Major Project Ideas

Well, the time has come to start to think about what I would like to do for my Major Project.

One thing that I have found myself exploring within the first two projects this year is type and I have enjoyed doing so. I have looked at how type can be used within composition and this is something that I would like to take the time to consider further.

Here are a few examples that I found recently:


jbfm from paralelo zero on Vimeo.

Thoughtful DO Lectures

Over Summer me and Andy got the opportunity to head down to Wales for the day to watch the filming. The day was a great experience, we arrived there about 9am thinking that we would just be taking photos and some footage in order to document the day, however they were eager for us to get stuck in helping set the stage and lights up. 

We were really surprised that Chris and Wes the directors of the shoot took the time to talk through different elements of how to set lights up and boom microphones, it was great and so much more than we had anticipated being involved in. It was fantastic been on a live set and watch the filming, especially when we had been involved with the Do Lecture project and heard the ideas evolve from earlier on in the project.

Here are some photos from the day:

Here is a link to one of the final pieces that Thoughtful created.

At the end of the day, whilst waiting for a lift me and Andy sat down outside for a bout an hour talking about ideas for our self directed project. It was great as we were both full of ideas and having experienced the day we were really motivated. The contacts that we made were great on the day and shortly after sending an email saying thanks for a great experience, we received the following email back from Wes, one of the directors of the shoot:

"Many many thanks guys - you two were excellent today, stay in contact. it would be great to work with you again in the future..."

The Neighbourhood Studio Visit

Yesterday me and couple of others went to visit 'The Neighbourhood' for a portfolio visit.  A friend from last year recommended that they would be a great visit to arrange, so when we decided that we were interested in the studio we felt that a joint visit would be a appropriate.



When we arrived we shown to there waiting area. Whilst we were waiting for Sarah, the studio manager and Jon, (the companies creative director), we had a chance to get a feel for the studio. Out of all the studios that I've been to visit, this one felt most homely and inviting. They had only been in the studio for 6 weeks and there were still boxes around and frames ready to hang up on the wall. The building itself had been restored, however they had decided to keep a few features such as the original wooden doors, and some of the architecture. They had decided the keep this feel throughout their studio and had traditional style chairs and table. The way that the studio had been designed was a great first impression of the studio and looked great. One of the first things that I spotted whilst having a look around was that in their meeting room their windowsill was full of awards that they had achieved, this gave the impression that we were in one of the studios which were at the forefront of design in Manchester.


Sarah, Jon and Stuart, (one of the companies artists/3D designer), soon came across to us and took us through to their meeting room. After telling us a little about themselves as a company they started asking us about our course and how we felt it was going. We told them about how we were doing and about the course itself, which they seemed very impressed with. When we told them about the types of briefs that we work on and the facilities that we had available for us to use they were impressed.


We took it in turn to show them our work, when it got around to show them mine I decided to show my showreel first. This had worked well when I had started off by showing my showreel at other visits so I decided that it would be appropriate to do so. I wanted to show the new brief that I had been working on for the 'United Utilities' brief. As I hadn't had any feedback on this brief yet I was happy when they liked it and liked the method that I had chosen to explore what not to flush using typography in the way that I had.


The feedback that we received was extremely helpful and since the visit I have used some of their feedback in order to help with the process of refining my piece. Out of all the portfolio and studio visits that I have been to, I felt that this was the best and most helpful experience. The studio environment was relaxed in terms of the atmosphere and the people were so friendly and happy and seemed happy to help. To say that they had only been in the studio for 6 weeks the feeling that I got is that they could have been there for years. I think that this only shows the strength of the agency as a team.


Just before we left they showed us a piece of their own work. Stuart had been exploring the use of 3D and creating animations giving the 3D experience, so when they asked if we would like to watch it on their new 3D TV with 3D glasses I was really excited. The piece was great and I think only highlights that they are ahead of the game.


Here is their latest (apologies for it not being in 3D)!

Studio showreel. 2010. from The Neighbourhood on Vimeo.

Filming for an web advert

Last week my Dad got in touch wiht me to say that he was having some filming done, to be used within a website that he was creating for a client. I thought that I would ask if there is any chance of going along and watching, with no expectations I was really pleased when this was hapenning on one of our days of so me and Ste went along.

