Target Audience

I have realised that although I have been considering my target audience I haven't really clarified who and what the purpose of my project is. Obviously the band and the genre of my chosen song has had an enormous impact on my design ideas (although admittedly I was and am very adamant that my characters be a reflection of my illustrative strengths since I wanted this project to be an embodiment  of my personal visual style). Essentially my target audience is the band themselves, and as such I am utilising folky, bright and actually fairly British elements in order to appeal to them. Having said this on a much broader level this project is aimed at myself too since I want to use this to see what I can produce with the allotted time without the boundaries of a normal university brief. I want this piece to be a strong portfolio piece as well as a well made animation/design that will appeal to The Mountain Firework Company (the band). I am basing a lot of my choices- the choices in character and location around the folk genre and the lyrics from the song itself which will hopefully ground my project to the song and as such really hammer home that this animation has been made to work and narrate the song.

To clarify I am producing this design ideally for the band in order to visually narrate one of their songs. In doing so I am using lots of Folk elements (the animals and instruments) which fits in with the genre of music.I am also going to use locations referenced in the song itself to determine backgrounds, and instruments that are used by the band.

Visually my design is going to have a very handmade look and in fact be handmade (since I am stop motioning and making the backgrounds) its a style that I have previously emulated with the digital medium in other projects and one that I have been very enamoured with ever since I wrote my dissertation on the subject. I chose the song because I knew that the handmade medium would work really well with it and that the handmade would help to clarify and cement the folk genre that I am trying to encapsulate in order to appeal to my target audience.

Mood Boards

I have created these mood boards so I have a constant source of visual inspiration. I have also generated an animal based one so I have some visual references when I begin drawing them.

Visual Inspiration

Animal Inspiration

Malin Koort

I discovered Malin Koorts work on Pinterest and was really intrigued by the three dimensional elements. I think that the characters he has designed out of paper are really quirky and strangely delicate. The hair is a really lovely detailed element and I like how the black contrasts and emphasises the consistent swirls throughout. 

Using a striped paper has really helped to make this character look more visually intriguing, the shadows and lines help to convey depth and intricacy. I like the slight flash of leg we can see which is a nice touch.

Source: http://www.malinkoort.se/paperpeople.html

Aardman On Stop Motion-Theoretical Links

Once of my biggest influences has been Aardman- I have always loved their blend of humour and visual style. Though I am not making a claymation I wanted to look into a general idea of how stop motion can be used on a larger scale. In this making of video I can also clearly see a smaller scene in which soft boxes and reflectors are used as they point downwards towards the characters. Though I am not making something on this kind of scale - I have a good idea of what I need to consider throughout the design process.

I will need to think about:
Facial expressions- Blinking- smililing hair moving etc
Lighting
How they will all move
How the pieces will move together
Carefully plan out my story so I can then ensure that I am drawing out the right components
Consider texture and lighting
Labelling limbs - and characters in order to keep them all together.

On a side note I found this quote by one of Aardmans creators pretty applicable to my medium choices:

"Peter says he prefers the word spontaneity to that of perfection.Our characters such as Wallace and Gromit are so well-loved of the public that we definitely must maintain a top level of production while honouring those things which are the heart and soul of our profession" (2014).

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGFAlOZK6mM

http://www.annecy.org/about/archives/2014/meetings-2014/2014-conference-summaries/summary:100000301652  (2014, accessed 2015)

Stephanie Cole Animal Visual Inspiration And Theoretical Links

I knew that foxes would be a key character throughout so I wanted to look into how they can be depicted - I had previously researched Stephanie Cole for portfolio research and for my dissertation and I love how her prints are very colourful and quirky.

The badger is my favourite card the level of detail and paintbrush marks in the fur really conveys a sense of texture which contrasts against the flat repetitive print digitally made background.

Stephanie Cole had some interesting thoughts on her process which I felt prudent to list here since I am combining my mediums.

"I think I am more aware and attached to what I'm creating if I've done it by hand. I find it easier to make marks by hand than with technology. I think people can relate to something hand drawn/handmade as is more personal- a human made it rather than a machine. They recognize skill in the maker and buy into that idea"

I feel that her reasons for using the hand are similar to my own - and the effect that I want to achieve is best achieved by hand.

