Liked on YouTube: Every Shot So Far from Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Order... We Think

Every Shot So Far from Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Order... We Think
Could this be how the film plays out?
via YouTube http://youtu.be/y0OXAYl0CTk

Liked on YouTube: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official)
Watch the official trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, coming to theaters December 18, 2015.
via YouTube http://youtu.be/sGbxmsDFVnE

Lens based media | Tate modern

During the week we also visited the Tate
modern for a separate assignment, but
I thought some of the work was so
brilliant (and bonkers) I had to mention
it.

Magda Cordell, born in Hungary, worked
in Britain produce the piece
'Figure (Woman)' evokes the resilience of
the human body to injury and change.
I on the other hand see a very unusual
sack-like monster suspended from the
ceiling. I guess it's all down to
interpretation. (Above)

Jean Dubuffet, born and worked in France
This collage is compiled from discarded work
found accumulating on this artists studio floor.
Part of a series known as the art of memory I
love how the collage seems so spontaneous
and full of colour. (Above) 

Laura Owens, born and works in the
United states. This piece 'untitled 2011'
is possibly my favourite of the work I
viewed at the Tate. the use of vibrant
colour and layering gives a sense of
depth as well as playfulness. Fake
drop shadows were also used to produce
a sense of layering that the artist
created on photoshop combining
old and new mediums. Awesome.

Albert Oehlen, born Germany and works in
Switzerland.
'Loa 2007' is a combined mess at first glance.
However the use of different mediums including
advertisement, paint, imagery etc creates a
fascinating piece of work that invokes a greater
message than I first expected. 

Richard Serra born in the USA
is known for producing huge pieces
of work in sheet metal that capture
the energy and process of forms in
raw materials. This was very intriguing
as the 'Trip hammer' piece is poised
without any screw or fixes just balanced
in a sense of nervous energy and
tension. (Above)

Shooting Picture- Niki de Saint Phalle,
born in France, worked in France
and the USA. The canvas evokes a
violent trail of vibrant colour referring
to the abstract post war art of the
1950's/1960's.Another fascinating
theme is that of the rise of popular
hallucinative drugs that are expressed
through the colour piercing the dull
white background of the canvas.
(Above)

Nicholas Hlobo, Born and works in
South Africa.

This piece suggests multiple readings
of current topics. For instance,
representing an umbilical cord and
the growth of possibility rising at the
end. Absolutely beautiful piece using
rubber and jet black to invoke a sense
of neutrality as well as mature themes.
(Above)

Nam June Paik, born in Korea, worked
in Germany and the USA. Fascinated
by technology and credited as one of
the founders of video art Nam June
Paid created the 'Bakelite Robot'
using nine Bakelite vintage radios.
The piece incorporates common used
materials and technology of the
1930's/1940's. This harks back to a
time where global communication
technology was in it's infancy and
wasn't part of everyday life.
(Above)

Lens based media | Animation & Photo-story

Hopefully this works. If it doesn't I'll post some of the
images i produced for the animation.

Anyway, the final exercise of the lens based media 
cycle was an animation task. We were put into groups
of ten to sketch one another to produce a number of
drawings of the same individual from different angles 
and perspectives.

The final outcome was a quick animation that
plays the sketches sequentially so that it gives
a sense of rotation and movement on the subject of 
the sketches. For future reference I would get a 
thicker fineliner or other bolder medium for the whole
group to use so that all the drawn images are clear 
and detailed when scanned in digitally.

 The photos displayed are the final part of my lens based media cycle. The reason theres no captions below the images is because the images had to tell a story without any references or written guides, not because I'm lazy. It's the story of a London commuters day in six frame snapshots we were
confined to by the brief. Overall, I loved doing the brief testing; the use of lighting, angles, perspectives etc learnt during this week which have really impacted on my final outcome. As a result, the weeks been fantastic and a real eye-opener to the devices used in story-telling that are transferable to any field of the design industry.

Lens based media | Light composition

Light, an essential part of producing any medium of
photography or film. This post is a collection of a few
experiments of light composition using multiple lamps
as well as camera variations. 

