2 Blogs

Here is the final edited version of the Zippurs trailer that I've been working on all week:

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with it. There were a couple of things that I really wanted to fit in (like the clip of the shoes dancing and the real zipper footage), but the timing did not work. Such is the dilemma of editing.

Second Item:
Here is the lit and textured "evolution" clip I animated. I also wanted to include more of this (for no other reason than all the pretty colors) but it would have been a) boring and b) less effective by the second. The brief glimpse of color from this shot is what makes it visually striking. Too much would have been overkill. Not to mention the lighting at the beginning and end was a little off. My original idea was to have the shoe spin progressively faster and transform into an "r" so the word would read "revolution." Time, however, did not allow.

Sketch and 2 Blogs (November 30-December 6)

There is a poem titled "Fog" by Carl Sandburg that says "The fog comes in on little cat feet." For this sketch, I imagined substituting 'fire' for 'fog.'

First Item:

Here are the first 100 frames of an animated shoe (in progress) that I've been working on:




Second Item:
This was my attempt at an "ipod" shoe shot for the trailer/commercial (basically just a shoe silhouette.)

Weekly Blog (November 23-29)

Another commercial technique that I found effective was to sell a concept as opposed to a product. For example, in this Reebok commercial, Reebok is selling the idea of going outside and being active (not being a couch potato). That gives their product a greater meaning and a depth that attracts customers, as if to say "It's not a shoe. It's a way of life."

Weekly Blog and Sketch (November 23-29)

I've been looking at some of the more popular commercials online. I've noticed a pattern- the most effective ones (the advertisements that not only sell their product but create an impression and become memorable) are the ones that have a storyline. Punchlines seem to help as well. This one is an example of a commercial with a story. The audience listens, judges, and relates to the characters (the man and his 'wife'). This emotional connection is key. As is the twist at the end, which transforms the commercial from a simple advertisement to an anecdote which may be brought up in conversation later. Thus the ad continues to run even after it has aired.







Sketch:

This bird-snake-alien-vulture thing started out as a scribble.

Weekly Blog (November 16-22)

Lately, I have been trying to pay attention to the composition and editing of advertisements. This is not a commercial, but it is impressive-- The author draws from an incredible number of sources yet maintains fluidity and leaves the dignity of the story's tempo intact.

Weekly Blog (November 16-22) and Sketch

This advertisement has been all over the internet. Youtubers continue to parody it (in a good way), substituting their favorite characters for the dancers. It has crossed the language barrier and become popular to internet-users across the world. What makes it so effective? Why this commercial? Personally, I believe it has to do with the music. As we saw in our animation assignment, music enriches a video immensely. The smooth flow from dancer to dancer is also intriguing to watch.  Basically: great transitions and catchy music.


Speaking of music, here is a random sketch of mine depicting an animal-instrument creation. (Kangaroo and string instrument?)

Weekly Blog (November 16-22)

Now that we are starting to apply our skills toward the creation of a marketable product, I thought it would be helpful to investigate the business aspect of the field. This site  lists 10 tips for effective advertising campaign. These stood out to me:

• target audience (pre-teens to young adults in our case)
• highlight your competitive advantages (reconfigurable design, allows user creativity)
• don't try to be everything to everyone (Sounds simple, but avid designers are likely to have this problem. You want your product to have the widest appeal and the largest audience. Instead, the product ends up being too vague and lacking identity. We luckily had a specific idea to begin with and did not have to grapple with this issue)
• test your ads (Reactions to test screenings of commercials and media advertisements was something we considered incorporating into our final presentation)
• monitor you ads (Not just your ads but your image.  The anonymity of the internet allows consumers to freely express their opinions and praise or condemn your company, as well as alter your media to fit their impression of you. Being aware of the world's perception of your company tells you how effective your products and advertisements are.)