OUGD202 Evaluation

OUGD202 Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I think I have got over my fear of using after effects and learnt the basics and maybe a little more when it comes to creating an animation. I feel a lot more comfortable using the software now I know the basics. My knowledge developed as I went through whether it be through taking notes or just experimenting as I went along and seeing what happened. I learnt how to scale and position text so that the transition is smooth in my silent movie animation and learnt how to layer Photoshop images to create an animation in after effects.

Also in this module I have developed my understanding and knowledge with iweb and how to design a web interface on the most basic of levels. It made me realize and learn how to design an interface so that it is easy to navigate even for the most novice of users and that it doesn’t have to be a flashy site to be the most successful and effective. I know feel comfortable using iweb and am looking forward ot using Dreamweaver and flash in the future as web design really appeals to me now, where as it didn’t before this module.

Going hand in hand with the above is the skill to manage my time. I think I have developed this a lot since the last module. I learnt to work more at university and it pushes me to work and the environment is a lot more graphical stimulating and that i am away form the noise and temptation of life at home. Being off for 2 weeks with tonsillitis didn’t help with the time management and I was a hard struggle to get y self back on track and upto date with all my work as well as getting back into this brief, but I believe I managed well and completed the brief to the best of my abilities.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

I think being more organized helped me a lot in this brief. I didn’t a good quality of research and understanding into my subject, so when I entered the new year and was given the third part of the brief, that set me off on a good note with lots to think about, develop ideas and start the ball rolling. My design sheets and storyboards were neater and tidy, and clear development could be seen which helped me a lot when I had to make decisions about the animation and what to or not to do.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think my biggest strength in this module has been able to keeo my work tidy and clear so that I can progress my ideas and design quickly. If decisions are to be made I could pin point it quickly and deal with the problem and come up with an appropriate solution.

Before I was ill I was grasping after effects rather well and enjoying it, but with being off I missed the sessions and fell behind, meaning I had to teach myself a lot of the software myself, which I believe shows in my work, but I see teaching myself the software to an ok standard to be a good strength in this module.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

Even though I grasped the basics of after effects I still think that it was my main weakness in this module. I didn’t capitalize on the software and what was available to me to use and create with y animation. I see my concept, illustrations and ideas as a good strong starting point for an animation, but because I didn’t use the software to the best of my abilities and its abilities it ended up being poor in my opinion. If I was to do it again I know where the cracks in my decisions and techniques are so would be able to improve.

5. Identify five things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

• Experiment more with after effects so that my work can be as creative and effective as possible.

• Leave myself more time for each stage of the brief i.e research, development, final outcome.

• Develop more ideas for the start.

• Begin with an open mind and not focused on one.

• Take my time to learn the software.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

Attendance - 4

Punctuality - 3

Motivation- 4

Commitment - 4

Quantity of work produced - 4

Quality of work produced - 3

Contribution to the group - 4

Final animation

Here is my final animation that i have created for this brief.

All in all i have developed form the beginning, i have more understanding and knowledge for after effects and the storyboard process, but ti think with abit more practice i could improve my animation. I n the end it is all about developing and making mistakes but most importantly taking that knowledge and learning form it for the future, which i most certainly will.

Initial storyboards

These are my test taken form my initial layouts and final frames and designs for the animation in .They show step by step what i want to happen in the animation and give me feedback to see what i could improve or change now that i can see it on screen.

Below are only a few of my tests, the rest have been uploaded to my iweb.

What i wanted to get form testing my animation, is a feeling for the software and also how the frames would look when i put them together as the final animation. I think the final outcomes are pleasing and will work well as a final animation.

Interface design

For my iweb i need to look into researching how websites are designed and how they operate in terms of navigation. its not just as easy has sticking buttons on a page, each page needs to be designed with each link been though about. hopefully by taking some ideas through research i will be able to produce a nice, simple easy to navigate site.

Stop motion

Even before this brief i loved to watch and make mini stop frame animation just by using my camera but i hope to take a lot form looking at what and how people have done their animations and hope to take inspiration to put that into my animation.

Advert intros/idents

Averts intros or idents are a great way to view stop frame animation to animation form pencil to digital and audio creative masterpieces, they are short and sharp but do their job. e see them on tv everyday, up to 20 times a day but many take them for granted. I am hoping to take notes and ideas from researching what is currently and has been out there on tv.

E4 Stings

As this is an E4 based brief i think it would be silly not to research E4 idents. They are short and sweet but do the job, which is exactly what my animation has to do.

Wild west visual media

After researching the wild west i looked into wild west films and intros to see how the frames are set out and what the set designs look like.

The wild west

Even thought these are only basic western images it still gives me a starting point and vision of how i could make my design more relevant by making it a similar style.

Because Chuck Norris is known for his wild west theme and cowboy attitude i thought it would only be relevant to research the wild west.