Entertainment Design - Week 1
8/1/19 & 10/1/19 (Week 1)
Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Entertainment Design
Module Brief & Assignment 1
In this video, Don McMillan teaches the audience to design effective PowerPoint slideshows by showing them what exactly they should not do. It reminded me that no matter how good an idea is, it doesn't matter if the presenter is not able to engage the audience due to horribly designed slides or a bad, unprepared speech. To supplement this lesson, Mr Mike also gave us examples of well-designed slides that we should emulate in our future presentations.
Matte Painting
A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. At its best, the effect is "seamless" and creates environments that would otherwise be impossible or expensive to film.
Traditionally, matte paintings were made by artists using paints or pastels on large sheets of glass for integrating with the live-action footage. The first known matte painting shot was made in 1907 by Norman Dawn for the movie Missions of California. However, one of the disadvantages in using Dawn's matte painting idea was that the camera had to be still the entire time, otherwise the illusion would be lost.
In 1918, Frank Williams introduced a new process where subjects were filmed against a pure black background. The film would then be copied to increasingly high contrast negatives until the black and white silhouettes emerged. This black and white silhouette was used as a matte, known as a "travelling matte" because it was able to move across the frame.
An alternative to the Williams process was introduced in 1925, where C. Dodge Dunning used coloured lights to make the background blue, and the foreground subjects yellow. An example of the Dunning process can be seen in the movie King Kong (1933). In 1940, Lawrence Butler also discovered a new technique to create travelling mattes for coloured films, using an invention known as the optical printer. Not stopping there, Hollywood continued to explore other variations of the blue screen process until they arrived at the next big change: digital green screens.
Digital matte painting began in the late 1990s, with green screens taking over the predominantly used blue screens. This is because green is cheaper and easier to light than blue, registers brighter on electronic displays, works well in outdoor settings, and is less common in costume designs. Advancements in technology also allows backgrounds and special effects to be rendered in 3D.
Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Entertainment Design
Module Brief & Assignment 1
LECTURE NOTES
Lecture 1 (8/1/19)
In our first class, Mr Mike began by briefly introducing the module to us, including the projects we had to complete as well as the marking rubric for each project. He also showed us past works by our seniors so that we could get a better idea of what was required of us. After that, he started his lecture by showing us a few videos, categorized by the topics listed below.
Presentation Skills 101
Life After Death by Powerpoint (Corporate Comedy Video) by Don McMillan (2010).
In this video, Don McMillan teaches the audience to design effective PowerPoint slideshows by showing them what exactly they should not do. It reminded me that no matter how good an idea is, it doesn't matter if the presenter is not able to engage the audience due to horribly designed slides or a bad, unprepared speech. To supplement this lesson, Mr Mike also gave us examples of well-designed slides that we should emulate in our future presentations.
Matte Painting
Hollywood's History of Faking It | The Evolution of Greenscreen Compositing by Filmmaker IQ (2013).
A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. At its best, the effect is "seamless" and creates environments that would otherwise be impossible or expensive to film.
Traditionally, matte paintings were made by artists using paints or pastels on large sheets of glass for integrating with the live-action footage. The first known matte painting shot was made in 1907 by Norman Dawn for the movie Missions of California. However, one of the disadvantages in using Dawn's matte painting idea was that the camera had to be still the entire time, otherwise the illusion would be lost.
 |
| Fig. 1.1: Norman Dawn's matte painting process. |
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| Fig. 1.2: Matte painting in The Birds (1963). |
In 1918, Frank Williams introduced a new process where subjects were filmed against a pure black background. The film would then be copied to increasingly high contrast negatives until the black and white silhouettes emerged. This black and white silhouette was used as a matte, known as a "travelling matte" because it was able to move across the frame.
The use of travelling mattes in the movie Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927).
An alternative to the Williams process was introduced in 1925, where C. Dodge Dunning used coloured lights to make the background blue, and the foreground subjects yellow. An example of the Dunning process can be seen in the movie King Kong (1933). In 1940, Lawrence Butler also discovered a new technique to create travelling mattes for coloured films, using an invention known as the optical printer. Not stopping there, Hollywood continued to explore other variations of the blue screen process until they arrived at the next big change: digital green screens.