Here are some images from the day:

We weren't sure what to expect on the day, however when we arrived it was a fantastic experience and I think that we have made a useful contact from it. Matt, the camera man had graduated a few years before, from Salford University and had worked for ITV, SKY, Directed music videos and also been involved in filming them himself. We had plenty of time to talk to him and he was extremely interested in our course, which we were happy to talk to him about. He then talked to us about opportunities he'd had since leaving University and he said what he personally enjoyed working on the most. He said he absolutely loved working on music videos and this was where his passion lay.

Matt said that he would take a look at our work after Christmas and I think that were going to have the opportunity to do this in his studio as he lives just around the corner from us.

Studio Babelsberg

As if the film archive the day before wasn't enough, the visit to Studio Babelsberg was just an unbelievable experience. To be shown around a film studio and lot was something that when the lady who showed us around said was something that they didn't really do. So this just highlighted how great this opportunity was.

Here are a few shots that I took on the day of one of their outdoor sets:

Seeing the outdoor sets was extremely intriguing, especially when most of the set was just frontage on scaffolding, however you wouldn't know when walking down the street. It was just brilliant to see the incredible detail that was used. We were told about how the street had been used within many different films and was just remodeled depending on the required aesthetic. We were shown images of the street in different films, it was used in the film "Inglorious Bastards", for the cinema scene and only the day before we were it was dressed with Nazi flags and memorabilia.

I was intrigued to ask about the turn around for a the set and when I asked, I was surprised to hear that if it was just a shop within the street that needed remodelling it would probably only take a few hours, however for something like the Cinema in "Inglorious Bastards" it took closer to 3 weeks. I was amazed by this visit. Not only did were we shown around the studio grounds, but we had the opportunity to look around one of the biggest prop houses in Europe, look and try on original costumes on and go onto their permanent outdoor sets.

One of the things that inspired me about this visit was the way the props and sets were created and has allowed me to consider the possibility of using props and even creating a set when thinking about my major project. Through posts on my blog, especially over the past few months, I think it is clear to see my interest in compositing and I have been considering ways I can bring this together. One possibility would be using props and sets, definately something to consder over Christmas when considering ideas for Major Project.

Sehsucht Studio Visit Berlin

The visit to Sechut was one of the many highlights from our recent trip to Berlin. One of the pieces that I thought was one of their pieces for Google, shown below:

GOOGLE STREET VIEW from Sehsucht™ on Vimeo.


One of the main things that I took from this piece is the way that they use the process of compositing, a process which I love and one that I am currently researching within the field of moving image. Not only did the show us the piece, but they showed us their making of video for the piece, shown below.


GOOGLE - Breakdown from Sehsucht™ on Vimeo.

This idea is something that is very current for us as, with all of the projects that we create this year we are required to create a 'Making of Video'. Before this was a requirement I was interested in it but hadn't really understood completely the importance of this. I had a go at creating one of these for the previous project and although I feel that there were aspects of it that worked it didn't necessarily work as an entire piece. So for this project I have decided to ensure that I create a video that tries to reflect on the process that I went through.

One thing that I think that really works within the piece by Sehsucht is the way that they showed a break down particular shots, something which I have done in my most recent making of video. Seeing the breakdown of a commercial piece of work in the same format that we have started to do ourselves has only highlighted how important they can be.

The working environment of the studio was great and they were very friendly in the way that they dealt with us and they took a lot of time to show us work, but then gave us loads of time to allow us to speak to the designers. It was a really helpful experience and that is definitely the type of studio that i would like to see myself working within.

David Carson: Designers that use type

David Carson is renowned for the use of typography within his design work. Within the piece of work you can see that Carson has considered the use of heirarchy. In the way that he has treated the type he has used size and weight to explore the idea of dominance for example.

David Carson: Use of type

The screen shot below highlights the way that I have explored legibility and weight in the type. In the first image it shows how I have made the type legible on the inside of the toielt where the camera in close to see it inside nad in the second how I have explored weight. For example you can see how i have applied a heavier weight in the yellow type used for the word "FATS", (does to its stogy nature).

