Research
To start off this project, the first thing I did was mind map about different ideas that could possible be the center of the prompt. My partner and I, went through different instrumental songs and choice some that stood out to us. We eventually chose a song, Secrets(Violin Version), a very light continuous beat. We then threw out different idea of possible directions we could go based on how the song made us both feel; there was a common theme that revolved around a cycle.
Once we had a couple of main ideas of what the narrative could be, I did research on possible hand held mechanisms we could test.
We eventually choice our one strong narrative, the cycle of a tree and from there were able to decide on what might be the strongest mechanism to demonstrate that. An infinite flipper seemed to encapsulate the narrative in a physical and figuratively.
I then did some research on how a tree grows, different stages it goes through, and characteristics of the tree through stages of life. I tried to sketch more literal images to what different stages would be and how I could incorporate and make each image dynamic.
The most crucial part of my research was taking the idea of a tree evolving and changing and making it abstract. My partner took on the part of our narrative that described the tree going through the seasons. In my composition, I focused on showing the entire life of a tree from birth to death. I took notes and brainstormed different ways I could portray that. My partner and I decided to use shapes to represent different stages in an abstract sense. We tested different shapes and how they would transform into one another, the idea of transformation through a cycle led me to change directions and create a stop motion film.
Iterations
We rendered different shapes in Illustrator, cut them out using the laser cutter, and could physically have the pieces in front to manipulate them by hand.
I played around with different ways to show the narrative. I got to see how the shapes transformed into one another and how it would look.
I then went through with these draft shapes and took pictures to create a draft stop motion film.
I imported these photos into Adobe AfterEffect and was able to play around with the software. In the app, I created a draft stop motion, I got to see what I need to fix/change. Unfortunately, I ran into technological problems and with the software being new to me, was not able to save the draft video. I did however trouble shoot this and was able to learn what I should have done and apply that to my final.
Production
To create the final stop motion, I used the laser cutter to cut out new shapes using colored card stock. The colors used correlated to different stages of life. Once I had the shapes, I placed them one by one, taking photos of every change I made, on a black background. I then took all the images and upload them as a sequence into Adobe AfterEffect. I then uploaded my video to my computer and converted the file to an mp3. I upload the file into iMovie in order to add the music in the background of the video.
My video was then in my photos and through editing in the photos app on MacBook, I played around with contrast, black point, exposure, and vibrance to make the background a solid deep black and the color of each shape to pop.
Concept Statement
Cycles occur in everyday life and can even take a whole lifetime before they repeat. They can be a process, routine, method, or even a story. The song Secrets (violin loop) by Darioviolin is an instrumental music piece that encapsulates the feeling of a cycle through the repeating rhythm. The song has a relatively simple beat that repeats continuously, changing tones periodically. Through sound, the song causes listeners to feel as if they are stuck in a loop or cycle; my composition reflects the continuous feeling in a physical visual sense. Through a dynamic image stop motion composition, what is being shown is the infinite flow of life through the representation of a tree. This composition demonstrates the process of a tree’s life from beginning to end, covering an extended period, a lifetime. It visually shows the growth beginning at a tiny seed life shape evolving and morphing while becoming older. Through the use of abstract shapes; the frequent change can be seen. Circles represent the start, curvilinear shapes show the young playful years. The composition then changes into triangles and hexagons to display death. This abstract stop motion animation encapsulate the process of life through the representation of a tree as the music continues to repeat the evolving rhythm.
Portfolio Project
View final project at Dynamic Pages Project