Sk-etchbook

Triboluminescence is a funny phenomenom. Things glowing. I saved these links a while ago so now I can't really remember why I thought it was intersting. But interesting al the same.



www.nature.com - Sticky tape X-rays

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This is my final piece for the Ident. The sound editing is a bit out of sync and it's far from perfect but it sorta works?

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"Do you mean confused?" I replied, "Don't worry so am I".

I had a manic weekend trying to sort out all the stuff needed by Business Link and for the Enterprise & Innovation module. There seems to be a million smaller questions that need answering before you can answer any of the bigger questions.

Anyway Monday comes and I had to get my Ident project handed in. Managed to get everything edited in After Effects, I used markers to highlight significant points in the soundtrack and tried to sync the visuals to the music. This could of been done a little better but by this point I wanted to get the thing finished. I believe this alternate approach worked out better than my original idea for me as to get the first idea to look right would have taken some precision editing and quite a bit of patience.
The red and black coloured masks work well for the obvious associations to fear and danger. Even though I used stills for the footage as they are only seen briefly it seems to add some kind of creepiness, like your seeing evidence photos similar to what police take of crime scenes, culprits or the public take of Bigfoot and UFO's.

Got everything polished off on Monday but unfortunately the Library was closed so couldn't get the flippin thing burned to disk. Went off to go find a disk, burned all my files but by the time this was done there was nobody left at college. Bugger!

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I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not supposed to be on time. Was supposed to get the Ident project in on Thursday and did try but don't think I could of done it without having a breakdown. Have also decided that I most definitely do not have the patience to do some of the more time consuming tasks involved when it come to using the Adobe software ie. tracing, masking and precise adjustments. Can't really say this surprises me and I'm much happier coming up with ideas, learning new things, resolving problems and bossing other people about.

Had to work today so my Ident project is gonna be another day late. As video is one of the least relevant parts of this course for me I'm not gonna cry about it and as long as it passes I'll still be happy.

Have also been thinking about this course. Although I've definitely benefited from some areas and have made vast improvements to my design skills I'm left with the feeling the course is just too generic for someone who already knows where they want to specialize. The other problem with me is I've already been studying web design for some time and some of the areas where I have specific questions cannot be answered by college staff. This is a problematic issue especially in the New Media field, it is an area which evolves at such a rate as soon as you stop working in the field your knowledge is out of date. I have found myself registering in chat rooms and finding the answers on there or just looking up tutorials on line (something I could have done at home anyway). I've no problem with this but sometimes it does leave the students wondering what the fees are actually paying for?

On the plus side I do believe the college has some really good facilities, there is a good atmosphere between the students, the staff in general are friendly and approachable (although there is some communication issues between departments).

Think I've analyzed enough for one day. Going to sit somewhere else and contemplate life, the universe, eggs and chips...

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Reet I was planning on doing a vid but after messing around and getting a bit more friendly with After Effects I decided I could achieve the look I wanted using still images and then animating the movements. This change in strategy was also influenced by the fact that getting a camera off Matt was not dissimilar to getting blood out of a stone! Anyway this suits me as then I can skip the FCP editing stage completely and focus on the After Effects hash up.

I got my photos done on Friday. Coincidentally the lights in the basement were about to die and were flickering on and off so it could have worked really well on video. I didn't take out a tripod either as I needed to shoot from low angles and this was a shame as I saw a few moments whilst on location where I could have done some stop motion trickery.

Anyway spent last week playing around with hue, saturation and a load of other experimental tweeks and now should be able to put all this crap together.

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Just read my last post. What a winge! Can't have been in a very good mood...

Anyhoo, had a wkend off n raring to go. Intended to get camera booked today but got a little sidetracked. I need to have the footage captured and edited before the end of this week so can hopefully get my filming done Tomorrow or Wednesday. I may make some adjustments in final cut to the footage but I mainly intend to use After Effects for alterations to the footage. Since I'm depending on After Effects to give the footage the appropriate look I'm working my way through a training DVD and intend to get this finished before I start the final edit.

I have got a good collection of fonts, still images and audio to use already. Need to sort out the '4' logo and maybe find some sound FX. Priorities this week are
1) Film
2) Edit video
3) Create Stills

This gives me all next week to work on the manipulation of the footage.

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Today went OK despite the fact that watching a whole day of presentations is my idea of hell. The room is still far too hot, by the end my contact lenses had dried to a crisp giving me crispy coated eyeballs.

