Process and Production ~ Working in Adobe InDesign

For the final process and production workshop before the holidays we were given the task of laying out a page of a magazine using techniques we would learn in InDesign.

This is a print screen of the document with the layout guides applied and visible. As you can see We created a series of guides to help us with the layout of the images. We were given the opportunity to decide on our own colour scheme for the title and header to which I chose a combination of bright and soft colours.
We were also asked to choose an area of text that could be considered important and make this a larger font size and put somewhere within the text. This is used to fill up the page so there aren't any wasted gaps or spaces! In addition to that we were able to scale images up and down to fill any spaces.
In terms of images we utilised the text wrapping tool for the parrot image and also the editing facilities to move and scale the image in the top right hand side.
I ensured that any coloured text was in keeping with the colour scheme used in the header which I also felt worked with the selected images. After altering the layout and experimenting a little I was able to produce the following layout.

I am really happy with the outcome, I feel that all of it works together and creates a very rounded layout to the page. The colour scheme works well with the images and overall I think the design is very sucessful.

Task 2 - Experimenting with Layouts

For the third task we were asked to begin thinking about the layout of the newspaper article. Using the pictures collected for the moodpboard I started to layout the text and images creating a series of thumbnail drawings to use an influence for the creation of the newspaper articles.

After designing the thumbnails we then started to physically cut out different pt sizes of text and titles and compose them into the layouts show in the thumbnails however we created them to an A3 size. I am not overly impressed with the first layout as it didn't not work as expected but am happy with the remainder of them.

I included areas for quotation marks and these would contain important information from the articles and this would be in a larger font size. I tried to utilise the grid layout found in many newspaper articles and i think the 4 and 2 column designs are the most effective of them all. 

There are some adjustments that can be made to these layouts and there is area for improvement however for draft layouts I am happy with the results.

Process and Production ~ Finished Product!

After Effects Trailer from Rebekah Hollins on Vimeo.

After creating my trailer I added some final touches to the piece including an overlay in which I reduced the opacity of to add a creepy, hand camera effect. I think this worked really well and am overall really happy with the outcome!

Process and Production ~ Working in Adobe Illustrator

In today's session we were asked to create a vector outcome using Adobe Illustrator by tracing an image of Marilyn Monroe. To begin with we imported the image using the place tool and the scaled it to fit the page.

After we had imported the image we began to section it off bit by bit and draw around each section using the pen tool. It was important to pay attention to details of the image to ensure that the curvature of the pen tool was at its best. 

Once we had outlined the whole image with the pen tool we then began to add colour to the piece, this is where any details that we may have missed before hand became apparent so we went back to any gaps or spaces in the design and neatened them up a little.

Obviously the design looks a little strange here as it is just a floating head without any features! We began to add shadow, I added perhaps a little more than we were asked to however I felt the image looked a little flat. We also used the pen tool to create strokes and finer detail, this is how we added the detail for the eyes, nose and mouth as well as the strands in the hair.

Overall I am really happy with my outcome, this is my first time properly using Adobe Illustrator and I feel that my outcome is really promising! I look forward to using the program in future work as I feel that I could become strong at creating vector based designs.

Process and Production ~ Working in After Effects

 In this particular after effects session, we were asked to bring in a series of photographs along with an audio clip to create a 10 second video in the style of a film trailer. To begin with we had to import any audio files and put them together to create the audio for the trailer.

Once we had imported the audio file, we then listened back through it and created key points in the audio. As I followed the beat of my audio, the gaps were quite consistent as you can see below. With these gaps we then created clips of block colour to plan where the images would go when imported. This prevents the programme from slowing down and gives a rough idea of what the video would look like.

After this I began to import my photos and edit them onto the audio, at this stage I was much more specific and began to clip and cut the images so that they flashed on and off, creating a horror effect. As you can see, the images still roughly fit to the key frames above, showing that I maintained the structure that was created in the plan and the audio fits successfully with the images.

I also experimented with rotating the images and altering the scale. This created an uncomfortable composition which represented the desired feel of my presentation as a horror.

In the next session we will be making any last changes to the file and then exporting it to upload onto Vimeo, I will upload the file after the lesson is complete. I am really happy so far with the result of my piece, I may experiment with the volumes of the different audio clips and also continue to experiment with the scale and rotation of the images just to touch up for exporting.

