After Effects work

Above is the first product of my After-Effects work, following loosely on a tutorial I found, I adapted and changed certain aspects to create this ethereal Glowing Ball, these will act as the ends to the cables, the sparks that resonate of the ends. I believe this will add a aspect of depth and overall aesthetic improvement.

-Tutorial-
http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/3d_light_casting/

The ball of light was created by adding a series of swirling lines drifting from the centre point, shaped in a circular motion, and fading into a low opacity as it reaches the edge of the circle, duplicating these swirls add the depths, and a adjustment to colours gives a more realistic look. I shall look into applying these moving lines to the edge of the Eminence logo piece as it transpires.
This is the first step to using After Effects, and I hope that I shall be able to call upon its potential again during the animation process of creating my advert.

Working Progress

The Eminence preliminary animation, is coming along smoothly regardless I have experienced some Issues with an almost end result, rough as it is. I believe the speed of the animation is not up to the standard, this would be obligatory, due to the speed of flash, as I had mentioned this issue to possibly arise earlier.

Additionally from the crude affect I have used, that off slowly rubbing out the animation scene by scene, we see that blocks of the glow the resonate from the logo, seems to disappear in not so much as a linear fashion as the lineage. This could prove to be a problem, and may need a going over to neaten such up, or perhaps the hastening of the animation may cause the problem to cease. Also the smoothness of the animation is not present and this current moment, retouching and possibly looking into actions from programmes like After affects may aid.

Additional ideas that have also sprung up, would be to resonate around the idea of super-fast fibre optic broadband, an affect of perhaps sparks of light following that off the moving lines would give a essence of raw power crackling from the lines. This also enforces a iconic visual style that is obligatory with a audiences interpretations of how internet cables act.

Following a trend set with adverts such as B.T's adverts, seeming to create a stereotype of the power that beckons from Fibre optic internet.

Creation

Media Blog:

Creation process.
Gaining inspiration from a useful tutorial on Psd-tuts (http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tutorials-effects/create-a-high-flying-snowboard-illustration) I was able to find a particular type of lineage and how to create it using Adobe Illustrator, this was infect the first time I had seriously used Illustrator, and this tutorial taught me a lot. Through the process I learnt lineage and 3D transforming affects.
These images are quick example of the process used, i copied over the original text with a thin brush tool, after this i transformed the lines into 3D giving a nice effect, from that I copied this into photoshop and created a drop shadow, and a blue hugh to radiate from the lines, unhappy with the colour and transformed the lines themselves to a more creamy white colour, I think this theme of colour could represent the purity and simplicity of the service offered.

The font type I had used Ayuthaya was chosen because at the time it seemed like quite a definitive type font to sketch the lineage around easier, but additionally for the simplistic element to coincide with the lineage used. Additionally within the text there is a slight undertone of typewriter, futuristic text styles, from the shape of the letters particularly the "I"

In terms of the lineage used, I thought this was effective with the elements of simplicity brought forth from its visual style.

Furthermore: Now I have a basic idea of my logo and the lineage technique, i will build upon perhaps change some factors, like introducing some thicker lines, play around with the colour a little more, and add a tad more clarity. Once I am happy with this, i will need to start looking into a technique, and making the linage grow from the edge of the screen and form the final piece.
An idea i had upon this would be to rub out a small inch of each line inside out, a gruelling process. But this will allow me to speed up the frames per second and reverse the rubbing effect creating a growth effect.

Designing Process

Audience Research (Forgive Underlining, A glitch cannot fix)

When it comes to the general consensus of Broadband user majority of people who wish their high speeds gained from Internet would fall under a young generation of individuals from 40 under, most particularly 13-25. This is because majority of these youths use the Internet constantly through their lives and test its uses to the limits one particular example would be Online gaming. Games such as World of Warcraft and Call Of Duty have massive user bases rating into the millions. And these games are demanding and expansive, Online gaming is the newest thing and the one of the easiest things to gain contrary to the difficulty just 7 years ago. These youths additionally use the internet for videos, downloads, music and a variety of other speed intensive activities. And one finds that in such a high-paced technological savvy lifestyle money is no option, the more something costs the more the need for it. Commercialism is a must.

This is the Audience I wish to design my advertising piece around the type that require super fast broadband regardless the cost, to relate to these audiences I will need to Emulate the styles of other Highspeed Broadbands such as Virgin Media, who favor a style of "power" around their adverts, a offering of services and a visual effect of what the Broadband will do to your life.


As you can see the advert will start of with a plug, what gets pushed. As soon as the click of the plug goes down a burst of radience and life explodes from the bottom, swirling and growing. This pushing of the bottom is very similar to that of the Virgin Media advert, the switch acting as a symbol (Virgins opening the door) for starting the broadband experience, the life and growth of the lines act as the broadband.




The growth symbolic of the immense power the broadband's offers, the origin power the power of growth. Representing a wild expanse of infinite power. And also the graphical look acts as a insensitive and eye opener. A advert that looks more technological advanced in its graphical capabilities obvious looks like a superior and more advanced type.

Brainstorm

Draft Storyboard

This is a Brainstorm for the initial ideas I had conceived when creating a Broadband advert, unfortunately I was unable to produce a mass trove of ideas, due to the fact that Broadband adverts have a very strict and one way side and style. Verging from such a style although creative, may not be the boldest idea, this could misonscrew a convention with a heavy foundation and style, making an adaption of a already used styles like a plethora of other companies do I believe is the soundest strategy, I have began to conceive the idea of perhaps using the style of energy and power within the work indicative of Broadband connection, cables and wiring and such resonating energy.