Digital matte painting began in the late 1990s, with green screens taking over the predominantly used blue screens. This is because green is cheaper and easier to light than blue, registers brighter on electronic displays, works well in outdoor settings, and is less common in costume designs. Advancements in technology also allows backgrounds and special effects to be rendered in 3D.
Digital matte painting in Game of Thrones (2012).
Key Art
Key art is defined as the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie’s marketing campaign is built. It is the image that appears on the film poster, in magazine ads, on the DVD/Blu-Ray cover and on the streaming movie thumbnail.
The main purpose of key art is to get people interested in seeing the film and to build anticipation before film's release. If an actor is the reason most people will see the film, then featuring the actor makes sense. If the character is the reason people will see the film, then featuring the character makes sense. Successful key art should be memorable and effective in delivering the intended message.
Lecture 2 (10/1/19)
In this class, Mr Mike wanted us to learn more about the legal side of design, such as intellectual property, fair use, merchandising and licensing. It is important for us to know these things so that we can protect our designs from being stolen or unfairly used.
Intellectual property (IP) refers to the ownership of intangible and non-physical goods. This includes ideas, names, designs, symbols, artwork, writings, and other creations. It also refers to digital media, such as audio and video clips that can be downloaded online. There are a few methods you can use to protect your IPs, such as trademarks, copyright, patents and design rights.
Hollywood's History of Faking It | The Evolution of Greenscreen Compositing. (2013). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/H8aoUXjSfsI
McMillan, D. (2010). Life After Death by Powerpoint (Corporate Comedy Video). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/KbSPPFYxx3o
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans - Friedrich Murnau (1927) Kiss against society - Memorias del Cine. (2017). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ZwxJh_og7BI
Key art is defined as the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie’s marketing campaign is built. It is the image that appears on the film poster, in magazine ads, on the DVD/Blu-Ray cover and on the streaming movie thumbnail.
 |
| Fig. 1.3: Examples of key art on movie posters. |
The main purpose of key art is to get people interested in seeing the film and to build anticipation before film's release. If an actor is the reason most people will see the film, then featuring the actor makes sense. If the character is the reason people will see the film, then featuring the character makes sense. Successful key art should be memorable and effective in delivering the intended message.
Lecture 2 (10/1/19)
In this class, Mr Mike wanted us to learn more about the legal side of design, such as intellectual property, fair use, merchandising and licensing. It is important for us to know these things so that we can protect our designs from being stolen or unfairly used.
Intellectual property (IP) refers to the ownership of intangible and non-physical goods. This includes ideas, names, designs, symbols, artwork, writings, and other creations. It also refers to digital media, such as audio and video clips that can be downloaded online. There are a few methods you can use to protect your IPs, such as trademarks, copyright, patents and design rights.
- Trademark: A name or symbol that a company uses on its products and that cannot legally be used by another company.
- Copyright: A form of protection provided to the creators of original works including literary works, movies, musical works, paintings, live performances, photographs, and software. Copyright protection generally lasts for 70 years after the death of the author, after which the work becomes fair use.
- Patent: A grant of property rights to an invention, including the exclusive right for the inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years.
- Design rights: A registered design protects the visual appearance of a product or item and gives the creator exclusive rights for that appearance to the extent that, if necessary, there is a legal right to stop an unauthorized party from producing or using the design.
Another important term we should take note of is fair use, a legal concept that allows the reproduction of copyrighted material for certain purposes without obtaining permission and without paying a fee or royalty. Purposes permitting the application of fair use generally include review, news reporting, teaching, or scholarly research. However, the creator must be credited and no profit can be obtained by using these works.
Question: Games Industry
Write a reflection of your thoughts about the games industry in your blog and comment on the subject matter on whether it is heading to a good direction or bad, and who is affected and why.
Compared to other forms of entertainment such as movies, TV shows and music, the video game industry is one that is considered relatively young. However, this industry should not be overlooked as it has, in my opinion, single-handedly cause a dynamic shift in entertainment as of recent years.
It's common knowledge now that the video game industry is one of the biggest on the planet, bringing in colossal amounts of money to the economy and showing continuous market growth year after year. Of course, this growth is due in part to the fast-paced innovations that take place in order to improve the overall gaming experience for consumers. With investments pouring in for developers to come up with the most attractive, engaging game in the market utilizing the latest technology, it’s no surprise that consumers are so willing to spend their money in exchange for this exciting experience.