Feedback from Group Crit

I received some feedback earlier on this week so I have been working on improving my piece based on some of the suggestions that I was given. The main thing that I took from the feedback is the comment made about easing the camera. I decided that I would go a little further than this and used just one camera, rather than cutting to another camera. I have taken the feedback to ease the camera more and I have also done this at the end.

I also decided to make the type rush out of the toilet faster at the beginning and then to slow down as it pooled across the floor. It was also stated the as the camera has fully pulled out then the type should keep moving and start to poll/bunch up in the corners of the room. Taking this feedback and using it to refine my piece has helped immensely and I think that overall it has strengthened the piece in the whole.

Major Decisions

I feel that its important to look at the reasoning behind why I made particular decisions. For example the length of the piece and the choice of sound. The reasoning around why I modeled the toilet in the particular style that I have. I also had to ensure that the piece fits within the rest of the campaign, which was something that was mentioned in the brief. Also the reasoning behind why I have used different weights and typefaces for particular pieces of type.

Within the restraints of the brief there was no mention of a required length of time, however as the brief stated that the piece that we create would live online I felt that it was appropriate for me to create something that wasn't too long in length and was punchy and too the point. I think that the length of the piece that I have created is appropriate and I think that its long enough to get the points across that I wanted to, but not too long to bore a viewer.

I decided to use just the sound that I have as I think that that alone emphasizes the point of the piece. As with any competition the use of soundtrack have to be royalty free so this also felt appropriate. In terms of hand in I could have added a music track however I felt that just by using the toilet sound it makes it stronger as a piece.

I decided to choice the style of toilet that I used for a particular reason. I decided to use a household style of toilet as I felt that the emphasis of the "What Not to Flush" campaign is primarily aimed at home owners, therefore choosing this style of toilet felt necessary.

I wanted to ensure that the piece fit with the current "what not to flush" campaign therefore a lot of the choices in terms of type colour and light colour derived from the already existing campaign that we were provided in the brief pack.

I also had to consider the way that I explored the use of type and how I would make decisions about what would be legible on the inside of the bowl and what would be legible and appear more dominant as the camera had pulled back. See the image below:

 

I decided to choose a heavier typeface and decided to choose a colour that reflected fat.

Trainspotting: Toilet Scene

It was only a matter of time before I came across this scene taken from the film Trainspotting. This scene hows a toilet in a disgusting state. At the moment I need to consider how I illustrate the idea of a dirty bathroom, without being too graphic. I also need to think about how I respond to the way that I show different elements that shouldn't be flushed down a toilet. This section of the film is a great example of a dirty/horrific looking bathroom, however I need to consider ways that I can create this effect, without showing revolting imagery but still conveying the style that I want to show.

One way

Choice of Camera Movement

This video is a playblast of the camera movement that I have decided to use. I have decided to stick with just having one camera pull back slowly as I think that this allows for more of an emphasis to be crated when all of the type is revealed. Originally I had two cameras, one close up to the bowl as the type started to come out and then cut to a camera which pulled back to reveal the full shot.
 

Light Flicker Test

This is a test showing how I could introduce the lighting:

The reason why I was playing around with having a flicker on the light is the introduce the "dirty" section of the piece. 

Type example

The image below is taken from a book that I was looking through.In it it shows another good example of how type is used in order to create composition:

Paula Scher

I've started to look into the work of different artists who use typography within their work. It was suggested that I look into the work of Paula Scher. I think that the examples below show how typography can be used in order to create composition. One thing that I have been looking into for a while now is how I treat the different pieces of type that I include. I have been looking at exploring different type weights and point sizes and in terms of reference the work by Scher has helped me consider how I put different pieces of type together in terms of composition.

 

This is a shot of one of the early images that I was playing around with to animate down down the geometry of the toilet and appear to pool across the floor.

Test occlusion

Portfolio visit feedback emails

The image below shows the response that i received with Chris Toole, after thanking him for the portfolio crit that he gave me. At the visit he asked me if I would like to do some flash animation for him. I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me and after completing the work and being paid for it it was great to receive the following feedback:

"From a commercial point of view the flash file is perfect, exactly as ordered” Chris Toole Nov 2010.

