Course Graphic Design L4

Module Print to Pixel

Date 21/03/11
Deadline 06/05/11
Staff Matt Edgar/Laura Moseley/Johnny Wood/Lee Ford/Toby
Lyons/Katy Carroll

Introduction This module is designed to provide a foundation of skills and techniques appropriate
to the graphic design discipline, which will be further developed in Levels 5 and 6. It
will encourage a creative and imaginative approach to image generation and its
application, and will further enhance the understanding of the relationship between
analogue and digital processes. It will provide an introduction to time based imagery
and animation principles and processes and will encourage good practice in
managing workflow.

Objective By the end of this module you will be able to creatively apply a variety of creative
skills including analogue and lens based processes in order to generate some static
imagery in response to an audio track. You will then use motion graphics software in
order to compile and animate these images and output a movie with audio. You will
be applying an experimental approach to problem solving, whilst demonstrating a
creative approach to the design process and solution.

Brief To communicate a piece of music into an animated series of images.

You will be allocated a piece of music which you must listen to and familiarise
yourself with and choose three descriptive words which are inspired by the music.
This choice must be intuitive and based on your emotional response to the music.
The research process will therefore take a visual form once the words have been
chosen, and will be about making and doing.

The audio tracks are in the learning resources folder on Blackboard. They are
labelled 1-10. You must use the audio track that is the same number as your group
number. (Please see the group listings and allocation table for full details. These can
be found on Blackboard/ in module pack)

Through a series of workshops you will be required to generate imagery using a

range of techniques that encompass both digital and analogue creative processes.
These processes will be developed and used to visualise the descriptive words you
have chosen relating to your music. The workshops will include photography
(Rayograms), stop motion and illustration. You will be graded on the suitable
inclusion of creative techniques and mixed media used to produce a creative time
based design solution that evidences experimentation in your development.

You must generate narrative through imagery that references and communicates
your chosen words and audio using the techniques outlined below. They can be
pictorial or typographical in content. They may be abstract or literal but must be
original. Think back to the Observation and Communication and the Skills Workshops
module and all the skills you have developed through the year. Any of these skills
may be used. This is an opportunity to experiment and further develop areas you are
specifically interested in as well as enhancing your skills base. The initial imagery that
you create may be the foundation for the animation, but these may develop further as
your skills progress. Consider if you will want a series of images, created for example
using stop motion or video or if you will animate and /or edit single images. Consider
the techniques you might use such as paper folding or collage in the stop motion and
which objects you might use to create Rayograms in photography. What mark making
might you use in hand drawn? How might you combine all of this digitally? What will
your 30 second narrative be and how will it reflect the words chosen and your chosen
audio?

Each of your 3 words should have some imagery that is pertinent and that has been
made by using the following techniques:
• stop motion
• photographic
• hand drawn
• digital
•
Make sure you experiment with and use a range of techniques. Create assets that
you can take into the digital realm and put on a timeline.

Once you have a resource of imagery and assets you will develop or edit them further
using digital manipulation. You may extract parts from the original images, add to
them or combine them. This will provide you with a range of images or elements that
have a strong visual identity in relation to the words that you chose through the use of
colour, style, interpretation and subject matter. You will be required to keep an
evidential record of your creative process on your Blogspot blog.

Assignment 1 : Using these basic images you will plan an animation and represent it
with a short storyboard that will give a linear view of your animation and it’s timings.
Try not to make this process too complicated. This can be produced using analogue
or digital processes or a combination of the two. The storyboard should be created on
the sheet either using hand drawn techniques or digital. The individual frames must
then be scanned and uploaded to the blog in a linear fashion so that you can present
this, along with a brief overview of concept and development at this stage, via the
blog at the assessment/presentation point. (wk- 38) (Please bring sketchbook and
printed storyboard as backup).

The concept and storyboard will be assessed before you start on your animation and
will form 10% of your final mark.

Assignment 2: You will then develop digital skills in motion graphics through a series
of workshops in order to animate your imagery. The animation will last for 20-30
seconds and will use the music as a soundtrack. It does not have to be a complicated
over worked series of images, but a considered and well applied sequence. This
movie will be output as a Quicktime movie and then uploaded to your blog.

What needs to be in the Blog besides the final video?

Remember that the final outcome does not have to reflect your storyboard exactly but
you must record and communicate the stages of production and development that
you went through from conceptualisation, production, through storyboarding and
development through to the final outcome. The blog with it’s evidence and final
animation will form 90% of your final mark.

The final mark will be comprised of:

Assignment 1: Concept, Narrative, Storyboard – 10% - evidenced through blog and

analogue support (storyboard sheet)
 Assignment 2: Process, Outcome, Presentation – 90% - evidenced through blog and
uploaded animation.

Please refer to the assessment criteria in order to fully understand how you will be
graded.

As well as submitting a link to your final blog you will also be required to upload your
animation as a QuickTime movie during Friday 6th May before 12.00 PM to a
designated hard drive, which will be used for the final presentations/showcase of all
work on Friday 13th May.

Failure to do this will result in work not being assessed.

Assessment • See blackboard

Criteria • NB: throughout this module you will be expected to log your progress through an
online Blog. This record of your progress and process will feed into your
assessment mark. We expect to see analysis, critical awareness evidenced
alongside visual and verbal documentation of the process that is print to pixel.

Timetable: Some important dates / times:

Schedule/Groups: See additional sheet/timetable

Deadline for submission of work:

Storyboard assignment 1 -10% of the module marks

To be presented and assessed individually via your blog, with
printed version as support, during week 38 (Mon/Tue/Wed
depending on groups) NB – see time table for specific times

Animation Assignment 2 – 90% of the module marks

To be handed in on Friday 6th May at the end of the module in
week 41.

Friday 6th May – 9-12pm deadline – uploading to tumbler of final animation

and record of design process to date. Mac room 4223

Friday 6th May 9-12pm - Uploading of work as a QuickTime movie- Mac

room 4223

Showcase of all Work

Fri 13th May 10 -12pm