Before this, I always thought that the gaming industry was reliant on the tech industry, that game developers are dictated by the limitations and features of the available hardware. However, I’m starting to see that their relationship is more of a mutual dependency on each other. Each time a new video game is launched that pushes the limits of processing power and hardware capabilities, the tech industry rushes to produce better hardware in order to keep up with the advancing requirements of games. Is it crazy to say that the tech industry would not be where it is today if not for the gaming industry? In this sense, it probably is a good thing that the fast-paced industry of video games is causing such dramatic breakthroughs in the world of tech.
It can also be said that the video game industry is bringing people together like never before. In recent times, the web has turned gaming into a social network, and not only in the form of massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft. PSN users can friend each other and instant message, while Twitch specializes in live streams of players blasting away terrorists or casting spells. Because of its versatility, the video game industry is the most exciting content field today. Users can either interact or passively watch, and they can engage with each other at all times.
Although playing video games can be beneficial in terms of improving cognitive functions, hand-eye coordination and problem solving skills, there is also an increasing worry that users, especially younger children and teens, will end up getting addicted to these games, as it is quite a challenge for parents to limit how much time their children spend on the computer.
Because of the internet, access to video games is pretty much just a click away. This increases the risk of younger audiences being exposed to mature and violent content that are not age-appropriate. Studies have shown that one of the most detrimental effects of playing violent video games is increased aggression in children, desensitization to violence, and a lower likelihood of pro-social behavior.
As with most things, there are always positive and negative aspects depending on how you see it. Whether the games industry is heading towards a good direction or bad, I think it depends heavily on the developer's intents as well as the user's experience playing it.
Write a reflection of your thoughts about the games industry in your blog and comment on the subject matter on whether it is heading to a good direction or bad, and who is affected and why.
Compared to other forms of entertainment such as movies, TV shows and music, the video game industry is one that is considered relatively young. However, this industry should not be overlooked as it has, in my opinion, single-handedly cause a dynamic shift in entertainment as of recent years.
It's common knowledge now that the video game industry is one of the biggest on the planet, bringing in colossal amounts of money to the economy and showing continuous market growth year after year. Of course, this growth is due in part to the fast-paced innovations that take place in order to improve the overall gaming experience for consumers. With investments pouring in for developers to come up with the most attractive, engaging game in the market utilizing the latest technology, it’s no surprise that consumers are so willing to spend their money in exchange for this exciting experience.
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| Fig. 1.4: Video game market growth. |
Before this, I always thought that the gaming industry was reliant on the tech industry, that game developers are dictated by the limitations and features of the available hardware. However, I’m starting to see that their relationship is more of a mutual dependency on each other. Each time a new video game is launched that pushes the limits of processing power and hardware capabilities, the tech industry rushes to produce better hardware in order to keep up with the advancing requirements of games. Is it crazy to say that the tech industry would not be where it is today if not for the gaming industry? In this sense, it probably is a good thing that the fast-paced industry of video games is causing such dramatic breakthroughs in the world of tech.
 |
| Fig. 1.5: Oculus Rift VR headset. |
It can also be said that the video game industry is bringing people together like never before. In recent times, the web has turned gaming into a social network, and not only in the form of massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft. PSN users can friend each other and instant message, while Twitch specializes in live streams of players blasting away terrorists or casting spells. Because of its versatility, the video game industry is the most exciting content field today. Users can either interact or passively watch, and they can engage with each other at all times.
 |
| Fig. 1.6: Example of a video game stream on YouTube. |
 |
| Fig. 1.7: Esports tournament event. |
Although playing video games can be beneficial in terms of improving cognitive functions, hand-eye coordination and problem solving skills, there is also an increasing worry that users, especially younger children and teens, will end up getting addicted to these games, as it is quite a challenge for parents to limit how much time their children spend on the computer.
Because of the internet, access to video games is pretty much just a click away. This increases the risk of younger audiences being exposed to mature and violent content that are not age-appropriate. Studies have shown that one of the most detrimental effects of playing violent video games is increased aggression in children, desensitization to violence, and a lower likelihood of pro-social behavior.
As with most things, there are always positive and negative aspects depending on how you see it. Whether the games industry is heading towards a good direction or bad, I think it depends heavily on the developer's intents as well as the user's experience playing it.