For me this was great to hear as it was unexpected and he has offered me any similar work that he gets in the future. It was good to hear that he felt that I was able to respond the the brief rather than go off at a tangent.

Film Museum Archive Berlin

I was really excited about going to see the film archive museum before we went, however I wasn't expecting it to be so interesting and such a great experience. I don't think that we were sure what to expect when we arrived, but I don't think any of us were expecting the gems that they had in store for us!

The two ladies that were showing us around started of by showing us original artwork for films, some German and some more mass released.These on their own were fantastic to see, however I think when they pulled out the concept artwork for Metropolis before the film was made, I think that everyone's jaws hit the floor. The images were incredibly beautiful and the amount of detail was just exquisite. A few shots of these can be seen below:

I think if the visit had been just to show us around the first room that we went into, we would have still been impressed however the archive was huge and they went on to show us room after room, each room more impressive. After showing us the first room they took us into the next where there was a room full of film reels and then in the final room I felt like I was in heaven! The final room was full of old cameras and memorabilia, just an incredible visit!

This is another image of one of the pieces that they showed us in the first room:

It was great to see the technical drawings for a scene within a film, because one thing that I have been considering recently is how I could incorporate a variety of elements within my own work. For example mixing a combination of live action, animation and other element, however one thing that I haven't considered is the use of sets and props, definitely something to think about. The visit was so helpful and thanks again to be given such an interesting visit!

Dirty Bathroom

It's important for me to consider how I make the bathroom dirty and grungy. Do I go literal and have a dirty bathroom, or do I suggest this in another way? If I have a dirty bathroom then at the beginning of the piece I don't want it too be dirty, in order to create contrast with the end of the piece. In the end I decided to achieve this in the way that I lit the scene. At the beginning of the piece the lighting is ordinary and the bathroom appears clean, however as the type starts to emerge from the toilet a slightly green light is introduced in order to give a grungy look. I think that this works well.

Early Test

This is a test that i have created in which I have explored using the type to illustrate the object that shouldn't be flushed:

Example typography

At the moment one of the ideas that I have is to consider using type in terms of building the composition. The video below is a great example of the use of type as a way of creating composition:

Portfolio Visit - Chris Toole

I had my second portfolio visit on Tuesday with Chris Toole, who works with a variety of mediums from print based platforms through to online media. I decided that I would show him my showreel first as I felt that this worked well as a starting point, in my previous portfolio visit earlier on in the week.

I showed him a few of my pieces. The first piece which I showed him was my Morph London Ident, which he felt was professional and seemed to really like the look of it. I think that this was because he spends a lot of his time creating brand identities. This was exciting to hear because recently I have found it quite exciting looking at advertising and identities.

I then showed him my title sequence, he said that the use of live footage worked well and he liked the overall look of the piece.

The last piece that I showed him was my Discovery Channel Ident. This led to a conversation about the use of 3D and how I really like 3D, but we discussed how its appropriate to consider where to use it in order for it to be most effective. With the Discovery Channel Ident I tried to use 3D, but still with a line based vector style. He liked the way I had used 3D in this piece. I feel that this is one of my stronger pieces, so it was good to get someone else's opinions on it which were positive.  He said he'd never touched 3D before himself, so he was impressed with what I'd shown him.

I think that there is definitely potential to go back for another visit at some point and when I asked him if I was to send over an email asking for feedback he said that it wouldn't be a problem.

This is an example of something that shouldn't be flushed: a puppy! This report is interesting because although it is quite eccentric when we contemplate the fact that a puppy has been flushed, the mere fact that a puppy can fit down the pipes of a toilet is ridiculous!

Something that is interesting within this video is the way that the camera travels down the pipe. It gives me an insight into the insides of the pipe and a way to consider th styling of the piece that I'm going to create myself.

The video above shows an example of something that has been flushed down a toilet. I decided to include this because I felt that it is appropriate to consider things that could be flushed down a toilet that wouldn't be expected. the brief suggested a few things, however at this stage I feel that it is important to break it down as far as I can to explore the vast things that could be flushed, that shouldn't be.

