Studio Brief 3 MOVING PICTURES - REFLECTIVE REPORT

MOVING PICTURES FINAL OUTCOME - SHAKESPEARE from Abigail Mooney on Vimeo.

TURNING POINTS/ REALISATIONS
Translating my prints into a moving image seemed very challenging to get my head around at first. My immediate response was to create a fully animated scene with characters completing full actions but I quickly realised this was very complex and not necessarily necessary to meet the brief. The storyboard workshop with David Bunting was a turning point in my idea generation as I was then able to identify potential in more simple movements. Clarity of intention for the sting only really came when I had completed my prints as I then had a full body of elements to consider.

WHAT WENT WELL?
-My final sting works cohesively with my prints as an animated extension of the printed work, rather than an isolated outcome
-While focusing on just a small aspect of the action carried out in my sequential prints, the animation seems direct, yet communicative of a wider narrative, using visual clues which reveal more about the legacy of Shakespeare's comedies
-Blending modes enable the sting to foster an aesthetic almost identical to that of my screen prints, working consistently with the analogue, crafted aesthetic of my wider practice
-Audio and visual content are effectively synchronised to create a seamless activation of flat assets

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED?
-Although simplicity works effectively, I would be interested to explore more tools and transformations to create a more sophisticated outcome
-The delay between sound effects is appropriate to the motion on screen but a more engaging outcome could have a continuous audio, or maybe layer separate pieces of audio to build a more dense and engaging sound
-Working with groups in photoshop meant that my files translated into nested compositions when dropped into after effects which made synchronisation of elements very difficult

REFLECTION
This brief has proved really instrumental in my consideration of how I can extend isolated images. As my practice focuses heavily on narrative, animation has worked powerfully to enhance my image making and achieve the message and tone of voice outlined in my intentions for the module. Technically, this brief has been very challenging, but these are skills I feel now I have practiced, I will be able to apply and develop across new and more complex projects. With regards to studentship, I didn't feel I had left myself enough time to execute this well but in committing so much time to the crafting of my prints, I felt much more informed about my sting and as such, the production of it was much easier than I anticipated.