 = poor, 5 = Good

>>3, 3, 4, 4 (marked overall by each group)

4. Do you have any specific suggestions for improvements?

>>Make the tracking shots smoother/Fix discrepancies in awards scene with reporter/Shorten POV shots/End sequence is a bit too long and repetitive

5. Any other comments?

>>Damaged tape/dodgy blur on some scenes actually look quite good - it creates a sense of difference from award scenes/Brilliant music - could get it to play in beat with the movement of the actor.

Overall the feedback that I can take on board is question 4. Suggestions for improvement show an outsiders opinion of what us as the creators may not be able to see. This feedback was entirely based on the other groups. I managed to receive more feedback from tutors:

>>Music sounds slightly digitally distorted

>>Music and sound could have a clearer cut

>>Beginning scene:lighten the contrast not the brightness

>>Could have a wider mixture of stills and POV

>>Add a 'tapping of the mic' sound when actor is doing so

>>Quite a lot of wide shots

>>End is quite repetitious - makes you feel like you've seen it already

>>Include close ups of 'extra scene'

>>Showing of hand in extra scene could be seen as confusing - who is it?

>>Need some still shots - empty spaces (1-8 seconds)

>>End scene: why is the award on the floor?

>>Like the title at the end

Although this sounds like a lot of criticism, I've found the above feedback extremely useful, especially as we have another version to edit, we can take this on board and try to incorporate as much as we can to improve the next one.

First edit on 'Figure'