Her reasons for then including the digital medium are as follows

"Creatively, it enables me to re-do mistakes faster than starting a time consuming painting again. It means I can get merchandise printed (in the form of cards etc) by other small companies which brings in extra income, and spread the word further afield, if someone's picked up on my work in a shop for example. It lets me look at different colour ways and placing a lot easier than manually drawing ideas out."

I think what I want to do (in my head at least) is going to really benefit from mixing up my traditional way of working, not least because I am a little bit bored of working just on the screen (I mean I love it ) but using it solely to achieve my idea is going to take something away from it. I also look at all the beautiful work and I cant help but want to try similar methods to see what I can create.

Additional Style Inspiration

I know that I intend to draw my characters and elements digitally and then print them but I wanted to investigate paper cut puppets as a source of inspiration because I would ideally like to include some actual paper shapes and elements as a part of my backgrounds. Ideally ld like to use patterned papers for leaves and water and such to generate some variety and some contrast against my digitally printed pieces. As well as this I would like to generate a similar sense of layering within my own work and I know that I am going to have to cut my characters out so its useful to look into how this affects the entire piece.

I actually prefer the bright colours and patterns on this puppet to the simple blank paper creations thoughout previous research, I think adding some actual alterations to the papers used and using differently shaded paper has helped to make the bird itself more interesting and more fun.

Made by Marta Madureira

Source: http://www.pikaland.com/2013/12/17/marta-madureira/

This piece is a lovely mix of intricate shapes and bold colour, theres some diverse range of papers and a sense of carefully shaded- and hand-drawn facial features which help to ground this character as a more realistic element. Overall very delicate and I like how the shades used (the blues) help to provide continuity.

Source: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/567101778054281297/

I know that foxes are going to be one of my key animals throughout this animation and I wanted to look into how the fox has been displayed- I enjoyed the layers felt pen colour of his fur which actually helped to generate a sense of light and dark. 

Made by Mark Hearld

Source: http://lionstreetstore.tumblr.com/post/73091769503

Animal Choices

My basic idea was that animals would begin following my main girl character through the woods as the music played- ideally some would dance and some would begin making instruments from surrounding elements. I didnt want to copy anything from the paper plane animation (or insult any of the people that made it) so I generally wanted to avoid using similar animals and locations.

Because I also want to use a folksy style (due to the songs genre) I have opted to use the following animals at least:
Fox,
Badger,
Stag

As well as possibly using:
Wildhog,
Racoon,
Hedgehog,
Bats,
Robin
Goat

Ideally my animals will also help to establish various settings - so far I have no real ideas aside from the fact that there should be three- and that one of them could be a cave so I can include bats and other slightly more gothic creatures (because I think they will be fun to draw and will also help to make it a bit unusual). Obviously this setting will be produced in a fun way since I want to keep my overall animation fun, upbeat and quirky.

Theoretical Links- Sonia Poli, The medium

Since I looked into some of Sonia Poli's work for this project (thanks to her paper-cut work and layered approach) it felt necessary to display some of her interview answers (in regards to her process) that I undertook whilst doing my dissertation. I felt like this was necessary for this project because I am utilising a mix of the handmade and the digital. I feel like a mix of the two will best highlight the visual style I am going for and will take me back to my traditional art based roots. Sonia Poli is an illustrator who consistently uses a mix of the two so I felt it prudent to highlight what she herself noted about the technique.

Her thoughts on why she uses the techniques that she uses:

"I love my paints and I love my computer, so I use both. I like mixing media. When you know how to use the softwares it can look really great! I like the feeling of a paintbrush. You could never get something that real on Photoshop. But it is so convenient on computer, in the sense that you can undo things and cut, and paste, and all."

Her thoughts on why mixing mediums works best for her:

"Sometimes you only need pens, sometimes it’s a job for vectors, sometimes you need both. As long as it serves your project and your work then all the mediums are good. I think it is important to masterize both. That way you can choose in between several techniques and can pretend to work on more projects. If you don’t know one or an other, you might get stuck and you won’t be able to give the right answer to a commission work. If one day a client comes to you and asks if you can do digital illustration, if you say no, then you’ve just lost a job and the industry is too hard to get into to have the luxury to say no to a project."