Workshop Week - InDesign Workshop

In this workshop we started from the beginning and were introduced to InDesign completely from scratch. We were given four exercises in which we learnt new skills and techniques, the first exercise introduced us to adding pictures onto an InDesign document which can come in handy when creating mood boards in particular. Here are my responses.

The second exercise was to add text to the document, making use of different type features and pt sizes. We learnt how type can hugely effect the appearance of the document and that Graphic Designers focus on details as small as the spaces between the letters to create the best outcome they can. This is the simple type document that I created.

The next task was to then combine the type and images to create a variety of layouts and to gain confidence in using InDesign. We were able to explore different shapes and positioning for both the images and type. These are my results.

After learning the basics of InDesign, we were then provided with a brief to work from. To begin with we created a mood board to show the kind of layouts that we were planning on using for the spread. We were asked to choose a key word from the brief and then represent these through the pages, I chose the word 'inspire' as the large and beautiful pictures represented this well. Below I have included images of both my mood board along with some thumbnail sketches of the layouts I had in mind.

Using the magazine from the brief as an influence to the style, I created the following spread in response to the brief to design an outdoor section to a magazine.

I really enjoyed this workshop and feel that it will benefit me hugely in the future along the course of the next few years and I am looking forward to learning more about layouts and presenting documents on InDesign!

Workshop Week - Cinema 4D Workshop

In this workshop we created a series of tester pieces to improve our knowledge and understanding of Cinema 4D, to begin with we created a short clip which utilised the dynamics of the program.

Cinema 4D Experiment - Objects from Rebekah Hollins on Vimeo.

The second video that was created used several keyframes and some animation was involved. We created a sphere underneath a simulation of a building and then rapidly increase the size of the sphere to replicate an explosion. Again using the dynamics features this allowed the simulation of the building to then explode.

Explosion from Rebekah Hollins on Vimeo.

The next step was to create a particle spray using a particle emmiter to which we then modified the shapes and speed that the shapes were emmitted.

Particle Spray from Rebekah Hollins on Vimeo.

Finally we created an experiment which made use of the metabol tool on Cinema 4D to create this really strange effect. Again the dynamics of the program were used and we went through a step by step process to achieve each effect.

Blob from Rebekah Hollins on Vimeo.

I really enjoyed this workshop and look forward to working in Cinema 4d in the future. 

Task 2 Continued - Experimenting With Type

In addition to creating my mood boards, I began to experiment with type. I explored options for the type I will be using in both the body and header of my article. I experimented with different sizes along with trying out some of the text in bold, here are my results.

Headers

Different Fonts

Different Sizes

Task 2 - Mood Board

To further develop our story, we were asked to create a mood board where we compiled images that represented characters, feelings and settings of the article. To begin with I created a handmade mood board in the style of a collage. 

My mood board at a glance

As you can see the mood board has many different sections where images are grouped together and combined with relevant quotes from my article, I have included close up images below of my handmade moodpboard and will be creating a digital mood board soon.

Corn Dolly

Woodland Walk

The Journey

Russian Fashion

Kaliningrad

Masks

Task 1 - Creating Narrative

In the first session of the Physical Studio we were set the task of selecting a few articles and using these articles along with incidents and experiences from our own lives, we then created an article of our own. The idea of this task was to help us understand copyright, it is acceptable to use other work as an influence in your own, but not to copy it directly.

A photo of my research page

Here you can see the two articles that I found interesting, I highlighted areas of the article that would most influence my own article. I decided to use the idea of a honeymoon trip with the destination as Russia. I also wanted to use some sort of ruin that the incident could take place so I researched for tourist destinations in Russia that were nearby historic ruins and discovered a city called Kaliningrad. This particular city was nearby an Old Prussian fortress called Honeda. I researched a little into Prussian mythologies and discovered that they worshipped a god nicknamed the 'Corn Dolly' and decided that I would base my ghost (from the second article) on this mythology, hoping that it would make it more realistic. This was the skeleton of my work which I then expanded on whilst writing the story and here is what I came up with.

Little Corn Dolly

We began our honeymoon as any newly married couple would; joy and excitement filled my mind as I jammed every last accessory I own into my already overcrowded luggage bag. Meanwhile Alex neatly folded his small pile of garments and neatly slotted them into his.