I thought my presentation was alright. I had neglected to anticipate we were presenting our ideas and had my stuff in "bit of paper" format. This didn't take long to remedy however if I had planed the presentation in digital format originally I would have created the background and boards all in landscape format and had the graphic background throughout. The background was probably a more important part then I had considered as the choice of low opacity graphic content and use of imagery communicated the artistic concept behind the film. I should have also made some key points notes as I have researched fear directly for this project and indirectly in some of the reading I've done about mentalism. This gives me a reasonable amount of insight and I should have chosen which points were a must to cover in the presentation.

In general there were some really good ideas from the other kids on the block. The fear ident seemed to be a popular choice illustrating how people seem to have some macabre fascination with this genre. I pondered why this was for a moment and came up with the solution that it may be because it makes no sense. Fear is an unpleasant emotion and it's irrational to want to be scared but people still seek it out. Maybe it's an adrenaline junkie thing?

Also had a look at some stats, the most likely ways to die (this is for US):
Cause of Death
Heart Disease 1-in-5
Cancer 1-in-7
Stroke 1-in-23
Accidental Injury 1-in-36
Motor Vehicle Accident* 1-in-100
Intentional Self-harm (suicide) 1-in-121
Falling Down 1-in-246
Assault by Firearm 1-in-325
Fire or Smoke 1-in-1,116
Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.) 1-in-3,357
Electrocution* 1-in-5,000
Drowning 1-in-8,942
Air Travel Accident* 1-in-20,000
Flood* (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-30,000
Legal Execution 1-in-58,618
Tornado* (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-60,000
Lightning Strike (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-83,930
Snake, Bee or other Venomous Bite or Sting* 1-in-100,000
Earthquake (included also in Natural Forces above) 1-in-131,890
Dog Attack 1-in-147,717
Asteroid Impact* 1-in-200,000**
Tsunami* 1-in-500,000
Fireworks Discharge 1-in-615,488
** Perhaps 1-in-500,000

Strangely enough not much chance of been killed by a VHS tape or a spirit with a grudge because someone nicked her hairbrush!

Anyway I'm pooped and my heads dilapidated. Worked every day for nearly three weeks so taking myself off to London and not doing no work for the next couple of days.

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Last time we had a video brief I looked into the psychological aspects of fear. This time I've done a bit more rummaging around and now it's beginning to look like the more normal and mundane the better. Fear, like advertising, works best when people relate to it.

Now there is also the matter of the unknown. It seems peoples minds are there own worst enemy so to coin the phrase "less is more" I intend to use distorted or unfocused images in the footage. Scare yourself, I'll just point you in the right direction.

How to scare people?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/144734/horror_film_techniques_things_that.html

Random illustration I came across and liked!
http://www.matthowarth.com/horror.php

Horror now and then
http://smu.edu/newsinfo/stories/horror-rick-worland-30oct2006.asp

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I now have a lovely collection of brushes and fonts to play with....

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Artistically I think I should explore the dark side of my imagination a little more. The research I did for the last video I made with Luke has given me a little insight into the Horror/Thriller genre so I've now firmly decided to do the Fear option.

I also think my heads settled on the idea it wants to manifest. I have spent today collecting appropriate fonts, brushes & colours to create the artwork side of things and have also put more thought into the location/subject filming.

I got a few good horror images now which I'm going to sample colours from to get a good pallet.

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Right this time I've started out by making a new iCal calendar, adding the studio time first then looking at how much additional time should be spent on the project. It's a 20 credit module so I think that should be 200 hours. Next I've worked out what needs to be covered during this project, I'll then go about breaking it down and adding it to my calendar.

Time needs to be alloted for:
Research
Brainstorming
Storyboarding
Training
Video Capture
Video Final Cut Editing
Sound Design & Typography
Voice over capture
After Effects Editing
Final Amendments
Evaluation
Contingency

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I came across some vids on Youtube that have been made by editing together clips from traditional happy happy feel good films and adding sound tracks/FX to turn them into horror trailers. The "Scary Mary" is phenomenal, it had me in stitches. This is a powerful example how clever editing can control the viewers perception of events. It also rings true to some of the subjects covered in Ben Eltons book "Dead Famous".

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I spent today doing a little research watching current and past Idents and doing a bit of research about channel four. Here are a few links to the sites I've viewed.

