Module weekly notices

Watch this space each week for urgent notices, such as heavy snow, attack by Martians, and so on, that might result in cancellation of a session.

Welcome to the design and production of motion graphics! 

“Music thunders around our sitting room, frightening the cats…For me, the most exciting part is all that hoo-ha at the beginning. Oh, to be in charge of all those symbolic anvils, scorched maps, blood-drenched flags, boiling clouds and crimson fire-storms on the horizon!”

Peter Tory’s Daily Mail review of Thames Television’s Joseph Stalin documentary series, enthusing about motion graphics designer Morgan Sendall’s title sequence.

Motion graphics is the design, art direction and production of opening sequences, production design, programme graphics and channel identities (or 'idents'). Having evolved as an art form from the first opening sequence – Saul Bass's titles for The Man With The Golden Arm, in 1955 – the work of the motion graphics designer now represents about one fifth of all broadcast time on UK television. As such, it is an increasing field of design employment, especially as there are now dozens of channels (only fifteen years ago, there were only five in the UK). Until 1984, motion graphics were produced with card, ink, paper paint and acetate, then filmed under a rostrum or recorded through a studio video camera. Typographic graphics were created with rub-down transfer lettering (Letraset) or were printed with a hot press. In 1984, digital graphics replaced these hand-crafted methods in the form of the Quantel Paintbox. But these digital systems were very expensive to buy or hire – beyond the budget of smaller television companies and productions – and it was the advent of desktop Apple computers, and software like Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and 3D animation programmes, that brought complete production back into the designer's studio around 1996.

Promoting television channels and designing title sequences is a huge creative responsibility. If the viewers’ interest is not engaged immediately, they will switch over. Often, the titles are remembered long after the series has been forgotten. Famous examples are Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the Channel 4 ‘idents’, Have I Got News for You, Panorama, BBC News and University Challenge. Titles are also used for cinema feature films: remember all those James Bond or Pink Panther opening sequences?

The field of ‘motion graphics’ covers art direction, animation, video, illustration, photography, graphic design and digital imaging. The motion graphics designer needs to be skilled in all, or most, of these fields. The ability to work as part of a production team, to think creatively, to plan, research and organise, and to work calmly under pressure (with deadlines sometimes a matter of minutes) are essential personal attributes.

What you will do in this module

This module encompasses all of the subjects and skills studied in the Digital Arts Subject. However, you need not use all of them for your assignment. This should be confined to using your specialisms.

Depending on your knowledge of techniques, you will use a variety of skills in image design, video and animation that are used to produce sequences that front television programmes and feature films. The module will also encourage an understanding of the function and importance of opening sequence as an overture to the production, inviting the viewer to stay tuned to the channel, as well as television company ‘idents’ – such as the BB2 and Channel 4 identities.

You will also be taught the basics of compositing, luma and chromakeying, using appropriate software, such as Adobe After Effects, although you will be expected to undertake advanced tuition in this application from online tutorials. If you already have knowledge of Adobe After Effects, you need not attend this basic tuition session.

The assignment brief and hand in

This is in three parts:

1)  A storyboard, depicting the keyframes and descriptors of the action. This will have been the storyboard from which you worked on your sequence. Please scan this as a JPEG file.

2)  The finished sequence itself. 

3)  A critical statement (or learning report), reflecting on your ideas and cultural influences in your sequence and providing a critical evaluation. It is not a log of what you did. Don't forget to reference your statements. No statement of opinion should be made with out a supporting reference to a critical source or work.

All three components will be marked as 100%.

The sequence may fall into one of the following categories:

a)  an opening sequence for an actual, or fictitious, television programme or series;

b)  An opening credit sequence for a cinema motion picture.

Your sequence should be about 30 - 40 seconds in duration.

The finished assignment must be submitted on a CD or DVD. (The storyboard may be scanned in as individual frames, or as a whole sheet.) Remember the rule of submission: if we cannot open the disk on a DAC computer, the submission will score as a Non-submission Fail! Similarly, any file that cannot be opened will not be marked – so, do check first. Any assignment that misses the deadline (see below) can only gain a D-. After five days, a non submission will score a Fail.

Hand in day

Submission day will be given to you later in the semester.

Do not bring the assignment to the tutor. Take it to the assignment drop-in point at Bredon, together with the bar-code sheet downloaded from SOLE. In this way, your assignment will automatically be registered as having been submitted.

Learning outcomes you should attain

These are the learning outcomes with which you should engage:

1.      generate visual ideas relevant to the production to which the sequence is an overture;

2.      make judgments about the appropriate use of visual expression and demonstrate how this functions both to manifest ideas within the work and to convey transferred meaning signifying the production;

3.      discuss and justify your visual ideas with those of others in both your learning groups, and the module cohort, and provide your colleagues with useful feedback;

4.      work responsibly to develop a production schedule and appropriate time management techniques from storyboard to production;

5.      analyse and identify the audience for whom the sequence functions and select the most appropriate idea, style, form and technique to ensure that the meaning is lucid and engages the audience on different levels;

6.      produce a sequence that demonstrate your understanding of motion graphics, design, animation, live-action, textual and visual message, appropriate to the requirements of the brief;

7.      research and critically analyse a range of existing television or cinema opening sequences and understand how such work conveys the image-textual relationship within a production;

8.      use appropriate motion graphics techiques and materials, independently and selectively.

Indicative content

   This module will be run like a level 6 (final year) module, in that you will be expected to be self-motivated, with close tutorial and peer support. These are the indicative learning activities:

*       Illustrated lectures to demonstrate the initial concepts in understanding the brief, idea generation, concept development and storyboard preparation.

*       Group tutorial in the use and applications of compositing software such as Adobe After Effects.

*       Tutor’s presentation of actual film and television title sequences for deconstruction and analysis; this will include the tutor's own work.

*       Presentations, to help you focus on your ideas and also receive helpful feedback from tutor and colleagues

*       Individual, self-directed study, origination and production of actual sequences.

*       Tutorials to guide you in your self-directed production of your sequence.

*       Peer assessment and self-reflection through individual presentations on ideas and work.

Attendance

It is expected that you will attend all taught, agreed tutorial, group and supervisory sessions. Non-attendance may significantly affect your ability successfully to complete a module and may jeopardise your ability to undertake re-assessment in the event of failing a module.

If, for some unavoidable reason, you are unable to attend a scheduled session must send an email to ihcastudentabsence@worc.ac.uk and the module tutor and make arrangements to catch up on any work that has been missed.

Reading list

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Allen, D. (2005), Motion: Revolutionary Motion Graphics (2005), Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. ISBN 0321278267

Griffin, H. (2001), The Animator's Guide to 2d Computer Animation Oxford: Focal Press. ISBN 024051579X

Gumbrecht, H.U. (Editor), Marrinan, M. (Editor) (2003), Mapping Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Digital Age (Writing Science): The Work of Art in the Digital Age (Writing Science), Stanford University Press

Hansen, M.B.N. (2006), New Philosophy for New Media, MIT Press; New Ed edition

Mayer, T. (2007), Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects: Essential and Advanced Techniques, Focal Press; 4 edition

Merritt, D. (1987), Television Graphics: From Pixel to Pencil, London: Trefoil (contains work by the module tutor)

Merritt, D. (1993), Graphic Design in Television, London: Focal Press (contains work by the module tutor)

Wright, S. (2006), Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Focal Press: Visual Effects and Animation, Boston, MA: Focal, 2002. ISBN0240804554

Journals and magazines:

Creative Review. Publisher: Centaur Communications

Wired. Publisher: Condé Nast Publications