Richard Hubbert Video 1/3

Here are the three videos supplied by the agency as part of the sewer monsters campaign:







The brief said to design something which could live online, but fit with the campaign that had already been crated, so this is something which I definitely need to consider when breaking the brief down.

New Brief

I have decided to work on the brief that we were set at the end of last year, as they have extended their deadline until the 3rd Dec. I'm looking forward to this brief, so we will see where it goes!

Thanks to Design By Day

I got back in touch Design by Day to say thanks for taking the time to look through my work, (see emails below)

I'm definitely going to keep in touch with them over the year and it would be great to start to build a relationship with them, in terms of being able to refine work and get additional feedback. When I mentioned the end of year show Angela said that it would be something that they would be interested in coming to, which although its a while a way its great to hear, (as I suspect it will creep up on us!)

Design By Day - Portfolio Visit

 

This morning I went to a portfolio visit at Design By Day who are based in Salford. On first impression the building that their studio was based in was a really interesting place, with a live music venue and bar in the basement, along with a garden area and exhibition space. I went on this portfolio visit with Olivia from graphics. We arranged to go and see Design by Day last year towards the later part of the year, however due to deadlines etc it wasn't really convenient on both sides. So when we got in touch a few weeks ago about rearranging it was great that they were able to make time for us.

The company itself is a small company run by Angela and Louise, Angela who has a background in Moving Image and Louise who has a print background and now enjoys creating brand identities. Their skill sets allows them to use their talents in both aspects of design and create both print based and digital moving image pieces.

I really like the work that they produce. Here is their current moving image showreel:

DBD Showreel 2010 from Design By Day on Vimeo.

When we arrived at the mill building Louise came down and let us in and took us up to their studio. Their studio was a nice, small bit quirky office space. It had a very homely a personal feel about it and she made us very welcome. Angela joined us soon after and they looked through both of our portfolios.

I decided that I would show my newly created showreel, as I felt that it showed a broad range of the work that I have created. It allowed me to include pieces of my work that I didn't necessarily feel were the right ones to show in full in order to get feedback, but I would still like to show the range of pieces I like to create. Before I went I was unsure before I went whether or not to show my showreel, however I'm glad that I did because in terms of how I decided to present my work it was a nice ice breaker in terms of introducing me and my work . On reflection their feedback suggested that they liked what they saw.

I decided to show them a few pieces in order to get feedback on them.

Self Initiated Project: Title Sequence
This was the first piece that I showed to them. They liked the aesthetic of the piece and its overall look. We talked about the way that I had played with depth of field towards the beginning section of this piece and felt that this worked. They thought that the colouring worked well and the way that I had explored the use of live action footage in a way that wouldn't appear cliche worked, looking at voyeurism.

D&AD Competition Piece: 'The Ever-changing City Brief'
In terms of this brief I discussed how I felt that for me that this was an ideas driven project and that although I am happy with the concept of the piece, that I would like to rework it. They liked the idea but with a similar feeling to me they felt that I could look at the use of the books aesthetic and play on this more. They thought that the books looked quite illustration based and maybe I should make them a little more realistic. This feedback was really helpful in terms of this piece because this is definitely a piece that I intend on reworking the get it to a stage that I am happy with.

 Discovery Channel Ident
They seemed to really like this piece. They liked the way that I had used 3D in a way that wouldn't necessarily be the expected way. They liked the way that I had chosen to use the vector line style and how you were able to see the working parts. Louise said that she also liked the use of smoke and felt that it complimented the rest of the piece. We talked about how I would like to rework the end section when the Discovery channel logo comes in and they suggested that maybe reducing the logo in size might help to so this. I was happy that they like this piece as I feel that it is one of my stronger pieces of work.   


Door Project
I didn't really think about showing them this piece originally however after we started talking about the way that the collaboration project worked and how both me and Olivia felt that it was one of our favourite and most successful pieces of the year. They were really intrigued about the way that this brief worked and said how more universities should adopt similar real-world briefs. We talked about our own experiences of project managing and how we thoroughly enjoyed it. I therefore thought that it would be appropriate to show them this brief. They liked the way that we had used metaphor to show the life of a person and the way that although we felt that we weren't necessarily driven by production but working in a collaboration that the final outcome was effective. They liked the jerky feel of the stop motion and the way that we split the project up as a team.

