Applied Animation 2 - Week 4

During this week the digital practice went underway as me and Luca synthesized our character designs and decided which character designs to use and expand on. It was a matter of compromissory discourse where not only did we discuss our characters but also restructured the storyboard in terms of how they would interact with the characters. All of this being the nutshelled overview of my weekly work, we first started by exchanging the designs we had. Although I did both minion and main character designs, we decided that we need to divide it equally where one of us would be the main proponent of the main character and the other of the minion. With Luca having put a great emphasis on the narrating character, I gladly accepted my minion role since I had 8 initial iterations to work with where I asked for my partner's feedback. He was really keen on the 5th one whose appearance seemed goofy enough to fit the role of a subservient, which I then expanded on by modifying him in several ways so that he may seem even more oblivious. Furthermore, we switched from my preconception of the main character/narrator being a scientist to an omnipotent god for a more ironic comic appeal - the audience learns through constructive situational comedy. Thus, came Luca's design of Zap (whom we named based on the idea of his belligerent demeanor towards the goofy minions) which I instantly approved since both the simplicity and the appearance can account for his appeal. During this first joint session in this week we also looked at the mock storyboards I had made in order to envelop the story and we jotted down scenes that we both thought unnecessary as well as additional ideas for the duo-character interaction. All these notes that we made we reflected during our second weekly symbiotic session where we implemented them in redesigning and restructuring the entirety of the story and storyboards, with me doing the 2nd, 4th, and 6th, whereas Luca did the uneven ones. We decided that this would be the most effective way to evenly divide our workflow since the ones I covered contained most of the minions, although we swapped assets in order to make them (Luca giving me a thumbnail version of Zap). Although we planned to solely apply all the remarks we had previously written down during this re-structuring process, alongside creating the storyboards we frequently exchanged sudden ideas and added some more spontaneous changes. We never decided on a change unless both of us were happy with it, which is why it took us quite some time to finalize the storyboards. Finally, we formally contacted Brian Greene through his website with a short Skype conversation request so that he may confirm his theory, as well as to record his voice for a scene in our animation. However, he still hasn't replied and if he does not do so before the deadline for the pre-production, we will not be able to use his presence. Alas, the next week predicts our independent concept art of our characters and their key poses and facial expressions so that I may get use to the digital design of my character.

Applied Animation 2 - Week 3

During this week I started doing the practical pre-production of our documentary. Initially, I wanted to visualize the tone and atmosphere of the animation by drafting the narrative, how the documentary is going to progress, as well as the leading characters that shall take the role of speakers and lecturers. The beginning was weaved with me an Luca discussing and writing down the general key points that the animation is to go through, which I then concocted into a draft narrative. We agreed that we are to do as much individual work this week during Luca's departure to Italy so that we may then fuse both our ideas (mainly about characters and details on the animation's didactic nature) and designs once he returns in a coherent definitive piece. In order to make this much more tangible, I went on and alongside the character iterations made an initial storyboard so that we may have a rough point of reference during the modification process of the narrative, the consequential actions within the animation, as well as the points and examples to be brought up. Just so that I may fully round up the spirit of the animation I finalized my practical work for this week with a mood board, inclined towards giving a sci-fi taste to it. I believe that our number one priority on this animation is its comic nature that features the side characters (minions) in peril during most of the definition sketches as the nine types of the multiverse are being explained.

Narration - Initial Draft

As the years have driven the evolution of the homosapiens’ mind, so have they increased our desire to broaden our horizons and discover what is beyond the scope of our natural visibility and comprehension. Luckily, the developmental means of science have allowed us to develop a myriad of methods through which we objectively deduct the mystery from our surrounding realm and instead imbue it with a logical understanding that has ultimately shaped the lifestyle that we now embrace. However, the further the periphery grows the more difficult it is to unveil its cryptic demeanor, which is why the ultimately currently definite perspective of our existence is dubbed the observable universe. Human inquisitiveness has intoxicated the most of us into pondering what is there beyond the universe? Is there more to it or is that the dead end that enshrines the relative universe that you see before you in an inexplanatory darkness? Is there one universe or is it just a part of a grandiose conglomeration of several such universes? Based on the scientific method where hypotheses are the very derivative of how facts have been formed, string theorist Brian Greene has identified possible nine types of the multiverse in which a plethora of them interact with each other. First, there is the quilted multiverse which is based on the infinite expansion of the universe. With the never-ending scope of the universe every possible event that has occurred shall occur and indefinite and infinite number of times, however the speed of light prevents any such recordings of this phenomenon. Next is the inflationary universe that is bent on the eternal inflation scope of the universe where it is constantly expanding and the forming fields eventually collapse and form new universes. The brane multiverse that … The cyclic multiverse envisions universes in constant motion that eventually get caught in each other’s vortexes causing them to collide, forming new universes as their clash embodies a Big Bang. The landscape universe… The quantum universe functions like a dimensional possibility where every time a diversion in events occurs, a new universe is formed. The holographic universe propagates that any area of a space can simulate a universe, interconnecting with the notion of the microcosm. The simulated multiverse states that computer systems simulate entire universes, much like the Brain in The Vat theory. And lastly, the ultimate multiverse suggests that every universe in the multiverse exists within its own laws of physics completely adjacent to ours. Many of these hypothetical theories have been used in pop and sci-fi culture, such as a main part of the premise in Rick and Morty, however, remain neither disproven nor rectified for plenty of counter-arguments exist… For the time being, the mystery of the multiverse is yet to be fully solved, but maybe one day with superior technology we might rectify one of the types as satiate our knowledge-thirsty mind. For more visit http://www.briangreene.org/ - Brian Greene’s personal website.