Source: Sonia Poli, Emailed Interview, January 2015

I am really excited about making this stop motion - partly because its a style and technique I have always admired but also because Id like to take my digital drawings into the print world to manipulate them it makes the process of making them move more interesting and it allows me to make the scenes in a way that I completely understand without having to worry about the many many layers and ranges of movements available in after effects. Of course working in the stop motion medium has its own limitations - its time consuming and its harder to make look good - but I am very much aware of these and I know I can then use the digital to help fix them. 

Sonia Poli

Sonia Poli is an artist that I have admired for a while, She uses both the digital and the handmade to make her work, although it is dependent on the project. I like the softness of the shading within the faces and the patterned clothes which break up the design. The rough blue background and the swan reflections all help to elucidate the layers between the characters and the backgrounds. Personally I think her work is lovely and I like how fun it is. Her use of the digital to highlight her handmade painted techniques has meant that her characters all join together seamlessly.

Kate Slater Papercut scenes

Kate Slater is another paper-cut artist and although I have looked into lots of different artists that use the same medium I wanted to show how these same works that have been made by hand can translate into the digital and then made into print pieces, since I will be doing the same thing translating printed pieces into the digital medium. 

I love the cow print below - how each cow is different and how the paper cut layers have generate a smooth sense of tone all of which aids in creating three dimensional cartoon style characters. I am definitely planning on considering using the simple white circle back dot eyes- since I think when combined with more realistic toning they look wonderfully cartoony and convey a fair amount of emotion.

 This is a printed brochure of some of her paper cut works - again the paper layers all add tonally to the overall piece and the shadows are much softer which seamlessly integrates the shapes into the print medium. Its been softened ever so slightly which I think makes the scene look just a little bit magical.

Source: http://www.kateslaterillustration.com/childrens-book-illustration/ndpgo2bzlpqgxcdxbhrnjweu8r0udh

Erin Maala

I absolutely love Maala's visual style it's bright, vibrant and incredibly intricate, her Wuthering Heights books cover is phenomenal, The dark paper is nice an rich and contrasts against the yellow and pink of the details. It contains some nice layering as well and I like how the flowers seem raised and the tree has wrapped its branches round the text. 

The foxes depicted here are really lovely and I like how detail is added through the tail and face which adds a points of interest without overwhelming the image, again the strands have all been teased in a way that makes them look layered and white which adds a three dimensionality. Shadows help to define the various shapes and it is an element that I definitely want to include within my own animation. 

http://erinmaala.com/

Jayme Mcgowan Stop Motion Piece

After looking into Jayme Mcgowan I discovered a stop motion advertisement featuring his works.It featured a lot of diverse textures that all aid in generating a variety of elements that help to segment the backgrounds, foregrounds and main character elements.  I like how the clouds have layered shapes within them and how smaller detailed aspects (like the stitching on the farmers dungarees) break up the expanse of solid paper. I am almost certain that bits of after effects have been used in order to make the zoom up motion at the end and the main logo but other than that - its short its sweet and is visually really fun.

Puppet/Papercut Inspiration Jayme McGowan

Again I wanted to see how paper cuts could be used to compose a scene and I came across Jayme Mcgowans work - again segmented limbs were a feature, but I also liked the hanging elements and the vibrant colours.  

The texture in the exploding earth image is really nice and has been achieved by using different grains of paper that have been washed with colour.

The sense of layering is really prominent within the image below- and despite the fat that most of the elements appear to be flat the use of foreground and background elements have really created the impression of depth. I like the design of the girl and her patterned dress which are very delicate components amongst the blurred background and blank simple books.

Source: http://roadsideprojects.com/editorial/nvu3koab99br39wzyz3pnr7a1fddpt

Visual Research Continued -Jenny Baughan

This is another puppet example I have found - this style suits the black and white scheme used on the animals which is something I plan on considering because I really enjoyed the I have your heart animated video. Jenny Baughhans animals are cute, nice and detailed and integrate the pins into the animals really well. I like how the pins on the owl have been made into eyes. I think texture is going to be an important aspect in my animation and I like how the characters here consist of pen line texture which makes them more interesting to look at. 