Early Idents

1982 - 1991
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BJlq64O8iw0&feature=related

1982
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R86_TLuI51w&feature=related

1985
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hsB-eDye7Xk&feature=related

90\'s Close
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzHxG50sFc&feature=related

Popular Culture associations & mocks

Hamlet
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FegmPKnARuo

More Recent Idents

Misc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-CVdllN67OQ

Tokyo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_9PhF2S5UVk&feature=related

C4 Generic
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PXgl7eWTS-I&feature=related

Channel 4 ident light refraction
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYAk-9tvHo&feature=related

The Simpsons Ident
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XTKtyBupoHE&feature=related



Some reading about Channel 4\'s Brand Identity
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/W/wtc4/marketing/promoting.html
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/W/wtc4/marketing/promoting.html#1

The extracts below are taken from C4\'s site -

Logos

Each channel has its own logo, all of which are based on the iconic 1982
animated original. As with all logos there is a constant updating process. This
\'re-invention of the brand\' is particularly important for a channel which prides
itself on being challenging and innovative.

\"At its best, the Channel 4 identity has always been about transformation and
movement. The original, animated logo came to be seen as the embodiment of an
organisation that was constantly re-inventing itself and challenging the
expectations of its viewers. The new Channel 4 identity uses cutting edge technology
to push the brand into exciting new areas.\"

Style Guides

\"The visual identity is the outward expression of Channel 4. It uniquely and
distinctively sets it apart from other channels. The logo is the primary element
of that identity. However, other component parts play an important role in
establishing the Channel 4 visual style. These elements are: colour, typography,
imagery and tone of voice.\"\'

\'On-air\' and \'off-air\' promotional material are carefully controlled by
regularly updated style guides. Each channel has its own specially designed
\'fonts,\' \'page layouts\' and \'colour palette.\' The \'tone of voice\' of each
channel is carefully controlled in line with the brand identity and the well
researched attitudes of its core audience. The \'tone of voice\' is shown in the
choice of visual imagery and in the language of promotional material as well as
in the \'house style\' elements.

Cross-promotion

Channel 4 uses external promotion, billboard and press and periodical
advertising to publicise new programmes and services. \'Free\' publicity has often
been guaranteed by Channel 4\'s more controversial programming. \'Themed nights\'
and \'seasons\' can be promoted through a judicious mixture of press releases and
paid-for advertising.

However, the most cost-effective form of promotion is \'cross-promotion,\' the use
of Channel 4\'s own airtime to promote programmes and related goods and services.
Promotional trailers are an obvious form of cross-promotion. One of the most
common \'covert\' forms of cross-promotion is the use of \'interstitials,\' short
sequences that accompany a programme or fill the gaps between them.
Interstitials include:

* channel \'idents\'
* sponsor \'idents\'
* \'bumpers\'
* title sequences
* credit sequences
* opticals
* packaging for themed nights
* film or programme intros
* moving publicity announcements

Cross-promotion can sometimes be counter-productive, it may irritate or confuse
viewers or cause \'brand confusion.\' This is why the promotion of Channel 4\'s
digital channels and interactive services is managed so carefully.

The use of promotions to produce revenue is carefully regulated (by Ofcom and
ICSTIS). An example of this is the use of premium rate telephone numbers and SMS
to elicit viewer voting in programmes like \'Big Brother.\' More orthodox revenue
producing promotion is often achieved through merchandise linked to programmes
(such as promoting \'the Book/DVD of the series\'). When used intelligently,
promotional techniques can enhance the viewing experience and provide valuable
sources of revenue, when mismanaged, however, they can damage public trust.

In 2007 a series of scandals about the mismanagement of premium rate \'phone-ins\'
hit the TV industry shaking public confidence in this particular kind of
cross-promotion. C4\'s \'You Say We Pay\' was the first programme to be criticised.
The response from C4 was rapid.

\"Channel 4 is to stop using phone-in competitions in its programmes for the
purposes of profit making as part of a tough new policy on the use of premium
rate telephone services (PRTS). The launch of the new policy coincides with
publication of the findings of an internal investigation into the You Say We Pay
competition in tea-time magazine strand, Richard & Judy,\"

www.icstis.org.uk/pdfs_news/Channel4PRTS_PressRelease.pdf

The decision was a costly one for C4. PRTS had contributed £3 million to the
Channel\'s revenue in 2006. Channel 4\'s reputation, however, was worth far more
than this.

“As a commercially funded public service broadcaster we’ve previously taken the
view that premium rate competitions were a legitimate activity given the demand
from viewers to take part. But public trust in these competitions has been
severely undermined and we do not want to risk further our relationship with our
viewers. The Channel’s reputation is its most valuable asset and can only be
protected by demonstrating that we place the highest priority on safeguarding
the interests of our viewers and will take action if we find they have been let
down.”

