Overview
The goal of this class is for you to gain valuable experience designing using the affordances of Time, Space, Motion and Sound, so you can understand how these powerful tools allow the designer greater control of what, when and how a viewer interacts with information. Introduction to the elements, principles and history of motion design. Emphasis on the conceptualization, planning and storyboarding of time-based media with respect to some specific, clearly stated aesthetic and/or communicative purpose. Students will examine methods for synthesizing still & moving imagery, typography and audio, in motion, using Adobe After Effects in combination with other software such as Final Cut Pro, Illustrator and Photoshop.
Exercise: Choreography
Choose a short selection of music and turn it into a visual interpretation. The goal here is to visualize the sound in a way that is a little more hands-on and intuitive. Capture motion that already exists. Use only in camera motion and/or human movement; found footage or animated gifs. As Man Ray said “make it an invention of light forms and movement.”
Exercise: Moving Meaning
Design often has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.
How can you express or subvert a word's meaning and and a audience's interaction with it in time, motion, sound and space.
Assignment: Music Interpretation
Design an interpretation of a piece of music. The interpretation will be up to you to define, but you must have a communication objective (story) clearly defined to drive your idea and concept of execution.
Design an interpretation of a piece of music. The interpretation will be up to you to define, but you must have a communication objective (story) clearly defined to drive your idea and concept of execution.
Assignment: Title Sequence
Like proper kerning, a good transition is often transparent. But a title sequence set the stage for what's coming. "For the average audience, the title sequence tell them there’s only three minutes left to eat popcorn. I take this ‘dead’ period and try to do more than simply get rid of names that filmgoers aren’t interested in. I aim to set up the audience for what’s coming; make them expectant"-Saul Bass. Re-design a title sequence of a film or tv show. There must be a reason (Raison d’être) for it’s re-design. The sequence will be up to you to define message-wise, based on the film you choose, your understanding of the film’s theme(s) and whatever we might want to know about the filmmaker’s intent.
Like proper kerning, a good transition is often transparent. But a title sequence set the stage for what's coming. "For the average audience, the title sequence tell them there’s only three minutes left to eat popcorn. I take this ‘dead’ period and try to do more than simply get rid of names that filmgoers aren’t interested in. I aim to set up the audience for what’s coming; make them expectant"-Saul Bass. Re-design a title sequence of a film or tv show. There must be a reason (Raison d’être) for it’s re-design. The sequence will be up to you to define message-wise, based on the film you choose, your understanding of the film’s theme(s) and whatever we might want to know about the filmmaker’s intent.
