The Idea Counts (Week 7)

This week was an interesting week especially in our digital media lecture and lab. In our digital media class we were introduced to a SFX assignment which looks very exciting and promising. Using other means to produce sound is very difficult, yet interesting. I loved the example where they used fruits and vegetables to reproduce a video game. The sounds sounded so real it was kind of scary. All the sounds were reproduced using secondary means such as fruits and vegetables. This assignment is very exciting but will be very difficult to reproduce an image using other means of sound.
In our digital media lab we got our hands on the flash program, learning the fundamentals. This week we learned how to make a motion guide which allowed us to make a bee move around the page. This might sound like nothing but the reward was thrilling for me. We got to create a path in which allowed the bee to move anywhere around the page. The most exciting thing this week was putting sound. The sound made the flash video complete. Without sound it did not feel complete. I learned more about flash however, only two weeks using the program there is a lot more to learn. One thing I’m looking forward to is using the slideshow tool. As mentioned in the previous week I want to create a possible slideshow interaction. I believe the interaction tool will allow me to create a basic yet exciting flash video.

The Adventures of Flash!!! (Week 6)

This week in digital media class we were introduced to a new program and new assignment. The new program is called Abode Flash. There were many ideas expressed in our digital media lecture. The flash program is a program that is complex however, with a little practice and patience, looks like a fun program. In the digital media lecture I loved the example “Do You Want to Play a Game” and “Ross Macaulay.” These two examples captivated as I was in shock on how great they were. I am naturally a person who has high standards but these examples will be very hard to reach.
One of my more interesting ideas is to create a Halloween flash video. My inspiration is to create a scary and daunting video in which a series of scary questions would be asked with animations and photos in the back. This is a tough task however; with some patience and practice anything is possible.
Another one of my examples is to create a motorcycle slide show. My brother has a Honda CBR 600CC and I always wanted to do a slide show of his bike. I believe this would look awesome on flash and would really captivate people through both the actual bike and the loudness.
This project will require some research and thinking on the layout. The project will also require myself to get familiar with the program quickly as I only have three weeks to complete this project.
There are many techniques that must be used however, my experience is minimal and I must use my labs to further my knowledge as I am relatively new to flash. Almost all the videos are produced using flash however, my experience is minimal and I must further my knowledge in order to get a better look at what I want to produce.

http://www.skipnoproductions.com/test/Site/Images/flash_logo.gif

My Tennis Poster (Week 5)

Artist Statement

My concept was to create a poster promoting tennis. Tennis has been one of my hobbies for the past ten years; as a result I have created a poster to promote a tennis academy in my hometown of Woodbridge, Ontario. My goal is to attract a large audience into joining my academy. I wanted to create a poster that stands out, captures the audience’s attention and persuades them to further their knowledge about my academy. I was able to accomplish this by using the Impact font.
The target market for my tennis academy is males and females between eighteen to thirty-five years of age. It was difficult deciding what age group to target however that was immediately resolved when I chose the impact font. The impact font portrays seriousness and a level of professionalism within my academy. It also implies that one must be physically and mentally strong. The seriousness is also expressed in the catch phrase “Are You Ready”. The tennis academy is geared towards males and females looking to improve their on court performance, getting a good workout and having fun.
Based on my limited experience with fireworks, I decided to also use Photoshop. There were many skills used during the process of creating my poster. The first aspect that needed to be considered was the layout. I had many ideas however did not know how to transpire them. I had a picture from the Rexell Center, located in Toronto, Ontario, which I had taken when I went to go see a tennis event last summer. I decided to use that as my background; however I placed a filter called “Diffuse Glow” so that it had a professional look. Using fireworks I used the “Lasso” tool to cut out a picture of myself playing tennis. Next I decided what font and size I needed in order to attract my target audience. After looking for several types of fonts, I decided the impact font had the professional and bold look I was looking for. Using Fireworks and Photoshop I made the font larger, changed the white colour using effects so that it looked like a silver colour and decided to put a stroke around the font to give it a sharp vibe. The filters for the font included a drop and inner shadow, outer glow and gradient overlay. This gave the titles a professional look and made it clear my target market was for male and female adults.
There were many challenges and obstacles that were encountered while creating my poster. One challenge was finding out what picture to use. I had a great assortment of pictures however; the quality and resolution of them were not all professional in quality. As a result I had to take several photos at my local tennis court and decide which ones to choose. The second obstacle was eliminating the background in my picture, using the lasso tool. I brought the picture to Photoshop and used a filter called “Poster Edges” to give it an authentic and professional touch. Finally, choosing the right text was the last obstacle that I had to deal with. I decided to choose impact font. From there I had to decide which colour system to use. I decided that the spilt-complementary layout looked the most professional and appealing. Spilt-complementary colours consist of red, blue and gray.
The final outcome was a finished product that I was very proud of. I spent a lot of time on this poster but it was very rewarding to find out what someone can learn by experimenting with different features. I learned about various different types of fonts, different filters and the effects they had. My piece surpassed my envisioned goal, and looks like a real poster.

