Flat vs Real Design

One of the things that I struggle with the most when creating any type of media is making a consistent design. I always end up with elements that are visually acceptable but seem segmented. This is something I hope to improve on in this course.

When I began animating in high school I was inspired by this piece of a music video that I found. I tried to imitate the music video with this video. A few years after I made this I realized why it did not look right to me. I realized that it was a mix of textures. I had flat and real elements that did not make sense together. After Effects has the ability to make awesome flat animations but is even more geared towards realistic looking motion graphics or special effects and I mixed them in my video. I would love to try to do one project that is complete flat design. I also hope to realize more design elements that I can improve on as the course continues.

When studying Flat vs Skeuomorphic design in Design of New Media I found this interactive game that exemplifies the tug between realistic and flat animation.

Click Here to Play Game

Losing My Train of Thought

One day this week I found myself lying in bed watching music videos from my favorite show as a child, Thomas the Tank Engine. Beginning in 1984, the show was made using miniature model trains on a meticulously crafted set. Of course looking back, as a child, I always thought everything was life-sized. Obviously now I know that is not true, but if watch long enough I truly begin to believe I'm watching something actually shot on an actual railroad.

I really appreciated the using of actual landscapes as opposed to CGI. In that time period, CGI didn't exist. The fact that the environment was physically crafted by humans was impressive, and in my opinion is just as impressive today. It just gives off a feel that CGI cannot. Just knowing how much work was put into the design makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. As an adult now watching the show for nostalgic value, I can really appreciate all the hard work that was put into it.

I read that in 2009, the show (still in production) completely switched over to CGI. That was extremely disappointing to read. Just because something can be updated doesn't mean it should be. Now of course I realize CGI takes a lot of hard work as well. But it's just not the same as crafting with one's own hands.  It truly is a dying art.

1984

2012

Real Life Speeder Bike

This video is fantastic!  Not only because if how well its made, but also because at the end they give you the behind the scenes video, how to, and project files!  Even though the bike they made isn’t all that impressive looking, the way that they pulled everything together in editing and after effects is very well done.  When I can find some time, I am going to try to replicate the effects that they did in this video as well.  I am very impressed with the level of professionalism from this college student.