Between us, we had decided on a particularly unique honeymoon destination, or adventure should I say, however it wasn’t intended to be quite the adventure it turned out to be! Off we set on the most beautiful road trip you could imagine, through twisting winding roads that were completely surrounded by striking mountains rolling out upon the landscape further than the eye could possibly see. It felt as if we were at one with the nature as the bike weaved us through the vast landscape that towered over us and, although the mountains were all coated in the whitest snow I have ever seen, the frosty breeze was completely overpowered by the sun, beaming down upon us.

Our destination Kaliningrad, Russia was again a spontaneous decision on my part to the extent that we decided upon it by me spilling tea all over the map and it landing on Kaliningrad. Romantic... On arrival however, I was completely overwhelmed by the huge city and the culture that surrounded us. It was, according to the travel guide, essential that we “Trek into the forests” although I hadn’t exactly brought my walking boots, I had however purchased a particular Russian looking coat, or at least what I thought Russians wore however that wasn’t so much the case. Despite this I was glad of the faux fur collar as it was particularly chilly on our ‘trek’.

Soon enough I became bored of following the worn out footpath and decided to take an alternate route, through what I thought to be, unexplored greenery. Soon enough the trees started to thin out and I caught a glimpse of eroded red brick in the distance. “Balga!” I roared, to which Alex looked particularly shocked and wittingly said “Pardon you?” but I was way too excited for sarcasm! “No, it’s Balga!” I screeched once more and set off on an enthusiastic sprint towards the ruins. Despite my excitement, there was a strange aura about the place. Given, the castle was in complete ruins and therefore deserted, however I felt a presence that I just couldn’t put my finger on.

It was hard to imagine that the worn out brickwork and empty structure was once an Old Prussian fortress called Honeda. The “Prussians aren’t the only things that’re old!” I had shouted. That’s when I must have hit a nerve... A small corn dolly fell in front of my feet. It just lay there, I had no idea where it had come from and I certainly didn’t make any links to the Prussian Mythology when it happened, if only I had read up a little I would not have picked that “cute” little dolly up!

“It’s like a little voodoo doll!” Alex said as he imitated the doll into a little plod-like run along one of the crumbling windows. I couldn’t help myself, I was in stitches! It creased me up, but little did I know the amount of disrespect I was causing to the ‘God of Evil Spirit’. Suddenly the doll burst into flames and I felt a cold hand on my shoulder to which I swiftly turned around only to see a trail of dust settle back to the ground. I panicked, oblivious to where Alex was and began to run very quickly through the ruins, the whole place began to drop in temperature and flashes of what appeared to be a person or shadow of would dart across the battered windows. “Alex stop it, you’re not funny!” I shouted as I stumbled on broken pottery and pieces of broken history.

Then I heard him, Alex that is, howling from the complete opposite direction to which I was running. “Leila, that’s not me!” I turned to face his voice and there stood, dead in front of me was this creature. It had the body of a human only thinner and undeterminably masked. Its head twitched back and forth as it observed me head to toe, never blinking once. I stood there completely statuesque, I couldn’t move, even if I wanted to. The creature reached out, impulsively I did too, but this to daze the creature as it paused for a second then continued to reach for my trembling hand. As it touched my hand the creature let out a screech of piercing laughter and burst into flames, leaving behind only a pile of singed corn and in the centre that same little Corn Dolly...

Non-Format - Stephen Gill ~ Movement of Shapes and Form

http://non-format.com/stephen-gill

Again I love the breakdown of a structure into separate elements and the way that it moves across the page. It really inspires me to create a moving graphic in later stages of my work.

Phoenecia - Good Man Bones ~ A Moving Graphic

Phoenecia "Good Man Bones" from Axiom Crux on Vimeo.

I love the transition from each design and the way the the video breaks each element in to separate shapes and forms. I am considering using this as an inspiration for later work.

Plonked Spectral Video - RiSP-CD ~ Structure and Form

Plonked Spectral Video from the "RiSP-CD" 2012 from Richard Devine on Vimeo.

I love the shape and form used in this video, the pattern and construct really inspire me to make use of pattern and structure throughout my project and show the potential of where the project could go.

DEFORM 4 - Kero ~ The City in Sillhouette

DEFORM 4 from kero on Vimeo.

The designs in this video are separated into different elements, which once combined, provide the final structure. Many of the elements of the video focus on things that we may experience in the city such as vehicles, machinery, etc. and these are presented through silhouettes and type.

I really like this style as it focuses on the simplest of things and breaks them down into geometrical shapes.  By doing this it allows the viewer to experience the many different elements of its construct and design through basic form and principle.