Research & Problem solving | Lilys Digital Portfo

Spreading awareness through different mediums like adverts, newspapers, documentaries, and the radio is effective because it reaches a wide audience and utilizes different communication channels. Adverts catch people's attention visually or audibly, while newspapers provide in-depth information and reach readers who prefer print media. Documentaries offer a more immersive and educational experience, appealing to those who enjoy visual storytelling and then the radio reaches listeners with its audio, making it accessible while multitasking.

To create awareness I have to make sure that the message I want across is clear while also giving engaging visuals and then using storytelling techniques to make the message relatable and impactful.

Awareness:

Emotive Language:

Using emotive language in adverts can be incredibly effective in capturing the attention and engaging the emotions of the audience. By using words and phrases that evoke strong emotions, such as joy, excitement, fear, or empathy, advertisers can create a deeper connection with viewers. Emotive language helps to make the message more relatable and memorable, as it taps into the audience's emotions and personal experiences. It can inspire action, create a sense of urgency, or even encourage empathy towards a cause.

Environment:

The environment is a crucial issue. Pollution, deforestation, and climate change are just few of the problems. By creating awareness in my short film, it can lead to more actions and solutions if my message is clear and touching. Looking at the different environmental issues, I feel like the most known ones are about littering, habitat loss and plastic in the oceans. All issues are equally as harmful to the environment but the ones I have listed have known solutions everywhere such as adverts, documentaries, and even its own prevention logos. The most known is the recycling logo, shown as a vibrant green. By using primary and secondary colours this can catch the eyes of all ages which I would like to look more into so I can engage my viewer of my chosen age group.

Target Audience:

Looking at the ages between 5-7, I realise that in between these ages the colours that they like and the things they are into ranges differently. Starting off 5-6 year olds, they start to remember stories and start to act them out with their toys and even start to recognise rhymes in books and in songs. The colours they like is very limited from only primary and secondary colours while children from 6-7 may take an eye to different shades to those primary and secondary colours. A good example of this is that Minecraft is a 7+ game and has many shades of colours which children might favourite or take a like too.

List for target audience:

Age chosen: 7 year olds
Gender: Not aimed at a specific gender in particular and want it to be relative to both.
Directing to audience: make the audience feel like they are engaging in a conversation with the characters.

Shows/TV shows 7yr olds watch:

Batman
Spiderman
Pokémon
Star Wars
Scooby doo
Barbie
Monster high
Disney channel shows
Transformers
Power rangers

To further investigate my mind map I decided to make a mood board of things around my brothers room that I could take photos of, as he still owns stuff from when he was 7. I took photos of toys, superheroes, teddys, Lego and games that children of that age play and even the console that kids of that age use. Although teddys might be for all ages, they might take a liking to a certain teddy in particular such as animals, superheroes, teddys from their favourite show or game and their interests or something that might catch their eye. For my short film, I will choose 7yr olds as my target audience as it gives me more colours to work with, more wording and less simplified characters.

Topic of choice: Birds (Animals)

Since my target audience are 7 year olds I will do a short film on pigeons since pigeons are one of the most known birds as they are seen everywhere so it would be more touching to the child if they see those birds later on after learning and understanding how they've been effected.

If there's a change in a birds behaviour or population, it often signals a bigger environmental issue. For example, deforestation can lead to loss of nesting sites, forcing birds to relocate or, worse, causing a decline in their population. Pollution, especially plastic waste, can harm birds if they ingest it or get entangled. Climate change also affects birds migration patterns, as it alters the availability of food sources in different regions.

Making background ideas for my chosen topic:

Tilt Brush

Open Brush VR is a virtual reality application that allows you to create art in 3D space. It's similar to Tilt Brush VR, but with some differences in features and functionality. It's a great tool for artists and creators to explore their imagination in a virtual environment. It allows you to paint, draw and create in 3D reality space while also using lots of different brushes and tools. You can also walk around your creations or even teleport giving you more to work with.

Tilt brush is a Virtual reality app developed by Google. It allows you to create 3D paintings using a variety of brushes and tools available in the app. You can also walk around your paintings and view it from different angles. The app provides a range of dynamic brushes, from traditional style brushes to unconventional ones like ink, smoke, snow and fire. You can then adjust the size of the brush strokes, allowing for both broad, sweeping strokes and fine details.

Open Brush

Using Open Brush:

To take my topic further, me and my classmates used Open Brush to create a 3D environmental background for our chosen topic. For my topic, I decided to choose a tree as trees are birds homes.

To make it, I firstly used the flat brush and used the colour scrolling tool to change it to a dark brown which I then used to create the trunk of the tree. After I was happy with my base, I then added branches using the same brush but changed the thickness to make it smaller and added dark green leaves using the petals brush and applied them to the branches. I unfortunately did not have time to do the full 360 of the tree but I was still happy with the outcome. Next time I would like to add different shades of leaves and more detail onto the trunk such as moss, trunk lines and annual rings.

