I used technical drawings and plans as a major influence within this brief.

Influences

Influences

One of my strongest influences has to be 2.5d work. For example the work of Left Channel.

Discovery Channel Ident

This is the final outcome that I created for the recent Ident project:


The piece is primarily 3D, (however stripped down to vector lines), but also uses a little 2.5d for the smoke.

Tar Boy Animation

This is an animation that I found after talking to one of the 1st year illustration guys. I think that this animation is a brilliant example of 2.5d work.

This piece uses many elements which I have incorporated into my piece. For example the use of cogs and the stripped back styling. Definately I great stylised piece and something to consider when looking at how to style the piece for the Ident.

My Influences

For this current project that I am working on I have taken influences from a number of different areas. For this project I have taken references from various different places. For example, Transport, Science, 3D Design and Animation.

Last week I went to the Science and industry museum in order to gain a further understanding of how different engineering machinery works:


This was beneficial as it allowed me to take direct references. I also used images of Stephenson Rocket to build from historical pieces.Building direct from the imagery made this easier for me as I was able to visualize how the rocket worked in a 3D sense.

Green Flag Advert

When talking to Luke and Ste earlier today they suggested that I like at this recent TV advert for the green flag:



I think this is a perfect reference for me in terms of the sort of style and feel that I want to achieve with my series of Idents.

Chocolate

Hyperreality

"The word "hyperrealism" is used in the art world to denote the activity of a group of artists who made paintings that "look just like photographs". This all happened in the late sixties, early seventies, (http://www.dgp.toronto.edu/~stam/suomi/stam/hyperreal.html, Anonymous, 29/9/09). In todays world we tend to find hyperreal imagery within advertising, which all play on the idea that hyperreal images may improve on reality.

Hyperreality is a post-modern theory described as being the following. “Not a defined movement as such, Super realism was one of many names (including Photo-realism, Hyperrealism and Sharp-Focus Realism). These artists worked in different ways and portrayed a variety of subjects – portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, suburbia, still life’s and leisure scenes of the middle classes. Although their technique was seen anonymous and machine-like at the time, examined more closely their works have as much an individual signature quality as the most expressionist artwork”.
(Dempsey 2002 p251-252)

Hyperreality is Jean Baudrillards word for aspects, which appear to be more real than they actually are. There are lots of examples of Hyperreality in today’s world and we see them all of them time without even realising. I have decided to look at Hyperreality in terms of moving image and how this post-modern theory is present within current work today. In the long run it will be more beneficial to me in term of understanding our pathway in relation to post-modern theories.

Obviously, if considering hyperrality in terms of moving image, then the first thing that comes to mind is the use of 3D animation. Nowadays, the advances in technology have meant that today’s designers are able to model almost anything. This is a great tool for designers, however I think that you have to be careful how far you push it. Hyperreality is used in lots of different way in advertising. For example hyperreality has been used in both the images below:


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/


http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/

Recently there has been an advert for ‘Coors Lite Beer’ shown on TV. I have to say that I am not a great fan of this advert and personally I feel that this is a good example of how the use of hyperreality doesn’t work in the companies favour. Here is a clip of the TV advert:


http://www.youtube.com/

Hyperreality as a theory considers the way that it is used to improve the look and appeal of particular aspects. The use of hyperreality in advertising is a way for companies to try and sell their products to the public. By improving the look of their product and making it look better than it actually it is, is potentially a great way to advertise. However there are some instances where it doesn’t work.

In this advert I think that they have attempted to create a 3D animation, which makes the drink look appealing. At the end of the ‘Coors Beer’ advert when we see the top of the bottle, we are presented with the idea of a cold refreshing bottle. However, the way that the animation has been modelled doesn’t seem to work. They have taken the ideas surrounding the post-modern theory, but in my opinion have not grasped the essence of using hyperreality to their advantage.

However, when we see images of Coca Cola, for example, we see the condensation on the outside of the bottle. We know that it’s not going to look like that when we buy it but we are still intrigued and do. Coca Cola is a prime example of a company that has explored the essence of the theory.

Catch Me if you Can

I have decided to look at the work of Olivier Kuntzel, who is a part of design duo 'Kuntzel and Deygas'. Below is a copy of the title sequence creeated by the duo at Nexus productions:


http://www.youtube.com/

"Catch Me If You Can has been compared to “the light, sophisticated Cary Grant comedies of the 1950s and 1960s. Designed by Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Deygas for Nexus Productions, the sequence is a brightly coloured animation of geometrically stylised figures chasing one another through geometrically stylised scenery.

These titles have been widely noted by reviewers, who have likened them to Depatie-Freleng's celebrated animations for the Pink Panther films as well as more general design trends of 1960s titling such as the work of Saul Bass.

Sight and Sound magazine went so far as to describe the title sequence of Catch Me If You Can's as one of the film's two most striking features. Such acclaim in itself recalls that which greeted The Pink Panther credits".

Deborah Allison
http://archive.sensesofcinema.com

As stated in the extract from the artcile by Deborah Allison, there are clear references in the titles for this 2002 film. The image below shows still taken from the title sequence for 'Catch me if You Can', alongside some stills from Saul Bass', 'Man With the Golden Arm'. In both title sequences line and text are used in order to create visually stunning pieces.

Stills Taken from 'Catch me if You Can Titles':

(Mundi, Anima, 2004, Animation Now, Germany: Taschen, p218)

Stills taken from Saul Bass' 'The Man with the Golden Arm':


http://www.youtube.com/

Obviously the work by Saul Bass is a direct reference to design trends of the 1960's, however I think that the colour pallette that they have chosen for elements within the titles for 'Catch me of You Can' suggest a 1960's colour pallette. For example, the use of bright, bold colours.

Images reflecting 1960's colour pallette:

http://rlv.zcache.com/1960s

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locamama/2280901574/

The Pink Panther Titles:

http://www.youtube.com/

The titles for 'Catch Me if You Can' are a modern take on the ones for 'The Man with the Golden Gun' and 'The Pink Panther'. I think that it is a great example of how a modern designer can take influence from other animatoars, but still keep a sense of there own style, with a modern feel.