Seven Communications Crit

Today I had my Portfolio Crit with the Managing Director of Seven Communications, Steve Bower. I got shown into the studio by one of the designers and Steve met me in there. He was very down to earth and asked about my course and how I found it so far. I explained how the course was very broad and focussed on many different area's of multimedia and how I enjoyed Motion Graphics and Web Design in particular. 

He explained how the Studio consists of 3 permanent full times staff and a couple of freelancers who help out on certain projects. I asked about the situation about pitching to clients, but he said that many companies come to them because they have built up a successful client base over the years.

I went into the Crit very prepared with my laptop and my work on the desktop. I shown my portfolio website first and he really like the colour scheme and the clean aesthetics. Although the links didn't work due to files being moved around, he still said he liked the layout and style on the whole. I then shown him my New York City Museum website, and straight away he said he hated opening pages and pages that needed to be clicked before you even get into them. He said that user's get very bored easily with opening pages and advised to start my website with the home page. He also advised to get as much information about the museum on the home page, so viewers don't spend time navigating around the page. Again, he said he liked the style and layout of the website, and he said the black and white colour scheme worked well. I explained how I used Flash to create the websites on a mac, and he said that his company tend to use simple programs such as text pad to create a much simpler website that is easy to create and design to the clients needs.

I then shown him my self directed self portrait animation I created. He said he really liked the idea of having typography building up the face and thought the colours in the background worked well with the white typography on a black background. I explained how the tutors feedback said to maybe have moving shapes in the background instead of static imagery and using various typefaces and he agreed with these comments. He said that he doesn't do any moving image pieces or motion graphics work so he couldn't really suggest anything else. I also shown him my ident for the The Box music channel that I created in 3D in my 2nd year. He liked the colours I had chosen and the abstract lines that lead up to the logo.

I then explained that I am rebranding the channel E! Entertainment Television for my final major project and he asked to look at the existing logo and ident. He said straight away that the logo was awful and that the idents looked like they'd been crudely done. He explained that the shape of the exclamation mark and the typography underneath the logo is too tall and would be hard to place on static imagery for posters and even on websites. He said that when he creates logo's for companies he tends to keep them landscaped or squared so that the logo can be flexible when coming to place it on static or moving pieces. I also shown him the E! website, which he said was created really badly. He said the layout was terrible with no order or easy navigation and that the links were all in different positions, which is confusing for the viewer. He then suggested for me to look at Chris Savages work who works under the name of Japanese Freeware to have a look at the ideas and concepts he has created. 

On the whole, I have come out of the Portfolio Crit full of confidence and can't wait to push my final major project as far as I can. I gained positive feedback and advice about the industry and how I need to tweak a few of my pieces. I will take all the things I have been told on board and come up with my best piece of work for my final major project. 

Kerry Roper

www.youarebeautiful.co.uk

Kerry Roper is a Graphic artist who combines traditional illustration, photography and typography to create beautiful pieces of work. He studied Graphic Design and Advertising at Buckinghamshire College and currently lives in London.

Kerry was one of 8 winners whose designs had been chosen for Topshop to create artwork for their T-shirts and T-Dresses. The success from this led to him creating artwork for the Snickers in America in which Kerry combined sports stars and transport and mechanical machines to create beautiful aesthetic posters.

The thing that stood out for me about Kerry's work is how each piece of work has its own identity and the use of colour and composition are unique throughout all of his work.

His collage style has inspired me to think about doing something for my final major project but using it as motion graphics.

Seven Communications

Today I followed up the email I received from Steve Bower in December and rang Seven Communications regarding a portfolio crit. I spoke to Steve, who seemed down to earth and arranged a meeting for Tuesday 24th February at 10 O'Clock at his office in Stockport. I will now pick a selected range of work to show him and write up all the details as soon as I have met with him. 