Source: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/567101778054279162/

Visual Research 1- Karolin Schnoor

I have looked into a lot of stop motion examples and have really enjoyed the puppet style pieces that have been used as primary characters within them. Because of this I wanted to look into how other puppets have designed for some visual style inspiration. I came across Karolin Schnoors work on pinterest and really like the way that all her pieces were designed in order to fit together. I also like how I could see all of her pieces which gave me an idea as so how to segment my own characters. 

I like how the bird is simultaneously detailed and blocky, the use of small lines and dots creates some intricate elements whilst the bold colours and shapes layer together to generate feathers. The colours are the perfect merge of dark and soft which again helps to highlight shape. essentially there is only one point of movement and I like the fact that the pin holes have been integrated into the design itself.

Source:  https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/567101778054278719/

The characters have a very folk art vibe to them through the use of pattern and colour. I like the leaf motif that is evident within the lead and again I like the contrast between smaller patterns and bold shapes.

 Source: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/567101778054281302/

Source: http://97.74.65.162/designlovefest/wp-content/uploads-c/2012/07/Unknown1.png

Stop Motion Examples timed to music

I wanted to investigate how others had timed their animations to music- since I am going to have to do this in my animation - figuring out which bits to time to various beats is important in generating a smooth and well made motion. The kindle adverts weren't massively timed but their were visual links in the video that were evident within the lyrics. I like the 3d elements that contrast against the paper ones - I especially like the bats and the fish which are all incredibly playful and help to provide a sense of layers and depth.



I think that the strawberry swing video below is probably one of the best examples of how music has been well timed to music- the man begins his journey as the lyrics begin, the word fighting matches up to the arrow squirrel fight that appears on screen, the beat gets a little faster which matches up to the clashing sword fights. The pacing of the song is perfect for the pace of the adventure - and I like how its got a happy feel  to it which links to the little romance going on between the hero and the damsel.

Stop Motion Examples - Paper Cut

Since I want to create a paper cut style animation (with a little more detail than just paper cuts) I wanted to look into examples of papermation in order for me to asses the best way of doing it and the best way to design both my characters and the world in which the video resides.


The I have your heart paper animation below is one that I have also known about for a while - much like the Paper Plane animation it is a prime source of inspiration. For one it is another animation that has been made for a song (and time to a beat), for another  its a really clever world and has some really beautiful puppet figures. The way the limbs are all segmented is a techniques that I also plan on using in order to generate motion. Although theirs is set in a 3d land -which is something I intend to avoid- I love the intricacy of the world and all the elements within the characters that echo the vintage and move smoothly and fluidly. I also think that the paper style (and the black and white colour scheme) really help to emphasise the paper world and work well in highlighting the detailing that makes up the world.



I wanted to find some flat animations and I came across this paper cut one which mimics the style that I intend to emulate. It has a simple story a child finding its mother and it uses the paper cut puppets with the segmented limbs that I also wish to use. There is a great deal of texture within the animation which I think is a key element in making all the segmented pieces match and gel together.The bird and cat are my favourite elements in this video since they are the most detailed and playful elements.  They also contrast in colour and style to the rest of the characters which provides a diversity.


I like the video below because it has also been timed to music, although the characters are made of simple components the way that the whole animation moves together is really fluid and clever. Again I love the segmented limbs and components which generates layers and I love how various scenes are defined by different background colours and are moved between through careful cuts and zooming motions. The birds and simple backgrounds provide a nice backdrop and ensure the overall continuity of the animation.Balloons, birds and clouds are the ever present background elements that tie it all together and frame the beginning and end.

Animation Stop Motion Research

Since I intend to make a stop motion I wanted to look into some other stop motions to see how they have used this technique (though I am pretty set on doing it as a 2d flat paper piece I wanted to see how others had used it and what elements I could also include).

This is a relatively simple stop motion animation in the sense that rather than moving elements new ones are placed in with a slightly longer position. In this way it does make the motion easier because whole new pieces could be added in, on the other hand positioning them and making sure that they all remain standing is incredibly delicate. I also love how they have managed to incorporate spinning elements that also add another level of motion. The colour changes also help to add in some variety which differentiates the various shapes from each other.




