The Boy Who Didn’t Stop Look or Listen
http://www.nexusproductions.com/directors/smith-foulkes/
I chose Smith & Foulkes because they have a different approach to educating the public about street safety. It seems like it is directed towards kids, but it is a grim view and it saddens the viewer.
They fit into the vector genre.
7 Criteria
1. Structures and Composition: Overall it the piece has a great composition. You feel the pain the child in the clip is going through and it is a great transition from present to past. The close up on the boys eyes and face give the viewer the feel of sadness.
2. Image and Image Type: The imagery is beautiful. The typography represents the grim feel. The way the artist shows happiness vs. sadness is affective. When the boy is reflecting upon the past (happy times) he is clean, smiling, and playing. After his accident the boy looks like he is dead. The artist made a distinct point.
3. Symbols: The boy is a symbol of what will happen to you if you do not follow the traffic rules. In order to portray this, the artist makes the boy look grim and dark and dirty. His eyes are red as though he hasn’t slept after his accident.
4. Time: The transitions are well done. There are short pauses as the story line changes. It is a short story line but it gets the point across with enough transitions.
5. Sound: The sounds in the piece change as the video transitions from past to present. In the past there are birds chirping and in the present it is grim and dark. The narrator has a monotone dry voice. He has no sympathy for the boy who didn’t stop look and listen.
6. Intent: The intent is to increase awareness and safety on the streets for kids. I think it is a cute video, but a little too heavy for young children.
7. Meaning: The meaning of this film is for children to be aware of their surroundings when they are playing. It starts off as fun and games, but the street is unsafe and children have to be aware. It serves as a lesson for other children.
The Seed
The Seed by Johnny Kelly was a well done motion graphics piece. It followed all 7 of the criteria very well.
1. Structures and Composition: There was a good usage of white space. Everything in the video was there for a reason and the design was very elaborate but there was enough simplicity to balance it out.
2. Image and Image Type: The images used were very interesting. The video went from organic sketches to geometric shapes. In the beginning the seed is drawn in black and white. Very simple but as the tree grows and the apple is created the shapes become dynamic and geometric. Once the human eats the apple and it is being digested the seed becomes a hand drawn image. I love the balance between the two. The hand-drawn elements are in black and white and the geometric shapes are in color.
3. Symbols and Symbol Types: The symbolic forms that are being used is the seed. The seed is a representation of the world going in full circle. The seed starts from the ground goes through human hands, into the ocean, and back to the soil again.
4. Time: The transitions and movement in the piece work very well. The movement throughout the screen is well timed and the images and shapes flow well.
5. Sound: The music used reminds me of a clock ticking and waiting for change to take place. It is also has a scientific mood. It works well because the video has to do with plants and humans and the nature of the world.
6. Intent: The collective intent of all the visual, sound and pacing elements is to give the viewer an understanding of how a seed can go full circle.
7. Meaning: The collective meaning of all the visual, sounds, and pacing elements is to show how that a small seed goes a long way. Also, it shows the balance between nature and man.
Well Done Typography
Learn the Basics: 25+ Sites And Resources To Learn Typography
Retin Art
http://retinart.net/typography/marksunknown/
This was an interesting article about the history and usage of a few typographic marks. When I use the ampersand or the pilcrow I never thought about the origins. When I was in elementary school and my teacher would correct my essays I would always see the pilcrow and I never even knew it had a name. I just thought of it as the paragraph sign. It wasn’t until after I read this article when I discovered it had a name. I also think the origin of the ampersand is interesting.
Motion Graphics Video
I went on youtube and found this motion graphics video. It uses type in a creative way. The video starts off with the creation of a single cloud and the cloud multiplies and eventually turns into rain. The rain turns into flowers and plants. Eventually a garden grows, but a city is created and the garden starts to break down. I love the way the designer created an elaborate scene with such simple type and use of color. The music is light and bubbly in the beginning and as the city starts to build up the music becomes more dramatic and the font face becomes darker and heavier.
Title Sequence: Thank You For Smoking
I enjoyed watching the title sequence for the movie Thank You For Smoking. I love the way the designer used the music with the imagery. There is a great use of movement from each cigarette label to the next. Each label is different from the next, but the use of colors are bold and they contrast with one another.
Blind: Worst Case Scenario
I saw this commercial last week on tv and I think it is incredible. The combination of video and graphics are great. The designer was able to take real footage and make it look like a comic book. This gives the viewer a new perspective of the host of the show. He is turned into a modern day super hero. The typography design is what makes the video look like a comic book as well as the bold type. I like how typography is added to certain clips making it look like a “how to” pamphlet. The color palette is very simple, mainly gray and black with red accents. This helps enhance a dramatic effect. Overall, the designer did an incredible job.