Quite early on we found that a large amount of
light can be emitted by the lamps we were
using during a flash in sync with the flash of the
camera. Unfortunately, it over saturates the subject
with a flood of intense light that produces a unique
aesthetic but undoubtedly imperfect photo. (Above)

The use of light can be used to focus or hone into
an area of the image leaving other subjects of the
photo out of the intended frame. (Above)

Use of shadow creates depth in the image. The light
was pointed upwards underneath the camera frame
to produce this shadow angle. (Above)

Additionally, the use of minimal lighting can create
images that purely focus on highlights of the photo.
(Above)

Using of reflective surfaces can emit altered light in
unique ways. For instance we experimented using a
bronze reflective surface to create an warm orange
glow onto the subject of the image. (Above)

Tungsten lamp 'red head' used to produce
focused points of light on the subject.
This was the lamp we used predominantly
during this exercise because of it's
manoeuvrability and great light source.
(Above)

Lens based media | Story & Character development

Lens based media. This cycle was a
particularly unusual week due to the
course selection mid week as well
as the later starts and consequently
later ends.

Nevertheless, the cycle was an
awesome insight into the course
of lens based media and was great fun
as well. 

First, lens based media in the very
minimal sense is the capturing of
story telling through film, photography
or any other means. A vital element of
this is light and how it is caught through
the lens allowing the user to create an
image or film. Therefore, two things
should be remembered for this
cycle; storytelling
is key and light is vital. 

As a result our first exercise was to
produce a short story with a protagonist
, antagonist and a moment of change.
This allows the main character to set
upon a journey that is out of the ordinary
as well as out of their normal
environment. To come up with a
character our group of four decided to
combine distinctive qualities of people
we've met or just encountered to
create a bigger than life protagonist.
The end result was something
considerably wacky and out there
contributing to an even more absurd
story plot. However, the detail and
depth we explored into our characters
background was the main objective
of the task ensuring we were creating
a believable character/world even if
it was a bit odd. 

Story boarding was a key device
that kept the plot from becoming
too over complicated or running
over our strict six frame brief.
(Above)

The follower was the name given to our masterpiece
(pfff) suggesting unknown themes that could be
promoted as quite sinister in tone. Regardless, the
exercise was a good indication of working in teams
under time restraints as well as confined story frames.
I know there wasn't much light in this activity which I
send was vital in lens based media, but it will be
coming in future posts. Mark my words!

Graphics | Final poster

Coming full circle at the end of the

Graphics rotation we were 

assigned an advertisement brief

to communicate Poetic migration in the 

form of a poster. This was to tie into the 

original brief where we produce poetry

under the umbrella of poetic migration.

The brief was open to interpretation 

allowing any forms of media as long 

as it concluded on an A3 poster 

medium. (Above)

Therefore, I took advantage of such an open brief to
combine practical and digital mediums to
communicate poetic migration. Using coloured paper
I cut out minimal shapes to define what I believed to
be poetic migration visually. In this instance I wanted
to show the brain working with cogs. (Above)

The cogs were more intricate to cut out than the brain.
As a result I produced half of each of the cogs and
duplicated them digitally to produce the whole circle
of the cog. I scanned all of the cut out shapes onto
photoshop afterwards to manipulate with colour
contrast, shape and layering. For example this is
how I produced the pink colour for the brain instead
of the previously red colour. 

The final outcome was a design that
integrated digital type and brush tools
as well as practical cut out materials.
I personally chose the colour of the
text to stand out against the
background. Taking inspiration from
posters designed by Paul Rand that
focus on minimal shapes and type
I reflected this style of design in the
poster I produced.
(Above) 

In conclusion, the poster is a reflection
of my experiences of this week. Possibly
in the future I would tackle this type of
brief differently featuring other media
or even film. Nevertheless, I love the
piece I produced as it conveys the title
of the brief clearly as well as combining
skills I've learnt during this week.
Some of the other designs produced
used other mediums such as photography
,practical drawn pieces and constructed
3D posters. (Above)

As a result, graphics is an
area I would like to pursue further
because of my previous experiences
in this area and also the insight into
the course I've had this week.

Graphics | Testing mediums

This exercise was a short brief however
conducive nonetheless.