I love the playful quirkiness of this deign, the paper elements are beautifully cut and have this lovely texture that really elucidates the handmade quality. It has a nice almost fairly tale element that I think is reflected in the chiming music and the overall visual style. Obviously typography is a huge element to this and I like how book pages offset the cut out type which is a nice tie in to the overall theme.



I love the sting elements in this stop motion which helps integrate a level of quirkiness it also means that the motion doesn't have to be as smooth because it has this jaunty appearance. I also really like the flat paper elements that contrast against the 3d paper world which provides contrast and allows for a wider paper world. I was most attracted by the flowers which I think are particularly detailed and provide some vibrant colour that frames the end and the beginning of the animation. I like how everything in the world is slightly slanted or off- again it means that the motion can be a little jumpy and it all fits into the theme.

The Move, Paper Animation from Mandy Smith on Vimeo.

The Projects Purpose and Target Audience...

After I submitted my main proposal I realised that there were a couple of areas that I wanted to clarify before continuing.

The Purpose
The purpose of this project is to really try to hone my illustrative and animation skills. I want to create something that will work as a highly polished portfolio piece that shows off my main strengths. I have always been enamoured by stop motion pieces and I mostly want to use this project as an opportunity to create a really well made animation that shows of my drawing skill as well as my motion skill. As an additional I would like it appeal to the band (since after it is completed I intend to send it to them) and intend to use this piece to advertise myself to future employers.

The Target Audience
I found my target audience hard to wrangle so I opted to make my target audience the band- this means that I the song itself will helped to determine the visuals. Although this was always part of my plan I feel that its important to note that matching my visuals to the song is going to be imperative in ensuring continuity. My design has to match the songs genre to remain in keeping. This in turn means that appealing to the audience is a given.

Platform
I am going to end up with an H.264 video file that I intend to upload to Youtube so I can easily distribute it and place within my portfolio site.

Time Management
I am going to have to be really on the ball with time management - I intend to get all my research completed in the next two weeks which will take me up to pitch. After which I will then make a plan on how I shall divide up my time.

The Song

Love is a Rose
I spent a lot of time trawling through Mountain Firework Company song before settling on this one, I knew I would need something that was a little bit upbeat (to generate a nice fluid and paced motion) with a fairly easy rhythm that I could time various parts to. Lyrically I also needed something light, something that I could make something fun and unique too. This was the lightest and best song I could find of theirs and it mentioned some diverse locations that could become suitable backdrops or elements that feature throughout.

Locations/Key elements
Stars,
Mountain
Wild woods
Dawn
Moonlight
Fire
Something Far away
Lightning
River

The Band- The Mountain Firework Company

Before looking anymore visual research for inspiration I wanted to briefly highlight the band and their genre which will of course impact the design style I use. They are a band from Brighton (my stepdad works with the singer which is how I hope to pitch the final animation to them) they have been classed as a folk/blue grass band. Because of this I intend to draw as much inspiration from folk elements as I can in order to really cement this aspect. Depicting story is my primary goal since country folk songs are grounded in telling stories. I'd like to generate something that vaguely matches the lyrics but isn't confined by them. I think using some of the locations mentioned in the song as backgrounds are probably going to be the best way to do this.

Source: http://www.themountainfireworkcompany.com/#!form__map/c24vq 

I would also like to include some of the key instruments that they use since I think they would also help to provide continuity between the animation and the song used.

Acoustic Guitar

Banjo

Cello

Violin

Drums

Animation Research Inspiration 1

Though I have the Paper Plane video as my main source of inspiration it made sense to research how others have dealt with and utilised animation to create a story. Though the Oz great and powerful credits have not been made using stop motion they do have the paper-cut layered style that I am visually intrigued by. Obviously they have been made to match the vintage black and white element that is a predominate quality to the actual film itself. 

I really love the string puppet elements which really make it feel like a mini theatre production. Though the puppets themselves are very flat and emulate the way I would like to make mine (cut outs that have been pieced together) they way they have been layered and made to move keeps them interestingly dynamic. The black and white styling keeps everything in this vintage theatre style and softens the manic elements. It all flows well together, I really like the flat little dancers that spin in and how as the scene moves the scenery is swapped in which brings you inwards in the scene.