Overall, Openbrush was very fun to use and would definitely to use it again for my future work. Although, I find the paintbrush options and environmental backgrounds were very limited, I would of liked to do my tree on a day background but unfortunately I was not able to so, so I used a coloured background instead as the others were much too dark for my liking. The app was easy to use and everything was not hard to find so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Clay Techniques:

Practicing clay techniques is super important for claymation, as it is all about getting the smooth movements and expressions just right. The more you practice it, the more lifelike and fluid your characters will be and also you will get faster at sculpting, which is a huge help when you're doing frame-by-frame animation. Also when Practicing with the principles of animation, it is crucial when working with clay techniques because it helps bring your characters to life. The principles, like squash and stretch, anticipation, and timing, give your clay figures a sense of weight, movement, and realism.

I ended up doing a splat animation, a walking animation, a squash and stretch animation, Blinking animation and ease in, ease out. I found doing these particular animations will be helpful for my final mini movie. By practising will clay I can then look at different designs and styles which I can then take further when doing my final animation

Colour theory:

Colour theory is the art and science of using colour. It explains how humans perceive colour and how colours mix, match, and contrast with one another. It's like a toolbox for artists, designers, and creators to help them choose the right colours for their projects. Colour theory enables you to pick colours that go well together and convey the right mood or message in your work.

Colours that are warm, bold, and bright are more eye-catching than others. Some colours will bring out different reactions than others. For example, warm colours may give the illusion of closeness, which will bring those colours out in a crowd and be more noticeable. Colder colours have a distancing effect, which may make them harder to pick out in a large group of people or coloured objects.

Font theory:

Font theory refers to the study and understanding of fonts, including their design, characteristics, and usage. It explores how different fonts can covey different emotions, evoke different moods, and enhance the overall visual appeal of design or text. For example, a bold and angular font like Impact can convey strength and power, while a flowing and elegant font like Edwardian Script can evoke a sense of sophistication and romance. A playful and rounded font like Comic Sans can give a light hearted and friendly vibe, while a clean and minimalist font like Helvetica can convey a sense of modernity and simplicity. Choosing the wrong font can completely change the look and feel of your design and, as a result, it can completely change the way your audience reacts to it.

Fonts for kids shows are usually fun and colourful. They often use rounded, bold typefaces that are easy to read. Some examples include the font used in SpongeBob SquarePants, which is playful and wacky, or the Peppa Pig font that's simple and friendly. They help set the tone for the show. Children also struggle to read cursive so I would have to use the simple fonts so it is easier for them to read.

Creating my character:

While creating my character, I started off making sketches of different ideas I can do for my character design. I found while doing this that I was making the designs to complicated for a 7yr old to be interested in. I noticed that children wouldn't really take a liking to realistic characters as they may not seem as cute to them. To further research I will look at different kids cartoons that have birds so I can understand the shapes they are using, further develop my colour pallet and simplify my designs that a 7 year old would be into.

I looked at different kids shows and how the characters express themselves, I noticed that the characters are very expressive in the eyes and the shape of the birds in general are circular. Some of them express themselves with facial expressions instead of words so I would like to portray that in my work so the person watching can understand the emotion that they are feeling, for example a child may know when their parents are feeling a certain way by reading their hand movements and facial expressions such as when a parent is angry they may lower their eyes and eyebrows and point. In animation this is helpful when creating characters and making them more lively. Furthermore, to back this, using circular shapes for the character design makes the character seem cute and approachable. I found this very helpful and will use it when redrawing my characters.

This time, I ended up doing quick sketches just to understand the way I wanted my character to look. I started making them more circular as I went along and I found this is great for the image I want to get across. I started off with pigeon eyes as in the white of the sclera and the black iris and then further went on to making the eyes fully black. I found the fully black eyes to be more cute but I feel like once I do clay testing I will decide which one expresses the message I'm trying to get across more.

Bird expression reference ^

Script Research:

A script is a written work by screenwriters for a film, video game or television programme. Writing a script is important because it serves as the foundation for any film, play, or TV show. It allows you to get the perfect flow of the scene. If there wasn't a script used for example, the scene may go off topic causing the message you are trying to get across to be lost.

In depth examples on why scripts are important:

Storytelling: A script helps you tell a compelling story. It allows you to structure your narrative, develop your characters, and create engaging dialogues. It's like painting a vivid picture with words.
Organization: A script helps you organize your thoughts and ideas. It provides a clear structure, outlining the scenes, actions, and dialogue in a logical sequence. This helps ensure that your story flows smoothly and makes sense to the audience.
Time and Budget Management: A well-written script helps you estimate the time and resources needed for production. It allows you to plan the shooting schedule, determine the locations, and allocate the budget effectively. This ensures a smoother production process.
Creative Expression: Writing a script gives you the opportunity to express your creativity. You can experiment with different storytelling techniques, explore unique perspectives, and bring your imagination to life. It's a chance to showcase your unique voice and style.

When writing my script I need to remember to get the point in a simple way and not over complicate it because if the script becomes too preachy, it may feel as though I am talking down to the viewers watching it. I will also make sure I am using words that 7 year olds will understand but yet keeping emotive language so the viewer wont lose connection to the message I am trying to get across. I will also make sure my script flows well so the next point I will say doesn't take over the other points or makes the scene not understandable to the viewer.