In Class Critique
The in-class critique session helped me realize some of the small errors I made in the process of creating my poster. One of the errors that Professor Henry quickly recognized was in regards to proximity. Proximity refers to a group of related items jointed together. Henry realized that the titles on the top and bottom were too close to the end of the page. Another small mistake was the gaps between the fonts. In some instances the gaps between fonts were larger than others. To conclude the major lesson learnt in the in-class critique session was the proximity mistake.

Media and Typography!!! (Week 4)

We live in a society surrounded by media. Everywhere we go, we see posters, billboards, magazines etc. These forms of advertisements and media are targeting a specific market through fonts, images, and design.

One example of this is the movie “Fantastic Four.” Fantastic Four is based on the 1961 comedy which was published by Marvel Comics. The Fantastic Four is formed during an outer space test flight in an experimental rocket ship. The four protagonists are bombarded by a storm of cosmic rays. Upon crash landing back on Earth, the four astronauts find themselves transformed with uncharacterized abilities. They decide to use their powers in a positive way and act as superheroes.
One typographic choice made in the design of the cover was to make the font characters bold, so that they stand out. This typography is bold and has a clean cut. It is very effective and powerful. The font is also blocky and represents the characters

bizarre power and strength. It appeals to a general audience however, by putting actor star Jessica Alba on the front cover; it is attempting to reach to all adults and children. The type font is effective in attracting a broad target audience as it portrays a professional and bold look.
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/fantastic-four/ff092005.jpg

A magazine that does not use typography well in order to send across its image is the magazine “Muscle and Fitness.” The cover compares the character Michael Chiklis, to his Fantastic Four character Ben Grimm. This cover uses a plain typographic at the top of the magazine. I believe the font type is Aerial however, I am not certain. The title of the magazine, which is the most important, uses yet a different font. The typography is behind the two characters which ultimately takes away from the font and its impact. The font type is appealing however, cannot be seen clearly. I believe that the font is not effective as it cannot be read by many.
The typography is effective to a particular audience as the font type is bold and large representing how to gain muscle in the shortest amount of time. I believe it is affective in attracting teens and adults who want to gain muscle. The font represents a clean and smooth look; however the page is clustered with too much writing. The characters also cover the main font which in my opinion takes away from what could have been a great looking magazine cover.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/fantastic-four/musclemagazine.jpg

A cover that does a great job with little typography is the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The movie is about a character who was a former master car thief forced to return to his former trade and steal fifty cars in order to avoid his brother being killed. The cover uses a simple but effective typography at capturing their target market. The cover uses a simple font type however it’s a font that is interpreted not read. The first time I interpreted the font, I knew it dealt with cars. The font is very effective as it is targeted to teens and adults who are car enthusiasts. The typography’s central message portrays a theme of fast and exotic cars.

http://www.currentfilm.com/images3/60secondsdvd.jpg