The tornado contrasts texturally with the rest of the elements and reminds me of thread, again I love the string elements which keeps it in keeping with the stage production elements. It also allows objects to swing in which keeps the motion nice and fluid and allows for some jaunty quirkier elements to appear. 

In my head I had always felt that colouring my elements was going to best offset them from my backgrounds but I think black and white could be an option depending on the drawing style I opt to generate. Especially since the black and white highlights the paper cut outs and would exemplify my handmade elements.

Main Source of Inspiration - Paper Plane

This video is one that I have been inspired by for a very long time, it features Felicita Sala's artwork and illustrator I really admire and communicated with for my dissertation. It helped to form the basis for my proposal and idea. Having said this I intend to ensure that I make the project my own, I have no desire to indadvertedly copy this video. It is a very lovely reference point that I can refer to for visual inspiration and movement. I also intend to use the stop motion technique something I have been itching to explore since I first saw Wallace and Gromit.

The Final Video
Visually Felicita Sala's style is very lovely and suits the handmade composition really well. The colours and texture all aid in the creation of this mini world. I particularly enjoy the sense of layers, The main focal elements (the main and the rocket) contain more detail in comparison to the background. From a practical perspective it allows the man to remain the central focus and instigates contrast. But it also clarifies the visual layers. Detail and shading is offset my bold paper cut elements which all create a more 3d character.




The Making of
The making of video is probably the most useful video I have found so far because it has given me an idea as to how I can go about actually making my own video. The use of soft-boxes and white walls keep the lighting white, bright and consistent. White light is important because it keeps the scene clean, the use of a soft-box and a white background helps to reflect this light in order to disperse it across the entirety of a scene. The cable release depicted means that there is limited camera shake and means that the cameras position remains in place as a constant. This is vital in depicting the stop motion movement correctly because it means that everything is moved from the same position. Linking the camera to the computer means that the images can be uploaded instantly which keeps everything in order (imperative to the stop motion nature) because rearranging the images at the end is going to be next to impossible. Ideally I wouldn't want to edit much in post because there is going be a lot of photographs to deal with. I want to do as much as possible in camera (save for actually putting it together) to save on editing millions of photos afterwards. I'm going to have to really consider how my compositions and scenes are going to work and plan it out in detail.

The Proposal/Brief

I have had this idea for the independent project for a while so I was really keen to get approval as soon as in order to get started because I know that what I want to do is going to take a lot of time. 

The Proposal

Base Idea

For the independent project I would like to create a 3 minute 30 second stop motion animation to the Mountain Firework Company song Love Is A Rose. At the end of the project there is the possibility that I could pitch it to the band after is completion since they are known to my family. Having said this I would probably do this after hand in since I want to use as much time available to me to make the piece.

Technique

I would like to make this animation by first drawing out my characters digitally, then printing these characters onto thin card, cutting them out and reassembling them in order for them before animating.I would use a flat base with my camera pointing downwards at the scene (which would be about A2 in size) I would then make them move by carefully adjusting each element (ideally my characters would be segmented by limb and expressions so positions could be generated by rearranging pieces or swapping new ones in). Ideally I would like to create everything in camera so I don’t have to worry about editing 100s of photographs. Printing my characters will give me more freedom as I can print a variety of elements as many times as I need which will then offset the handmade feel of the stop motion technique. 

An example of the method that I plan to emulate can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7t4p3RjuNE 

The Story

A girl exits her house carrying a stereo (which is playing my chosen song) her eyes are closed. She walks through a variety of locations and all the while unbeknownst to her various animals and creatures begin following her, some simply follow, some are dancing and others are playing musical instruments that mimic the ones in the song (acoustic guitars, violins, the cello etc). Close ups of these animals will punctuate the scenes with the girl and her followers and a variety of diverse locations would offset and mimc the song. At the end of the song the girl will stop as the music fades and open her eyes. All the animals will have fled.

Georges Response:

Hi Jess,

That sounds like a lot of work. I feel it fits the brief and I love the mix of digital and hand made.
Best get cracking
See you wednesday

George


Overall I think it is safe to say that I have received approval and can get started! There may be some issues to iron out so I don't plan on designing anything until I have spoken to my tutors face to face.

The Independent Project Brief

The independent project brief is pretty vague because it revolves around our choices of project. Having said this I wanted to clarify the official submission before coming up with my proposal. 