These images present the outcomes of
small individual tests of different
mediums as well as mark making. For
instance the scan of my hand with the
type font of my choice was a relatively
simple tasks, but the outcome delves
quickly into digital design and
personally I think looks great. (Above)

One exercise was to produce a sketch
with any medium on a A1 sized piece
of paper the ear of one of your peers
within a twenty minute time limit. I
decided to use fine liner to mark on the
page a more defined sketch as well as
force myself to work without a rubber.
The outcome was an interesting piece
compared to the other examples 
produced by my peers. Ears are 
unusual forms to draw and so for 
future reference maybe start with a 
pencil before diving right into it with
fineliner. (Above)

Another exercise was to sketch a portrait
of the person sitting opposite you limiting
certain attributes you would normally use
altogether. Similar to a previous task I
was given this exercise was more active
as it involved limited time periods to
draw within. The first sketch was to
sketch with your eyes closed restraining
you from over relying on one single
sense. (Above)

Sketch two challenge us to keep our
drawing medium to the page so that
the piece would have a continued line
throughout. Unlike the first sketch the
detail and proportions of the portrait
are unsurprisingly better including
the eyes retina as well as the lips and
chin detail. (Above)

The third sketch was difficult challenge
as it forced you to you your weaker
drawing hand to produce the portrait.
Although, the final outcome was
unexpectedly positive still bearing
some resemblance to the original
portraits subject. However, possibly
for whenever I have to pursue this
type of medium again further details
should be explored such as shading,
cross hatching etc to improve the
portrait. (Above)

Unlike the other sketches the fourth
piece was very unique. This was down
to the medium tested as we had to draw
our final portrait using the pen, finaliser
or pencil in our mouths. This brought
it's own challenges as your jaw would
stiffen and demand you to change your
angle on the page as well as perspective
of the drawing. Nonetheless, the final
piece has a unique aesthetic and untidy
feel that the other mediums evoke in
their own separate ways. However, I
don't think I'll be drawing with a
fineliner in my mouth anytime soon.
I think I'll stick to the more civilised
ways of drawing i.e with your hands.

Graphics | Type face experimentation

A vital part of graphic design is the 
development of typography. Therefore,
as part of the graphics cycle I devoted
a number of pages of my sketch book 
to type experimentation as well as 
graphic orientated notes. 

Some of the notes taken during one of
the presentations based on a powerful
story about Iranian based graphic
designer Ronny Edry. His work has
become known world wide because
of the message communicated through
his work to Israel conforming for peace
between the two countries. Great
message and the video on this topic
is in the link below:

https://www.ted.com/talks/israel_and
_iran_a_love_story?language=en

Nevertheless, one of the exercises
completed during the graphic cycle was
to design multiple re-imaginings of a
chosen letter using different mark
making methods, mediums, objects
, anything!

I went for the letter 'E' that I
experimented with. The end result
would result with the best idea
being enlarged onto A4 and
presented as part of the alphabet
with the rest of the other letters
produced by my peers. 

The 'E' designs I experimented with
used mediums such as pen, charcoal
,pencil, fine liner including white ink,
paper clips, masking tap and card.
From the diversity of materials used
I gathered a library of designs that I
could select from for my final design.
(Above)

The final design was therefore a result
of multiple mediums combined to
produce a compelling piece. It uses
fine liner as well as scissors to create
a torn/scratch aesthetic that cuts through
the page to invoke a sense of brutality
and wildness. I love the outcome of this
process because of the themes it
communicates to the audience.

Nevertheless, if I was to take part in this
exercise again I would definitely take a
different approach to this brief possibly
investigating 3D or digital media as well.
(Above)

The final alphabet presented at the end
of the exercise. Most of the designs
remain to the page, however the stand
out pieces such as the 'Z' start to
develop an idea of 3D design which I
love that they've integrated into a
majority of 2D design. (Above)

Graphics | Poetry & letter forms

Graphics is the visual presentation of
communication through text image and
even sound. As a result, we were tasked
to create lines of poetry and combine
them with our groups to produce a
piece that evoked visual communication
through text. 

In theory this plan sounded ideal.
However, the wide range of descriptive
writing between our group made the
poem in-cohesive and wacky.