Additionally I looked into the different things Broadband offers. This would be perhaps music, gaming and movie prominently especially if someone desires a faster service. This allows me to segregate my target audience to that of the modern youth culture I shall begin to look into this.

Research

Marxism Theory in media.

I believe the study of Marxist Theory in media, connects to the effect I wish to create, this is Marshal Mcluhan's theory of mediation within the media one particular aspect that interests me is his theory of technology become an extension of the persons nervous system he quotes..

"After more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned. Rapidly, we approach the final phase of the extensions of man—the technological simulation of consciousness, when the creative process of knowing will be collectively and corporately extended to the whole of human society"

Marshal see's the advance in technology and humans inept need to grasp it and use it in everyday life to aid them in their endeavours, such as mobile phones. Humans who own and frequently use a mobile. (nearly everyone in the new generation in western society) Never leave their mobile unattended and take it everywhere they go, regarding this piece of technology almost as a limb. Marshal assumes that this is a form of evolution within society.

I believe i can apply this theory to my piece in the process of suggesting that this broadband is a part of your life, the cables a part of you. Suggesting that power is your upgrade, a upgrade for your human body. Making your life easier, and covering all aspects of your humble life. From Gaming, to music to web-surfing.

Virgin Media -Broadband Tv Advert

This is the advert for Virgin Media's Broadband Tv add, this advert shows the protagonist investigating the source of "disaster" that is happening acting very much like an earth quake, he walks with a almost confident and surety as if he knows what is coming, he walks to the door and open it. The door acts as symbolism for... well opening the door to a new broadband. As soon as the door open he is blasted back with a immense power, the camera in a low angle showing the bright white light he is staring at, almost as a Godly power, as the house blows to pieces, sparks of bright orange light explode past him, representing the sheer power of the Broadband an impressive site to behold. The effects and "epicness" of the Camera shaking and style of shot, catches a great deal of attention and screams power.

I like the idea of representing power in such a way, enveloping the internet to the man's whole life, his belongings and house. Everything around him is caught in the magnitude, the style is subtle but also not, the the internet is again represented in sparks of bright light. Reinforcing the stereotyped view of how Broadband runs, again pushing me to fulfil this convention.

BT Infinity Broadband Advert

This is the advert or Bt's infinity broadband, a new fibre-optic fast connection that they are implementing, the piece is set at night, this gives these ethereal glows that strike down very slowly across the screen, these glowing lines come in a number of about 10-15, with a depth of field to show them spanning across the horizon, dropping down into various areas, these lines of light are very typical of a stereotypical view of how modern broadband seems to travel across the connections. They glow with a luminous white/cyan colour a style I very much wish to emulate within my piece.

Shots through the piece, show that off London, and a vast abundance of places from Football grounds, to a house, this shows a element of connectivity, the vast array of random places also suggests a ability that their services are available anywhere. This is a process and technique of connecting to the audience showing a realistic side of life that we seem to endure, almost as if this is happening on our front door, making us believe it is on our front door. The style of people looking and being shocked and gazing in awe at the glowing orbs, adds the factor of reality.

Change Of Breif

It seems through extreme technical difficulties, lack of ideas and the unfortunate event of the producers I contact, proving to be difficult with talks and subsequently falling through. I have decided to change my working brief, I will now be doing my project on advertising.

Final Idea

My final idea is that off a real insight to the dark side of youth culture and how it is escalating out of control, the music in a sense tags along side this kind of culture as one of the many vast social groups that listens to this sort of music. This is portrayal of the real dark side social groups and individuals can hold with them, and how harmful fun can also develop into something terribly horrific. The setting is a Council Estate, consisting of flats, parks, dim lit streets. And it will be at night time, a common hour for these groups to commit their crimes, also creating a mood with the piece, what will coincide with the music. Our Protagonist a typical youth, dressed in a black hoodie, jeans etc. (Also the clothes of his friends) He will be sitting on a bench alone in a park, waiting, or thinking, this will coincide with the building music, when the music picks up pace, he will be met by his accomplices. While the music builds to the eventual drop, certain aspects as drugs, and drinking will be shown as the friends almost prep and socialize around the protagonists bench, the protagonist shows throughout a almost distance from the acting of the group, not talking, while the rest laugh and joke. Towards the eventual build to the near drop of the song, the youth are beating and robbing an adult into a horrific state, an escalation of the youth culture and the true fears of adults coming true. As the song suddenly drops, the protagonist suddenly snaps, certain this is not what he wants, and ridden with fear and shocks, splits. Sprinting away from his mates, subsequently sending them to turn their back on their friend and only protect what they hold most dear, their own safety and well being, and begin to chase him, causing even one of the youths themselves to become a victim of this dark, twisted grip of violence and evil that has caught alot of Youths.

Alot of the Camera work and editing will coincide with the beats and tempo, the building and eventual drop of the music. With quick fast paced shots, to long tracking and various angles to suggest certain characters more influential and stronger than others. Certain shots showed exactly at certain beats on the music, to create a real connection between the song and story on screen, giving that in depth and feel for the story, just like many people get with the music.