Brief

This module is intended to test your ability to work independently. The successful synthesis of all modules delivered throughout the course promotes the ability for self-directed study. One substantial assignment brief is set, typically eight-weeks in duration, giving scope for interpretation using the underlying themes of the course as described in the course rationale. 

By this point in the course, you have experienced sustained practical and theoretical elements of study and become progressively used to self-initiated work. It is expected that you have achieved a personal balance of all of the separate course elements and combined these into a personal visual language that can be applied to a given brief reflecting an expression of individual interests, beliefs and opinions. As the course progresses, more of the nature and content of work produced is your responsibility. 

The ability of you to cope with this responsibility is tested by this module. It is not the final assessment tool of the course but it is a useful guide to demonstrate how much you are capable of tackling independently a set of given constraints. You are encouraged to follow relevant individual paths, and to develop high-level skills and test progress against your own criteria. You will have access to tutors’ guidance throughout the duration of this module, though the nature of this is fundamentally different to what might be expected at the beginning of the course and certainly in comparison to FDA Level. Discussions with tutors are primarily conducted with reference to concepts, the architecture of proposed projects and possible research contexts. 

Final Submissions

Research blog demonstrating appropriate theoretical and visual research

Part 1 proposal form

Part 2 evaluation form

Workbook containing idea development, storyboards, plans etc.

Final Digital Artifact Submitted to Server 

Additional Thoughts...

I am really happy with my new portfolio site it definitely helps with my personal branding and it looks far more professional than my last attempt. As well as this it will be easy to maintain and add to as I continue to design. After much research I have found some jobs to apply for (that I have applied for) that I am suited to, all of which are aimed at me gaining some experience. I have also researched various designers and illustrators that I find appealing to see how they have marketed themselves and have taken inspiration from them. I intend to invite some of these people to the end of year show in an attempt to offer potential job opportunities to any of the BAs present and so that they could be interviewed on a personal level to assess any kind of strategy that we could all similarly utilise.

Rectifying my previously assessed weaknesses  
I have a new portfolio site- which will help me viewed in a better light

I have joined and updated my twitter and my linked in account - which will help to get my work out there and will also be useful in finding future employment opportunities.  Twitter in particular should increase the range of people that my work is being received by.

I have an illustrative self branded cv that I can send out to potential employers.

All of these elements could hopefully lead to potential jobs that could give me invaluable design experience.

Invite Possibility 3

I absolutely love the stop motion works that fat pebble create (I have always harboured a love for Wallace and Gromit and claymation). Since I am creating a stop motion animation project for the independent project I think it would be well worth inviting them - as they may be able to offer a possible job opportunity.

                                               http://fatpebble.com/fat-pebble-jobs.html

Reasons for Invite
They came to talk to us at university so they may be interested, they could (for me at least due to the nature of my independent project) offer possible job opportunities, they are local and they create brilliantly quirky motion pieces which are inherently fun.

Freelance - Illustration Agencies

Although I am looking at design company/agency jobs because I don't think that I have enough experience to go free lance initially I felt that looking into possible collectives and agencies that would contact me with various client briefs could be useful for the future.

http://www.lemonadeillustration.com

Lemonage is an illustration agency that advertises various illustrators and designers, who brings in more collaborative opportunities for those that are a part of their agency. They are London based and have worked for clients that include Nestle, Mcvities and Easy Jet. Though I think I would need more of a portfolio under my belt and I would have to have a research into fees and the logistics of it, it seems like a viable option for my kind of work.

Illustrator and Designer End of Year Show Invites

I wanted to include individual designers that could also be invited to the end of year show as well as companies- and I had two local designers in mind because they helped me greatly with my dissertation. 

Jim Howell

Jim Howell is a motion and graphic designer who used to teach us on the course, he has made some really good work, worked with a load of companies and he is someone that knows us and would probably be interested in coming. 

http://www.jimhowells.com/

Reasons for Invite

He is known to us, he is local, he has made a great deal of diverse work and has many contacts within the industry. He is also currently a freelancer- and it would be good for some of us to learn more about the freelance avenue.