Applied Animation 2 - Week 2

During this week the structurization and concrete formulation of our idea was underway. In comparison with the last collaborative module, me and Luca decided that we are to formally and professionally pace ourselves and manage our time in order to avoid time management going against us seeing as we have other active modules underway. Furthermore, we thought that a schedule will help us scope and model the animation so that we work equally and with a constant rapid intensity instead of clustering it amongst the final days. However, before we did this, we presented to each other our brainstormed ramblings of ideas regarding all 4 themes, and after a thorough in-depth delving into the theme of science we agreed to do theories of the multiverse as our animation. The reason it took as quite some time was that we were constantly laying topics on the table but kept scrapping them until we found something that we BOTH wanted to do in order to keep our intrinsic motives true. Nevertheless, right after we decided, we sat down officially for the first time together in order to mix some ideas as to HOW and WHAT the animated documentary will connote - to put things into perspective. Merging every little piece of creativity that came to us, we formed the general treatment of the animation: introductory narration into the premise by a main character that has an omnipotent grasp of the multiverse, explaining all 9 types of the multiverse theories by Brian Greene through his scientific minions, followed by a comparison of the three most probable types: cyclic, ultimate, and quantum. During the end of the animation we will include links to Brian Greene's website for more information and reference to our research so that the animation may simulate that Kurzgesagt feel of immersive documentaries. In terms of visual elements we have the minions, the main character, the transitioning of an exploding beaker into forming the particles for each type of universe and an establishing zooming out of the Earth into the scope of the observable universe. Based on our schedule, next week is going to consist of the full script of the animation, beginning of the storyboard and initial character and background designs.

Responsive: Collaborative Practice - Initial Beginnings

The collaborative practice officially began with my submission of my creative slides that were to garner someone's attention during the interdisciplinary "mish-mash". However, as we were instructed to leave our names out of the slides and a technical and mistaken difficulty occurred during the presentation, no one caught my name. Luckily, since they were the last one screened I was able to use that as a reel when discussing with other creatives. During the latter part of the session I oscillated around the rooms and sat next to the tables of every brief that I analyzed and liked, unfortunately, found out that the majority of the students were very indecisive and I could not form a group as easily as others did. However, like a diamond in the rough, I found a very inspired and motivated graphic designer that had his heart set on the Orchard Pig, and it was this very enthusiasm that instantly made me form a duo with him. We sprawled around the room together trying to find more people, however, everyone was either too unsure or too narrow in terms of desires of what to do, despite us explaining the brief in depth. Nevertheless, me and Alex Santana formed the duo and after a second failure at acquiring a bigger team during an unofficial mish-mash, we set out to do it duo style presuming that our mutual interest and skill would push us through the module with a promising guidance driven by motivation. During our initial meet-up, me and Alex brainstormed several ideas that we are to put together coherently tomorrow as we are going for a multi-media extravaganza pack of a submission in order to level the competition, since the brief is not specific on what can be delivered. We analyzed the main criteria, the target audience, as well as Orchard Pig's background and principles in order to get a full understanding of what we are supposed to grasp with our project. Once we dispersed, I went home to do additional research on Orchard Pig and their aesthetic and demeanor with how they want to present their cider. They gave me the impression of a bon vivant free-spirited soul rooted in the party mentality. Furthermore, they are quite concise in describing every single product they have, giving me the impression of simplicity in having fun. The ideas we had were: a promotional video, a pig-legged cozy, a pig mascot in front of pubs, and tab stickers, however these are broad and solely brainstormed - the first creative step shall be taken tomorrow.

Applied Animation 2 - Week 1

During this inchoate first week I have been doing nothing other than thinking alongside the "For Argument's Sake" presentation. I have teamed up with Luca Biasci for the time being, although we are quite insistent that we get one more person just to invigorate the experience, the practice, as well as the aesthetic style since I've already worked in a duo before. I considered all 4 of the themes firmly and have jotted down the most invigorating ideas personally I've had for each of them and am ready to present them to my partner(s) for a final brainstorming decision.

Sustainability: The sustainability of the ozone layers through transmuting energy methods from coal to both wind and solar power. Considering that the climate varies from region to region, those with a Mediterranean one tend to have more sun whereas those without (like Norway) have gusts of winds derived from the coastal seas

Science: The transhumanism of science's embrace - technology that will help humanity evolve into a more utopian realm. Alongside this, I'd like to inform the world of the new scientific practices that erase the bleak supposed future of humanity's decadence, one such being the compression of nuclear waste into long-life crystal batteries as well as the "sink-hole" mechanisms that filter garbage cast into the seas and oceans. Could be interlinked with sustainability.

History: The influence of philosophers upon history - in a nutshell. Inspired by the "In a Nutshell" Youtube series of informative, attention span-accustoming mini-documentaries by Kurzgesagt, the documentary would embrace the main concepts of philosophers and their impact upon the evolution of history and its unfortunate repentance

Politics: The inefficiency of radical politics - an insight through time to present. In this small documentary attempt we would belabor how radical politics have failed the entirety of egalitarianism throughout the ages, dating from WWI up to the current situation of Trump's victory as it has been statistically proven that many of potential Bernie Sanders voters have voted for Trump in fear of Clinton's "feudal" control of establishment. Backed up by statements by Slavoj Zizek.

Although these are the ideas I'd like to disseminate the most, I firmly believe in versatility in terms of perspective, which is why I'd like to hear out my partner(s)' ideas in order to reach a consensus of the project. After all, an open mind is the key to educational growth.