Anne Bulford, Channel 4’s Group Finance Director

Broadcasting regulators Ofcom are now tightening the regulation of all types of
\'Participation TV\'. New rules are likely to include:

* New licence obligations for television and radio broadcasters which will
hold broadcasters directly responsible for consumer protection and PRS compliance.
* A requirement for television and radio broadcasters to ensure independent
third-party verification of PRS activity.

www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/participationtv/

C4 Style Guide, 2007

Promotion in the future

The growth and convergence of Digital TV and broadband services is likely to
mean that broadcasters such as Channel 4 will have to promote their \'brand\' even
more actively in the future. The key promotional tool in the \'post Google\' world
is \'New Media\'.

C4 now has its own New Media department which both promotes the broadcasting arm
of C4 and commissions its own content. Channel 4’s website \'reaches\' around 10%
of the UK online audience each month, increasing to 20% when Big Brother is
being broadcast.

It is likely that the seamless integration of broadcast, broadband and on-demand
services will make effective cross-promotion even more important in the future.

\"If you want your brand to stand out from the crowd, especially in today\'s very
crowded multi-channel market, you need every advantage you can get. Just having
your logo permanently on screen all the time won\'t cut it any more.... You need
to make your station symbol, ident or logo very distinctive, something that will
grab your viewer\'s attention. You need to have your announcers present it
distinctively, you have to promo your station and programmes consistently and
judiciously, so that your viewer doesn\'t think they\'ve seen everything the
programme or channel might have to offer.

But most importantly, the brand has to become familiar in people\'s minds fairly
quickly, and the brand has to be respected, otherwise your potential audience
might not turn to your channel and that will prove disastrous.\"

Ian Beaumont, City Media Productions.

Links

For a selection of C4 and E4 Idents and Bumpers see:

Youtube

www.youtube.com

MHP

www.meldrum.co.uk/mhp

Off the Telly

www.offthetelly.co.uk/

Transdiffusion Network

www.transdiffusion.org

For Channel 4 promotional guidelines see:

www.channel4sales.com/home

www.channel4.com/4producers/

www.channel4.com/about_c4/styleguide/

For Promotional Regulations see:

www.icstis.org.uk

www.ofcom.org.uk

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Ok, getting a bit better with this whole time management thing. Last year I had a paper college diary, a diary on my phone & iCal at home???

Goin down the digital route now, hopefully gonna upgrade to an iphone in november. I am also pondering on getting a PA to handle diary arrangements etc.

Gonna go over the Ident brief now. Work out feasibilities, time management & contingencies...

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Also put a bit of thought into the sound design already. I'm thinking minimal, just a few keyboard notes here & there with maybe a Jo Whiley or iconic voice over saying "fear on four" or something along them lines towards the end of the ident.

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Ah yes...
I thunked about the brief and the pros and cons of each idea. I was also hablaba con amigos about old style special effects & props used for shows like red dwarf.

These makeshift special effects definitively take more effort & set up but they also have their own set of appealing characteristics. And... it's more fun getting your hands dirty and bagging together a blue peter style tracy island to blow up.

Anyhoo here's the pros and cons of my first few ideas...

Fear - The nail/claw scratch could both be done in one studio shoot, i could hammer together some props myself and I have a friend who has done FX makeup before so this is a plausible option. The branding iron idea would require more expenditure when it comes to getting a branding iron made & heating it up etc.

UFO - Similar thing re. could be done in one studio shoot with props when it comes to the bright light concept. Little bit of smoke, spotlights & cardboard could do wonders. Think the crop circle idea may be difficult to pull off as it has passed harvesting time and it may upset farmers if I intend to stampede all over their crops!

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Yes that's right. DDM year two started today and I'm back for more!
It was the first Visual Effects session today and we were given a brief entitled 'Ident'. We are given the task of producing a short moving image ident for a TV channel or an optional TV show or season (choices are Fear, Pop Trash, UFO or Custard).
We have to produce shoot our own material, create appropriate logos and include relevant typography and sound design. Although video is not my fortay I intend to get more intimate with Final Cut and After Effects during the course of this brief.

My initial thoughts were to produce something for Fear possibly having a nail or claw scratching the 4 logo into flesh or a blackboard. The other option would be to produce something for UFO possibly involving crop circles or bright lights. I also considered making something with really bad special effects. This was inspired by the 'Be Kind Rewind' film I saw recently. Off to go have a think now will keep ya posted...

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