Learning Illustrator

I have spent so much time trying to source an image for the room that the girl is trapped in.  I have taken photos myself, searched my own photo archives, online in books.... but the trouble is - I had an image in my head and I have to have a door and window within the shot.... you wouldn't think that it would be so difficult to locate!  I finally realised that however much I want to use a photo, it isn't going to happen - other than scouting around and going out to take more photos in interesting houses (time is against me on that one), I will have to try an alternative.  I found an image online that could work and had saved it in my 'inspiration' file; so I thought the best way to achieve a decent looking image would be by using illustrator to create the outline of the room.  I searched online to research the ways of doing this.  I found tutorials about 'live trace', but this just looks like 'trace bitmap' in Flash - this is not the look I wanted.  Another way to do it was by placing the photo in a layer in Illustrator and double clicking the layer to open up the layer options to enable me to trace over the image.

 

I selected 'Template' and chose to dim the image to 60%.   I then created a new layer to enable me to draw over the original image.  I used the pen tool to create my outlines and the end resut was quite effective.  I am glad I have finally dipped my toe into Illustrator!

This is how it looks so far.  I will put a door into the door space at the back of the room (this will be the door she never opens).  I have now got to decide on the colour scheme.  I wanted a grungy texture on the walls and searched for some free textures.  I then had the problem of knowing how to apply these to my scene.  I am so new to Illustrator, so I feel very clumsy around the application!  I used the help files and online help and some trial and error of my own to apply the texture to the swatches.  I was doing what it said in the help files, but it would not work, then I realised that as the texture was a bitmap it would probably need to be rasterized in order for me to be able to copy it to swatches and thankfully this worked!

Then, as I am so used to using Photoshop - I could not understand how to apply the texture to the scene... I could see the 'live paint' tool, but could not get it to work - I just wanted to use the paint bucket and place the colour into areas within the scene!  I knew I had to get out of Photoshop mode and I pondered a while and decided to group all the paths together to see if this worked and fortunately it did!  I could then use the 'live paint' tool to apply the texture.  This is probably all very obvious to Illustrator users, but a bit alien to me at the moment.  I applied the textures, but although it looks ok, it is not the look I want.

The look I really want is to be able to have some transparency on the texture and place a colour over it.. so back to the drawing board and search online to find a way to do this :)

Late Fragment - an interactive film

Late Fragment, which is designed for a DVD platform and presented as a live VeeJay’d performance theatrically, was shot in Toronto with an HD camera and recorded directly onto a digital card which went straight into the computer. The $1.3-million production involved a traditional filmmaking process as well as the creation and implementation of up to thirteen different digital tools to complete.

Notwithstanding the digital process, making a film that lets viewers interrupt the story at any time and switch to another scene while still following a three-act narrative structure also meant that a whole new way of thinking about cinema and story had to be invented. “Components, clicks, non-clicks, rabbit-holes and loops” were words that peppered the conversation in the edit suites.

I have been researching interactive narratives that are currently in the forefront of digital media and came across this interactive film. It looks complex, but interesting and the dvd is soon to be launched.

The question is asked 'what is interactive film?' and Tina Santiago (webmaster of the Late Fragment website), has this to say:

The future of cinema will not be defined by a single direction. Old genres will live alongside new genres. But it is increasingly becoming clear that at least one of these directions will take the form of cinema as some kind of participatory experience, where the audience of one or many may impact how a narrative unfolds itself over space or time. These new forms should not be reduced as simply “choose your own adventure” models but instead should be seen as the coming to life of post-modern preoccupations with multiplicity, diversity, open-endedness, spatial conceptions of self, and story puzzles explicitly expressed through interactive technology.

Inspirational animation from LIAF

Return by LIAFanimation

Storyline

I finally made a breakthrough with the storyline for the interactive narrative.  I had an outline, but it was too vague for my liking and made it very difficult to plan the branching narrative.  All I had for the basis of the story was that a woman was in a room and would not or could not get out - but yesterday was well spent plotting the story together.  It is often the most difficult part for me, (even with the most simple animation) - the story!  It  looms over me and becomes an enourmous hurdle!  I forsook a family day out yesterday, on a beautiful sunny day and spent time compiling a more effective story and drawing some characters.  It does not sound much for a days work, but 'the story is king' and I needed to develop the initial idea into something more concrete.  Without a decent plot, the user would not be interested in making a journey into the interactive narrative.... why would they bother!  I need to grab their interest in order for them to want to make the jouney and interact with it.  Meadows (2003), discusses the 'Generation of Meaning' and says:

'The foundations of a narrative image should include some sense of the opinion of the author (some moral).  Likewise, a context needs to be offered so that there is some kind of internal conflict, problem, or series of events.  The decisions of how to solve these problems are part of the art of narrative - part of the sensitivity that an author of narrative needs to bring to plot to make it an actual story.'

