HONORS YEAR!

So honors year is here. First day/week jitters so far as I find out my modules and what is expected of me.

This blog will be based upon concept development and I have been asked 3 questions in which to base it on.

1. What inspires, motivates and intrigues me as an artist?

2. How do I research/explore ideas?

3. How do I communicate, interpret and Define?

 

What is inspiring and motivating me recently?

After Effects!!!

I have been playing around with adobe's video compositing software program After Effects which allows you to do some really cool things and since I am planning to create an infomercial for my honors project to promote volunteering in Dundee, I think that this is a good program to get into.

Examples of some designers that have inspired me to learn this software are:

DIANA PAEZ makes very nice compositions using this program. I especially like the boxes that jump out of each other like Russian nesting dolls and also how she uses the music to progress her show reel in a flowing manner as it subtly builds up over the progress of the video.

DSTRUKT
This is a very nice show reel of the designers capabilities. I especially like the evolution of the flowers at 1min 24secs and I would like to perhaps create some thing like this in future; perhaps incorporate something similar into my infomercial?

IGLOO REEL

This show reel is impressive. Notice how they promote their services in such a way as it keeps you glued to to the screen? 

With this in mind, it would be good to think about doing the same thing with my re-branding elements and incorporating this into the information I would be including in my infomercial.

I am as yet undecided on whether to arrange and record an interview with a volunteer staff member or participant but it would be good to think about the idea of using some really nice effects and techniques to go along with the video if I did.

The beauty of this software is that it is almost always used as a mixed media tool. Integrating photographs, recorded video, sound and created graphics from say photoshop, illustrator and maya for 3D text for example, you can compose really interesting videos that will captivate any given audience.

I think this program would be ideal to create an eye catching infomercial with.

I have started playing around with after effects trying out simple effects before trying to jump in at the deep end. I have been doing online tutorials that I hope have been helping me to understand the program more.

A few of my early attempts are below:


A variation of the basic tutorial I did on my son's second birthday.





A variation of a tutorial I did with the concept of looking inside a person's head exploring their thoughts.





A VERY basic typography attempt that has both bad timing and layout/spacing. I hope to investigate these errors by having patience and using a typography book respectively.





A freelance project I did over the summer for a client selling online tarot readings and pagan supplies.


I had a lot more examples but youtube seems to be having a problem converting the video files! one of these frustrating computer mysteries as they were made in the exact same way as the above examples!


Branding - My research and exploration

If I am trying to increase awareness through promotional techniques, then I should think about looking at the most successful brands of 2010 as a good starting resource. I should then think about researching into how the concept behind them was developed.

ASTON MARTIN & APPLE

Aston Martin is rated the number 1 coolest brand in the UK and Apple was number 2 as voted for by The Centre for Brand Analysis on behalf of Superbrands (UK) Ltd.

"Aston Martin has topped the rankings four times out of the last five years showing that the quintessentially British brand is always held in high esteem by the nation." 

The reason for this may be the fact that it is a British icon as I personally think that Apple's brand looks a lot nicer and frankly,has been far more successful as all you see just now is iphone this, ipad that.

I will try to research into these two brands success (along with others) to try to establish where and how the concept was developed. 

 

The above logo is the current version the volunteer center is using. It is in fact quite a nice looking logo and I think re-branding this will be a challenge.

I think it is quite simple yet effective. I will need to think of a way to improve on this with perhaps typography in mind as well as taking into consideration how I can make it more appealing and perhaps stand out a bit more. I will be uploading ideas of my own shortly and I will gather opinions on their effectiveness and also contrast these with the current logo.


Some early logos I have thought of for the branding campaign.

   

Copy of Pitch Week Prezi on Prezi

Copy of Pitch Week Prezi on Prezi

The above video is one that is giving me an idea of using the same technique as shown 58 seconds in. I think that taking shots of Dundee from different locations showing off the city and landscape while adding motion graphics such as 3D text is a pretty effective way of keeping people's attention as well as promoting the city and volunteering within it.

This informercial remix is an example of an inventive way to promote a product. I think because of the way it is done, it is entertaining as well as being very catchy but it still shows the full use of the product and sells it effectively.