Overall, this was a great experience for me and I came away from the visit excited and motivated. They said that we should definitely keep in touch so with this in mind as my work progresses I would like to get back in touch with them and show them my work as it evolves.

JOHN CAGE UNCAGED: SONG BOOKS
Manchester RNCM

We went to see this John Cage event at the Royal Northern College of Music. When we first walked in it seemed a little surreal, but sometimes things that initially seem strange turn out to be the most interesting! We went to the event with no expectations or idea of what it would be like.

From what I understand both staff and students took the challenge upon themselves, to take John Cages scores and interpret them in whatever they felt was appropriate. We had a look through a copy of his notebooks and the graphical score were really interesting. It was intriguing that each notation looked different and was shown in a different way. When thinking about people interpreting in a different way it got me thinking about how this could be explored in a different way, i.e. a moving image piece.

Here are a few images that a took on the night of some of the performances:

Andrew Brooks- Panorama Special

We went to see a talk by Andrew Brooks at the Whitworth Art Gallery. It was a really interesting event in which he talked to us about not only his work, but how he goes about creating it. He actually opened PhotoShop on screen and showed us how his composition was made up of layers. The pieces he showed us were just incredible and unless he had told us there's no way that you would of know that they were composited together.

Here are a couple of the images that he talked to us about:

http://www.andrewbrooksphotography.com/

I found it mesmerizing that the images that he created are all composited together in PhotoShop from different shots. He talked about how he goes out and finds the perfect elements in order to create these scenes. For example in the image shown above he talked about how it took him so long to find the right boat that he wanted to use to construct this shot. Not only did he take shots in many places around the country but in other ones too, I think he said that he finally found this shot of the boat in Ireland. I think the idea of constructing your own compositions from multiple shots is exciting when you think that the possibilities are endless.

Another thing that he showed us, was the way that he constructed a mechanism that housed multiple, mounted cameras. He did this in order to create a 3D esc image. He had video on screen almost in two panels next to each other, in which you had to make yourself go cross eyed in order to see 3D like footage. It was extremely interesting.

If you haven't seen any of his work you should definitely take a look at his site. Here's a link to another talk that was filmed in June, (not the event we went to), but still covering his process. http://vimeo.com/14012293

I think that seeing this talk was helpful because as I have been researching compositing as a medium, it was interesting to see the application in in terms of simply working with composition.

Benjamin Gudel

I spoke to Kris form 2nd Year illustration about illustrators that use light within their work, as part of my research for my Critical Journal. He gave me this guys name and his stuff is just incredible.

Whilst looking at styling for my current title sequence my research led me to looking at the way that lighting was explored through a variety of diffrent mediums, not just moving image pieces. I love the way that the lighting is used in these pieces and the use of highlights just give the piece the depth that they need. 
(Images found at http://www.hairysackofmagic.com/)

Psyop: UPS "Storm" (Final spot) from Motionographer on Vimeo.

I wanted to look at the effects that have be used in order to suggest the scrubbing of footage. So this piece is a great examples of using white noise and tram-lines, not only for the required effect but stylized in a way that fits with the piece.

Initial Idea

This examples below is a great example of the sort of technique that I have been considering using for this project:

As well as creating a final piece we are also required to create a 'Making of Video' in order to show the process that we went through in order to create our own pieces.

The Making of True Blood

HBO: True Blood Main Title Sequence - The Making Of from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.

Making of Videos

This is a great example of a making of video, you are really able to get a sense of all the work that went into making the piece of work. The benefit of 'Making of' videos are that they allow for the amount of work that you put into a piece to really be shown. Sometimes you produce a piece that is 20 sec in length, however it may have taken 4 weeks to produce. This is a great format for you to be able to show how much time and effort goes into something.

Logo Design

Here are some logo designs that I recently created for somebody.

http://motionographer.com/

La Fete (HD - 2010) from Malcolm Sutherland on Vimeo.

Described in the videos description as 'A short sketchbook-style animated film',http://vimeo.com/10239065.


I decided to post this because I love the style of this piece. The animation flows really well and the choice of media has been appropriately chosen.