ASSIGNMENT 1
Assignment 1 - Event Poster
The Brief
The Brief
Produce an Event Poster for a fictional Movie, Video Game or Music Concert. Strive to produce the most creative and innovative poster that engages and interactive. Do consider 3D pop-up designs, augmented reality, scan art etc
Duration of Assignment
2 Weeks
DEADLINE
Week 2
Description and Requirements
Produce an A3 size print for an Event Poster.
The event should be a fictional (non-existing) and should be an original Intellectual Property. A detailed proposal for the event poster should include the event type, the purpose, the uniqueness, target audience, date, time and venue and the visual concept. The design technique and method could be based on photography key art or it could be a combination of photography and digital graphic imagery. All design development must be supported by in-depth research and informed rationalization.
You are expected to be as original as possible in your design and idea conceptualization.
Submission
Please submit your digital artwork in .jpg format, uploaded to a provided submission link together with the coloured A3 printed version in CYMK 300dpi resolution. A design journal in .pdf format should also be submitted via upload to support the work.
PROGRESS
When Mr Mike explained our first assignment, I started freaking out internally because the idea of coming up with something original within the entertainment industry was in itself a challenge. It's hard to think of something that hasn't already been done before because the movie, music and games industry is absolutely huge. Since all three seemed equally daunting, I decided to choose video games because I wanted to do something different from what I'd normally do. Maybe I just shot myself in the foot with this decision alone, but we'll see as the weeks progress.
The vague idea that I had for my game was a third-person, role-playing adventure game. I wanted to incorporate elements of indigenous art into the visual style, but I wasn't sure how or even what kind of indigenous art. As for the plot, it kind of involved the main character journeying alone in a post-apocalyptic setting, trying to find the cause of humanity's collapse. As the main character heads towards his final destination, he discovers remnants of a small tribe that might have played a role in the destruction of the world.
However, Mr Mike said that my story lacked a hook that would engage the audience. He suggested looking for references of video games that have a similar storyline so that I can get inspiration, and at the same time avoid what has already been done in the past. He also added that coming up with the plot would be the most challenging part, but once the hook is there the visualization would be easy.
REFLECTION
Experience
Just like the beginning of every semester, I felt kind of demotivated and lost with all the work we needed to do. Because of that, I slacked off quite a bit this week. I guess I lost my momentum yet again due to the long break that we had. The first assignment also feels like a challenge for me as I've never really paid much attention to the entertainment industry in general.
Observation
I noticed that my work pattern is always similar: I'll start off really slowly, pick up speed after a couple of weeks, and then the energy will simmer down again. I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone else, but I really need to do something about it because it doesn't feel healthy for me to cram everything at the very last minute.
Findings
Modern technology has improved so much since the early days of the entertainment industry. As a graphic designer, I think it's important for me to keep up with these advancements, otherwise I might be left behind and unable to improve myself with the changing times.
Just like the beginning of every semester, I felt kind of demotivated and lost with all the work we needed to do. Because of that, I slacked off quite a bit this week. I guess I lost my momentum yet again due to the long break that we had. The first assignment also feels like a challenge for me as I've never really paid much attention to the entertainment industry in general.
Observation
I noticed that my work pattern is always similar: I'll start off really slowly, pick up speed after a couple of weeks, and then the energy will simmer down again. I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone else, but I really need to do something about it because it doesn't feel healthy for me to cram everything at the very last minute.
Findings
Modern technology has improved so much since the early days of the entertainment industry. As a graphic designer, I think it's important for me to keep up with these advancements, otherwise I might be left behind and unable to improve myself with the changing times.
REFERENCES
Reference List
CGI VFX Breakdowns: "Game of Thrones" by Pixomondo. (2012). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/i4GkA6rIPDc
Hollywood's History of Faking It | The Evolution of Greenscreen Compositing. (2013). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/H8aoUXjSfsI
McMillan, D. (2010). Life After Death by Powerpoint (Corporate Comedy Video). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/KbSPPFYxx3o
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans - Friedrich Murnau (1927) Kiss against society - Memorias del Cine. (2017). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ZwxJh_og7BI
Photo Credits
Fig. 1.1: https://blog.tronatic-studio.com/le-matte-painting-comprendre-facilement-son-importance-au-cinema/
Fig. 1.5-1.7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXvkC6N1bAI
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