The History of the Internet

www.lonja.de

History of the Internet

"History of the Internet is an animated documentary explaining the inventions from time-sharing to file-sharing, from arpanet to internet. The clip shows a brief overview of this history and shall animate to go on discovering the history of the internet. The history is told with the help of the Picol icons, which are also part of my diploma" (www.lonja.de/motion/mo_history_interent.html)

I came across the 'History of the Internet' animation after looking at vector animations for my YCN competition brief. This animation inspired me to create simple vectors drawings for my Science Museum animation that I created. 

The idea of using simple vector images allows the user to understand the animation clearer as they are not overwhelmed by too much information. I think that if a more detailed animation was used to illustrate the voice over then the audience would maybe become confused.

The target audience was the main reason for creating a simple animation because it was aimed at children under the aged of 14, whilst I think this animation could be aimed at all age ranges with the clear voice over and simple animation making it easy to understand.

Audi A5 Rhythm Of Lines

www.rhythmoflines.co.uk

The Audi A5 advert is consisted of animated coloured lines dancing smoothly around creating the outline shape of the new Audi A5. The piece is very abstract and is combined with soothing piano music in the background.

The agency behind the advert are Bartle Bogie Hegarty who were asked to, "BBH was tasked to drive the sophisticated brand image by enforcing the Vorsprund durch Technik ethos, as well as highlighting the elegance of the car. Audi also wanted the agency to capitalize and increase the emotional response this car invokes in customers and to celebrate the special shape of the A5, presenting the single minded communication of this in TV, press, outdoor and online". (www.campaignlive.co.uk/thework/news/885650/Audi-rhythm-lines-Bartle-Bogie-Hegarty)

To go along with the theme of rhythm of lines, Audi have created a website to back up the television adverts. On www.rhythmoflines.co.uk, you can create your own lines using the keyboard and mouse and save the animation on the website. I think this is a great idea and can be used by a completely different audience to the target audience. Maybe the target audiences children would use this website, which will be seen by the parents too to promote the car.

The artistic and abstract approach is something I am really influenced and want to incorporate into my final major project. The clean aesthetic and use of lots of white space is also something I am interested in and will again will try and use in my own projects.

Andre Matt & Superelectric

www.andremaat.com

www.superelectric.nl

Andre Maat and Superelectric are a dutch directing duo who created the bizarre music video for the dutch band Kraak & Smaak's song squeeze me. The music video is set in different rooms of a house with a man doing a normal daily routine. However in each frame a flip book is put over the man and unusual things start to happen. You have the man flipping his head in a 360 degree angle and a large sandwich making itself in mid air and landing on the mans plate.

The music video is very unusual but entertaining and funny at the same time. The success from this music video was phenomenal and channel Cult in Italy, which is FOX's alternative channel were determined to use the idea from this and use it in their channel idents. Andre Maat and Superelectric were approached about creating this and they agreed and created over 17 idents using the same technique. These idents included skateboards, Cooking, Birdcages and many more which are revealed the channel's brand and strap line.

I found it very interesting to come across music video and ident because it just goes to show that you can literally create anything when it comes to creating a channel ident. This was very important research for my channel ident and has opened up lots of possibilities for my final piece.

Bupa Advertisements

www.bupa.com

www.studioaka.co.uk

The 'Bupa-Feel Better Campaign' are a set of advertisements, posters and leaflets that are made up of simple geometric shapes that are animated into various characters who all benefit from Bupa care. The advertisements are created by the director of the animation studio, Studio AKA, Grant Orchard and designer Anthony Burrill.

The simplistic style of the animation is something I really admire and can be understood by all ages because the information gets straight to the point. The advertisements have to deal with fragile health topics such as dementia and I feel the way the animations have created these characters helps the audience relate to a character and makes them feel that they are not alone.

The idea of keeping things simple and not over complicating things is something that I can bare in mind when I come to create my final major project. My channel Ident that I am going to create is something that I want to keep very simple because as the saying goes, 'less is more'. I just want the key information about the channel to be present in the ident and not get congested and confusing for the audience.