Here, Meadows highlights the importance of the plot within the story, as this encourages participation.

I have discussed the storyline with some friends and family who fall within a wide age range (25 - 75) and who fit within the lifestyle descriptors of my audience:

Life cycle stage: Single, newly married, empty nest and solitary survivor.

Lifestyle classification (Young & Rubican, Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation: 4C’s): The Aspirer – visual, materialistic, image, appearance. The Succeeder – confident, organised, aggressive attitude to life means they need to relax occasionally, in need of stress relief. The Explorer – indulgent, first to try new ideas, likes new experiences. The Reformer – independent, curious & enquiring.   

.... and I have had no negative viewpoints, which pleasantly surprised me and has made me feel more confident to go ahead with the storyline.

I have been gathering a wide range of images for inspiration, and now need to concentrate on the art direction to form an overall style.  I have a beautiful and inspirational book called Dream Worlds by Hans Bacher, based on production design for animation. According to Bacher; during the early stages of film/animation, the Production Designer is part of the visual development team, who explore all visual possibilites and this is what I have been gatheirng my inspirational images for - to explore and develop the visual. I have also been reading sections within a book called Inspired 3D Short Film Production by Jeremy Cantor & Pepe Valencia.  Although this book is based on 3D animation, I have found some chapters helpful and am currently dipping into the Chapter on Art Direction.  I still wish to incorporate mixed media and will focus on using photography with hand drawn and animated elements, and may include a small amount of video.

Work whinges & Final Module planning

So much has gone on at work recently - lots of redundancies - my Curriculum Manager took voluntary redundancy which has split the Media and Interactive Media team up and ended up with me having to run the BTEC Diploma courses next year. I have no knowledge of running FE courses and have had no wish to be so embedded in FE - I wanted to get more involved in HE - not sure how this has happened! He left yesterday at such short notice, so there is so much for me to plan and do, and there I am trying to free my brain up to complete the MA....... help! 

Yesterday, I finally pinned myseself down to get on with some Uni work and it really is about time. I must now prioritise totally if I have even the minutest chance of completing this module.  I have now got a more concrete plan and I am about to get this down on paper, from my scribbly notes.  I have been frantically searching this morning for a large sheet of paper to get the plan written out.  

I went back to look at Ed Bains personal interactive project called the Devils Tramping ground and also re-visited Donna Leishman's work to try to re-invigorate my creative juices... and this worked!  I finally feel that I am focusing on this project and making a good attempt to banish the constant nagging in my head regarding College work and preparation. 

The Bloody Chamber

The Devils Tramping Ground

I am now going to go and attempt to get the branching narrative plans drawn up :)

Using Flash to make apps

I've been searching to find some info on how to turn Flash animations into apps. I haven't been too successful in locating a lot of information. I know that there has been an issue with Adobe & Apple, but it has supposedley been resolved now, I think!  I went onto Lynda.com and had a look at some tutorials, one was based on a simple game - not exactly what I want to do; but just to attempt to get the idea of how to integrate into an i-pad/phone.  The tutorial was by Todd Perkins and he discusses the problems with older devices viewing Flash animations and said that the animations must be kept extremely simple ~ this has worried me because although I will need to keep a certain simplicity within the animation, I did not want the visual to be that simplistic!  I was also considering incorporating mixed media and this could compicate the issue further :(.  Looking at Todd Perkins' simplistic style, I can say that this is not the way to go for me and there is hardly any animation in this and on testing this game, some people were having problems viewing it....

Sk8bit - Todd Perkins' game app

I went on a HTML5 course at work recently and after all the ongoing HTML5 hype, we were hoping for more intuitive use of Canvas, but currently, it is all based on code. You have to have an excellent knowledge of HTML & JavaScript - way beyond me and the others on the course actually.  Apple have been promoting HTML5 as an alternative to Flash..... not yet, nor in the near future, I don't think - not unless you are a competent coder! 

Rooftop Films - animation

I just liked the style and the single tone colour scheme used in this animation :)

Rooftop Films Signal Film from Fran Krause on Vimeo.