Nonetheless, this was an interesting
exercise, even though the final
form of literature was disjointed,
the task to make it legible was 
invaluable. However in the future 
I would communicate cooperatively 
with my team mates before writing 
separate lines to create a more logical
and consistent outcome.

Afterwards, the brief was given to create
an A5 piece of work that was based
upon the font helvetica. Renowned for
it's formal and rigid design we had to
re-invent the type differently than before. 

As a result, I started by testing the 
various words or phrases that could be
communicated through helvetica to 
decide on a final one I could 
communicate in a new re-invention of
Helvetica. 

Finally, I decided on the word 'PLAY'
after experimenting with other verbs 
describing actions. I chose this so that
the word would have a direct impact on
the style of design I would create as 
helvetica's normal type face is often 
identified as strictly uniformed and dull.  

Subsequently, I produced a piece that 
I wanted to strip helvetica to it's bones
and fill it with a lively sense of colour and
playfulness. I hectically etched various 
colours to invoke play into the type 
producing a layered piece with an
intriguing mix of colour. 

Overall, the exercise was an insight into
manipulating old design for new 
purposes. I really enjoyed the brief and 
the conclusion was a piece I wouldn't
of created otherwise. In future cases I
would like to experiment further with
other type fonts such as VAG rounded
or rockwell. Other peers work 
investigated further exploring type 
much more freely without the constraints
of the helvetica type. Even though,
the task obliged the use of helvetica.
Nonetheless, the outcomes produced 
were brilliant varying from graffiti inspired
design to pictograms. (Above)

Graphics | Waterloo station

The beginning of the graphics cycle
started with a simple task. This was to
capture the lively environment of
Waterloo station and components that
were graphic design in nature.

Therefore, I personally focused on my love of graphics
which is typography. A number of photos have been
included on this post that highlight my favourite snaps
of various type forms as well as Waterloo in it's prime.

The 'JOY' shop located at Waterloo station was a 
really interesting design. Experimenting with the
same type face this design excels in altering size
to create a tidy frame just with type. Additionally 
the logo comes across as minimal and effortless 
which I also love about this design. (Above)

Unlike some of the other images I took
this serif type is physically engraved into
the walls of Waterloo. The type evokes
importance as well as a rich sense of
heritage from the station. This is
mostly due to the serif used that
resembles older calligraphy. I particularly
enjoy these type faces because of the
history and legacy it invokes. (Above)

On the other hand, this piece of design
is a contemporary advertisement that
takes inspiration from designer Paul
Rand's work. The use of lines as well as
angles frame the information in a visually
appealing way. Furthermore, the use of
vibrant colour attracts the eye especially
with the dull back drop of the wall behind.
Consequently, I have a great admiration
for this poster integrating cues from Paul
Rand's work as well as featuring a more
varied colour palette. (Above)

Not the greatest picture I know but I had
to get the whole board in frame. This
advertisement is a minimalist inspired
piece that uses the dark background
to push the type forward. The method
used is graphically brilliant forcing
the audience to concentrate on the
communication of the advertisement.
However, I'm not a fan of this particular
advert because of the size of the text 
straining the viewers eyes. Nonetheless,
great graphics is great graphics, although
I would of used a larger type face.
(Above)

Opposite to the other examples of
graphic design this piece is a 3D
object! This idea is brilliant as it
communicates a message as well as
functioning for a feasible purpose.

The object itself advertises the area
freed for cyclists to lock their bikes in
the space of one car. A simple message,
however the design and use of colour
makes it a quirky as well as dynamic
design that I absolutely love.
Eight bicycles = one car. (Above)

Separate to the other designs this form
of type has been produced practically
otherwise known as graffiti. I chose this
piece over other images because of it's
artistry. Although I'm not the biggest fan
of tagging and graffiti some of the
messages produced lend themselves to
true craftsmanship. Subsequently, I
appreciate this piece for the methods
used such as contrasting colours,
shadowing on letter forms and the
free hand style of typography. (Above)

The infamous waterloo sign imbedded
at the Waterloo underground station.
Designed by Edward Johnston the
design is known world wide for it's
simplistic design and legible type face.
Awesome. (Above)

In conclusion, those were a few of my
graphic primary observations from
Waterloo. Each were very different
in style some I like, some I don't,
but all graphic design.