Studio Research - Report 5

Design by Day

http://www.designbyday.co.uk/

This  is the studio that me and Olivia from graphics were going to go on last year, but as they were busy at the time they got in touch and postponed it. However, we were talking the other day and still fancy doing a joint visit.

Something that jumped out at me was the range in the type of work that they produce. They create work that is 2D, 3D and 2.5D. I think companies that open themselves up to the possibility of using more than one medium, give themsleves a large scope in terms of the possibility of projects.


DBD Showreel 2010 from Design By Day on Vimeo.

Studio Research - Report 4

Shilo

http://www.shilo.tv/

Based: New York NY

I became familiar with Shilo a few years ago and one thing that I really like about them is the way that their work varies from projects. I also like the way that they take a mixed media approach to the work that they produce.

An example of their work is:

This piece is one of my favourite pieces that they have created. I love the way that they explore the idea of compostiting, which is soemthing that I would like to do myself. I really like the work of Shilo. One thing that I think Shilo do is that they look at doing projects that aren't hugely commercial.

Studio Research - Report 3

Motion Picture Company

Based: Motion Picture Company have offices in London, Los Angeles and Vancouver

I think that what this company is, is a great example of a company that fully exlpores the use of 3D and its potential. The feeling that I get from this company is that its a very big company and they are big players within the industry.

To name a few of the awards that they have been nominated for in 2010, (found on website,  http://www.moving-picture.com/)

• "D&AD Nomination for Best Special Effects; Plane Stupid 'Polar Bears'
• D&AD Nomination for Best Special Effects; Virgin 'Fantastic Jounrney'
• AICP Nomination for Best Visual Effects; Syfy 'House on the Hill'
• AICP Nomination for Best Visual Effects; Coca Cola 'Finals'
• Prix Ars Electronica Hononary Mention; Plane Stupid, 'Polar Bears'
• Creative Circle Gold Award for Best Special Effects; Heinz 'Bottle'
• BAFTA Nomination for Best Visual Effects; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince", http://www.moving-picture.com/

I've actually been put in contact with someone from the company, so hopefully I will be able to get together with the contact and arrange a portfolio crit.

 One example of one of their pieces is Evian's skating babies:

Studio Research - Report 2

We Are Seventeen
http://www.weareseventeen.com/

Based: London

By the time that we left 'We Are Seventeen' when we visited them I knew that I wanted to work for a company like them. The team was small and you could definately feel a sense of respect both for the work that they wre producing and between the team themselves. In terms of freelancers they said that they would get them in as and when they needed them and they prefered that they worked in the studio, allowing for the studio atmosphere.

What do I find most interesting?

They produced work that varied in media, they seemed to have a mixed media approach to their projects and not just rely on using one type of media for a project. Also I like the idea of working on a project from start to finish. Taking an idea right through from ideas stage to post production, something that I dont think that you would be able to do in some of the larger companies.

Studio Research - Report 1

www.liquid.co.uk

Based: Liquid TV are based in Soho in London.

I have been interested in the work that Liquid TV have produced for a couple of years now. I am very interested in the 3D work that they produce, but also the way that they explore the ways in which they use 3D to still give quite a flat appearance.

Their website describes the team as being made up of "Varied designers, animators, directors, producers and account handlers"(http://www.liquid.co.uk, Anon, 21/9/10)

"Liquid TV is an award winning cross media creative agency whose emphasis on idents, title sequences, channel branding, promotions and special effects has given us a high level of respect with broadcasters and blue chip clients" (http://www.liquid.co.uk, Anon, 21/9/10)

What do I find most interesting?

That they do all production and post production themselves and they feel that this is why they feel that there able to achieve a great standard in the desgin work that they produce. They believe that this is what makes both their UK and international work stand out.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/04/14/six-feet-under/

A brave one

Idea of perfect crime
sounds of the city

I found the article below whilst looking at the PERFECT CRIME:

"Every year in virtually every country, crimes go unsolved – and sometimes undetected. When someone commits a crime of this type it is called a perfect crime. This is a list of ten tips to perpetrating the perfect crime. I am sure it doesn’t need to be said, this is not meant as a reference for criminals, but rather as an entertaining look at crime and detection.