Lizzy Stewart

Lizzy stewart is an illustrator and artist whose work I completely adore, she helped me a great deal with my dissertation and again has experience as a freelance/client based designer.

http://www.abouttoday.co.uk/

Reasons for Invite

I love her work, she is semi localish (London based), she helped me with my dissertation so she may be interested in coming and she has experience as a collaborative/client based artist. 

End Of Year Show Invites Design Companies/Agencies

Company 1

This is the first company that I plan on inviting to the end of year show, they are a relatively small London design agency that specialise in anything from branding to illustration.  I like how they think in terms of craft too and I am particularly enamoured by some of their various invites. The 3d craft project is lovely, and utilises this lovely visual style that translates well into the pop-up structure. I also love the hand-drawn illustrations that is a common element throughout many of their branded invites. 

http://foundrystudio.com/

Reasons for invite

I intend to invite this company to the show because they are semi local (London) they specialise in a range of skills (branding, photography, advertisements and illustration) key elements throughout our course. They are a relatively small studio and there is the possibility of work experience (I think their work suits Connors visual style so I think it would be good for him especially). I intend to send my own personal cv to them as well since they offer the possibility of work experience (which is one of my skill weaknesses) and I imagine it would offer some good drawing opportunities with real world clients. 

Company 2

Agency rush is an agency in Brighton that essentially collects various illustrators and designers and then contacts specific ones with various job opportunities as and when clients contact them. It is a good agency for illustrators and freelancers and would offer the opportunity for collaborative efforts as well.  It looks like a good agency for me in particular and it would be amazing to be contacted by any of the clients that they have worked with and that some of the designers and illustrators have worked with- Harper Collins and Penguin are both companies I have looked into and would love to work for. 

http://agencyrush.com

Reasons for invite

They represent a diverse range of illustrators and designers, all of whom exhibit different visual styles and work in a variety of media. They are local and reside in Brighton and I think they would be very intrigued by some of the work we have produced. Again I intend to message them with some of my work examples - it can't hurt - and I think that my illustrations could possibly fit right in. I am going to hold of on doing so until I have completed my independent project since it would be nice to also offer some more motion image examples.

Company 3

Crush is an illustration branding company with a small team of designers who have worked on a range of projects, campaigns and book covers.  They have worked with companies including, Disney, Penguin and MTV. I think they have made some very illustration driven pieces and I love the graphical style of the green peace campaign which is probably my favourite piece. 

http://crushed.co.uk/

Reasons for invite

They are Brighton based, highly graphical and illustrative and they make lovely work and I think that we can offer designs that they may appreciate. 

Following and Followers on Twitter

In order to successfully promote myself on social media it is imperative that I generate followers (who will see my tweets and retweet them so that my circle of impact will increase). I have also followed various design agencies in the hopes that eventually my work could possibly get to them. So far after two weeks of being on twitter I have amassed a total of 12 followers- which will hopefully continue to increase.

Linkedin

 In order to make myself as accessibly for jobs as possible I have also opted to promote myself on Linked in. This will help me to get possible job alerts and will be another method for employers to contact me. It will also help to traffic possible employers to my portfolio site and twitter feed.

I have set up my basic profile, included some of my skills, and generated a post about my portfolio site. I have made contacts with 6 people which I will widen throughout the project.

 

Final Site Design

Desktop

 Portfolio Home Page

This is what I have created as my final portfolio page, it is also the home page since it displays all my various projects. I have kept my images uniform which helps to make them look more professional and less bloggy like me previous portfolio site. I have also made my name heading a little smaller and less dominating to allow the work to become the main focus. 

Project Page Examples

When the main squares are clicked on it links to its own project page. My pages follow a similar archetype image or video on the left with text on the right.  This keeps the continuity of the site nice and constant which also helps to make it look more professional. 

About Page

I have placed a link to my twitter feed at the bottom of every page (which should help to better optimise it and generate some additional traffic).

Contact Page

Mobile

Home Page

I am really happy with the mobile version, which I have made into a one column scroll and I think it offsets my sight well. 

 Navigation

Text

Slideshow

I am really happy with my new site, its professional but it still has a sense of my visual style which helps to brand it. Everything is simple and clean and well organised qualities which will hopefully come across to potential employers. 

Link to site: http://jesshislop.wix.com/jesshislopdesign