Month: April 2020

Reception

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Jack responded pretty quick via email. It read the following:

“Hi Meg!

Thank’s so much for the gift! I’m amazed how much you were able to accomplish, especially with the new constraints that the pandemic situation threw at you! The animation was delightful to watch — whatever material you used is so vibrant and the texture/consistency was really fun to watch move and form shape! I also love the playlist — it definitely has a wide range of songs to match any mood. You’re clearly very talented and have a promising future in the design field. Thanks again for the gift, it was the highlight of my day.
Best of luck to you with portfolios and the rest of the semester!
JMS”
It was so nice to hear back and especially in such a kind and appreciative matter. It brings me back to the question of what makes a gift. I think a crucial aspect of a gift is the interaction the exchange brings. Overall, it was a very uplifting response to receive and it too made my day!

Claymation Audios

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I recorded all sounds in my house including: coffee pouring, walking, Tv static, and white noise. Using iMovie’s audio edits, I modified the recordings below very slightly.

I also used Bob Marley and The Wailer’s “Three Little Birds”.

Game Ideas

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Theme

My story is about hunger overcoming a person overwhelmed by daily task. It relies on others to help provide remedy for the pain. A theme in this was consumption. Work consumed all of Teri’s time, then she consumed her boyfriend out of extreme hunger and exhaustion.

  • Focus on routine
  • Daily activity
  • Keep it simple and mundane

Game Structures

  1. Board Game Style (Life inspired)
    1. Mechanics- Pick a card with a question about a daily routine or habit on it. Roll die and match the number on the card that will allow you to complete the action. Depending on the card’s info and the number rolled determines whether the move forward, backwards or stay in place on the board.
    2. Goal- Reach the end of the board and roll above a 3, this will allow the characters to eat or else they turn in to a worm.
    3. Conflict- The cards are grouped into three categories. The first are cars that will move you forward if you roll the correct answer. The second are cards that will not move you, but rather provide some sort of bonus. The main conflict players will face are the cards that put you back spaces when the wrong number is rolled.
  1. Puzzle Style (Blockus inspired)
    1. Mechanic- Each player has the same pieces that all have different shapes and sizes, and a color specific to them. The players have to fit their pieces in the stomach without overlapping or placing their own piece next to one their other pieces.
    2. Goal- Fill the woman’s stomach, so it fits perfectly as to not upset the stomach lining. Be the first out of pieces or have the least amount of piece left when no other moves can be made.
    3. Conflict- The woman’s stomach is empty and needs your help to be filled with the “food” pieces.
  1. Card Style
    1. Mechanic-Cards that move pieces (players) around a linear board full of discreet spaces. There are three cards: Work, Eat, and Food.
    2. Goal- The goal of the game is to get through the day without starving. This is through the collection of food cards and removing all pending Eat cards.
    3. Conflict- The game has multiple players and there are limited number of Food cards. If one gets three Eat cards and can not remove them with a Food card, they starve and lose automatically; however, the other players may continue to play.

 

 

 

Originally there was to be a game board and pieces to move; however, sue to the thematic message of routine, a circular rotation and free movement of cards better suited the concept.

Claymation

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I used bristle paper to create a uniform, white backset. I also used a desk lamp to provide consistent lighting.

Action

  • Introduce
  • Coffee aspect (personal touch from questions)
  • Music choice- “Three little birds” Bob Marley and the Wailers
    • Most positive song on list
    • Well-known and easy to dance to
    • Increases the fun, humorous mood of movie
  • Breakdown of movie
    • Quote speaks of functions being looked at only when broke at time, so I intentionally broke the movie to include it
  • Share link to Spotify

This is the character I made for myself. I used the complementary blue and orange combination for the clothes due to limited colors, and the orange suits the brown and tan of the skin/hair.

 

 

 

This is a practice claymation to work on my iMovie skills, as well as see how camera position, settings, and angles contribute to the final product.

 

Plan

The claymation uses black and white to color transformation to represent when design goes well. The dance movement flows and is loose, unburdened. The idea is that I am gifting my recipient good energy and hope during this quarantine. The characters are representative of me and him. Originally it would the replication of a hypothetical meeting; however, I decided since the gift is music, a dance party was more appropriate. Smooth texture and organic form promote a sense of leisure and freedom, while keeping the video clear to the viewer.

**Changes- I only used myself as the character and made the camera view that of the observer. It provides a first person experience.

One of my original ideas for the plotline.

Gift Exercise 1

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The Giver: 

The author stated that if there is no gift there is no art, but then goes on to say that there is a concept that a gift “can not be sold, bought or received one’s own will.” being that art does exist as a commodity (going to museums, buying classical works of fiction), how does art still lie in the category of gift?

When it comes to defining art as a gift, it feels the author isn’t calling the artwork the gift, but rather the art piece is a representation of the gifted abilities the creator possesses. It is in that sense art can be a commodity and still hold the traits of a gift. In addition, the author poses the ideas that a gift can be as simple as the inspiration that emanates from art. It once again disconnects the physical artwork from the gift aspect. From that point the gift is only accessible to those who can gain inspiration from the work- it’s not a purchase. All in all, art can be a gift, but art pieces are a part of economical markets.

Best Gift

The best gift I have ever received is an impossible fill in the blank. I am too uncertain to definitively provide that title to any one gift; however, one of my most notable gifts is my bike. I got my first big kid bike for Christmas one year, yet I am not sure when. It was the most thrilling experience to go downstairs and have this shiny silver vehicle. It gave me my first sense of freedom, as well as trust from my parents. I’m not that into biking, but the experiences that bike has been through makes it one of my most valued possessions.

Gift Exercise 2

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  1. PhotoStory SX

Photostory was the first app I tested. I did not find it easy to use and had to look up how to input the images I wanted. I found that the free version of this app was limited and unhelpful. I attempted to create a short digital “flipbook”; however, the storage was to limited.

 

  1. iMovie

I am more familiar with iMovie, and I discovered I could create my digital “flipbook” quite easily by inputting photos and timing it accordingly. iMovie was more user friendly, and despite being the free version, I could successfully create a short film.

  1. Motionbook

I practiced a lot with Motionbook, and I found it to be a user-friendly app. I wanted to incorporate photos in my animation, so this was not an appropriate app for what I wanted to do. But this works super well if wanting to draw each frame and create seamless movement. See attachment for short practice creation.

 

 

  1. Sketchbook

I got familiar with sketchbook in the Narrative project. It works well for drawing out scenes using my ipad. I figure I can use this in conjunction with Photoshop’s timeline as it lets you edit and revise images and then render it into a video. In replies see the video made in collaboration of Sketchbook and Photoshop.