1. DNA

DNA is the surest way to prove you committed a crime. It is absolute imperative that you do not leave ANY DNA behind you and that is very difficult. The best solution to this is to commit your crime in a place that is likely to have a lot of DNA from strangers. For example, a park, a mall, anywhere that a lot of people tend to gather. Finding your DNA will be like finding a needle in a haystack.

2. Relationship

The large number of crimes committed are committed by someone close to the victim. The police know this well and they know who to question. Your best bet here is to pick someone as random as the victim. This is especially true if murder is your crime of choice. Don’t be tempted to commit your crime against someone you only know in passing – it must be a total stranger.

3. Proximity

This ties in to point 2 – commit the crime in another town. You don’t want to travel so far that you can be connected because you took a trip – just far enough that you are outside of the main area of interest to the police. You also don’t want to be on the road for hours before the crime as you may become tired, or after the crime as you may still be on the streets when the big investigation begins.

4. Type of Crime

Chose your crime carefully. For example, you are almost certain to get caught if you try to rob a bank. Chose a crime that can be committed in the early hours of the morning or that can be done very discretely during the daytime.

5. Evidence

Most criminals are caught because they tried to hide the crime – what they should have been doing is trying to hide any connection they have to the crime. It doesn’t matter if the police know the crime happened. If your crime involves a gun or weapon of some kind, use it and drop it. Leave it at the scene. If you follow point 7 this will not be a problem. If you kill someone, leave the body there. Do not touch the body at all. Do not move the body and do not try to hide the body. And just in case you haven’t understood that last part – that includes using a vat of acid. If you have stolen something, you need to get rid of it as quickly as possible and if it is money, don’t start spending up large – you will draw attention to yourself.

6. Timing

Timing is everything. The best time to commit a crime is in the very early hours of the day when most people are asleep. If you do follow this instruction, remember that you need to look like you are not out of place on the street. That means no full face coverings. The selected time is important when you come to purchase your tools.

7. Tools

First off, you need good thick gloves. The thin ones are not good enough as they can split and it is possible to leave fingerprints if they are sufficiently thin. Do not use anything you own and do not buy brands you normally buy unless they are very generic brands. This means you need to go shopping. Shop out of town and shop in large department stores where you are less likely to be remembered. Remember: very common brands only. You must pay in cash and you must destroy any receipts, or shopping bags. After the crime is committed, destroy everything you bought as quickly as you can and don’t do it in an obvious way, like having a bonfire in your back yard when you have never done so before. Wait at least one month from buying your goods to committing your crime.

8. Alibi

It is wise to have an alibi – though not essential if you have followed all the other rules. It doesn’t hurt however. One way you can do this is to plan an out of town trip and book your hotel and rental car with your credit card. Sign up for a convention and attend. Try to use a hotel with no cameras. In the early hours travel to the place of your crime, commit it, and return. Enjoy the remainder of your holiday (on your credit card) and return home the next day.

9. The Getaway

If you are committing the crime in the early hours, the best mode of transport is by bike. This will enable you to get off the roads if you need and to travel quickly. You do not want to be seen on the street walking (remember, the Zodiac nearly got caught this way) and you don’t want to be the only car on the street at 2am! Take regular cycle clothes and wear them. In the case of murder, if you have dumped the murder weapon you should not need to worry about evidence if you do get picked up. Wear an iPod and maybe a fresh packet of cigarettes – you can always say you were out getting smokes as you couldn’t sleep.

10. Aftermath

First of all, do not watch the television and avoid the papers. The police can use these as tools to try to psych you out. Avoid these things for at least a month. Do not celebrate in any way – continue about your every day life. Do not brag about your crime to anyone (that includes posting here in the comments!)

One final tip: if you do get arrested, this does not mean you have failed to commit the perfect crime. If this happens, do not speak. The police need evidence to convict you – if you have done the job right, there won’t be any. Don’t help the police with testimony. Remember, the court needs to find you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Oh – and if you do get convicted, you might want to read this article on the top 10 tips to surviving prison".

ABOVE ARTICLE FOUND AT: http://listverse.com/2007/08/16/top-10-tips-to-commit-the-perfect-crime/