Thursday 26 March 2015

Climate Change - In the eyes of a child


Currently I am researching what it is that makes us ignore the evidence and signs that the Earth is in danger. Climate Change is the human rights issue of our time, so why aren't we doing something about it? Something much more beneficial and empowering?

As I want a different approach for now, (Deadline - August 2015) I decided to interview my little brother, Stefan. I wanted his pure unaltered opinions, of what we all know to be true at a really young age, but it just goes away somewhere as we grow up. We do care, but its still not enough. The main aim here is to provoke an emotional engagement with the audience.

MA Graphic Design UCA Epsom. Made in AE.

This is purely for educational purposes only. I do also not own the audio tracks, Old Shoes - Adam Barnes & Pompeii - Bastille.

The animation has been designed by myself.

Thursday 22 January 2015

Terminus: Planet Earth

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Friday 12 December 2014

Unit 1.2 Exploratory Practice - The Placebo Effect


Throughout history, species last for roughly 3 million years and mankind (the most intelligent) will struggle to reach even half as long as that.

The basis of my FMP research has derived from a past project revolving around the overpopulation of the Earth and the problems that go alongside such a global issue. Within this project I was lead to many alternative outcomes should the right people choose to take action to tackle the negative future that would be awaiting mankind, which is not such a difficult task. The future of overpopulation seems to be calming down, as education, contraceptives and healthcare become more accessible to poorer countries. However, there are still multiple factors that are going to affect the future of the human race should they not be addressed at this present time. Yet we are arrogant, ignorant and choose to ignore our responsibilities for the future of our home. I chose to call this research project “The Placebo Effect” because we seem to be taking a daily pill that makes us unaware and uncaring about our actions. If everyone on the planet made a change to their lifestyle then perhaps we could slow down the negative toll we are making on the Earth and our protective OZONE layer; but as a majority we are not making enough effort, but how can we, what would be enough?

Placebo:
·       a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient rather than for any physiological effect.
·       a substance that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs.
·       a measure designed merely to humour or placate someone.

We take a pill (Placebo) when we want to be rid of pain, or escape from a concern. More often than not we will be relieved of that pain which is bothering us, but without knowing the medication is a placebo, if you believe that once you have consumed the medication you will feel better, placebo or not you will actually feel better. Presume all drugs are false and have no real affect on relieving us of our concern; this shows the power in the belief of medicine. However, I want to look at the Placebo’s we take everyday to escape our responsibilities.  We are shrugging off the heavy weight of preserving the future for as long as we can, through arrogance and ignorance; for they seem to be the greatest placebo’s we all take. Do we really believe that like a placebo, these issues of climate change will go away themselves? The situation is very serious and cannot be ignored.

The purpose for my research is to understand how the human race will become extinct. Shockingly we are doing very little to take this question seriously; what have we done to our home, planet Earth? Climate change has been affecting the planet for decades already and of course it is only becoming worse. The ice caps are melting away causing the sea level to rise, the weather becoming even more abnormal every year, changes to the ecosystem, forcing many species to move to higher latitudes and higher altitudes where temperatures are better for their chances of survival. Our oceans are becoming more acidic due to the emissions of carbon dioxide from modern society and therefore affect sea-life and growth. This all affects our food supplies as crop yields are likely to increase at higher latitudes under some scenarios of a global average temperature increase and depending on the crop. Thus at lower latitudes, especially the seasonally dry tropics crop yields are likely to fall. Thus the increased frequency of both droughts and floods is expected to adversely affect agricultural production.

Within 1000 years the Earth will have exhausted its resources and no longer be habitable for humanity. With greater climate change, our species will become overcrowded and underfed, but we are already on the path to exhausting our planets supplies; making it possible for our existence to be wiped out with one final push, be it war, famine or suffocation from the lack of oxygen.

If I intend to continue further research into the subject of climate change and the fate of mankind, I would have to separate all key points and analyse those which are most beneficial and of factual use for my final major project. As it stands I believe the current topic to be very broad and it must be condensed into a more straightforward means of communication with my target audience.  I am aware that over months of development this project will change and take an alternative step to the process I have in mind at this current time, but with extending this topic, I intend to design a website/workplace where likeminded people or those interested in making a difference can congregate together and gather useful and influential feedback from various resources of information that can then come together to produce an outcome. Through communicating with people of my generation I am interested to hear their opinions on the current situation of the planet. As every generation succeeds the next, they enter a world that is becoming more polluted by the day. It would be an interesting study to compare a selection of generations to produce statistics, ideas and outcomes to form valid research on what the general modern day public think of climate change and just how much we are all aware of as a large number.

I aim to produce animations supported by motion graphics to display my research and findings within this project. At a later point within the FMP I would like to create an interactive data installation; this would test how much people know about the environment and climate change as a shock tactic or it would be to purely educate, as alarming people would just create a negative “placebo” approach again, which is what I want to break. Either a data producing installation or a pop – up cinema in the FMP gallery is preferable when it comes to the final hand-in. My current aim is to produce data that shows positive development for this project, whilst breaking this “placebo effect” the general public seem to have around the worldwide threat of climate change and the human race’s extinction. It cannot be ignored by the majority any further.

Powerpoint Presentation


 


               
 

 

 

 
 
      Climate Change






Friday 28 November 2014

Play Manifesto

This animation is my rendition of the given brief "Manifesto" from my University, MA Graphic Design UCA Epsom. Made in After Effects, this film is my own personal Design Manifesto.

This is purely for education purposes only. The animation has been designed by myself.

Thursday 13 November 2014

Brief 2 Archive Research: The crisis of climate change & the role of mankind – How have we contributed to the current situation of the Earth?


My research within this archive project has led back to my interest in human evolution and has linked with another interest of our planet and the environmental situation we are currently in. I decided to use the archives to form a discussion of where we began on Earth, where we currently are in history and what will perhaps led us to mankind’s end and the end of Earth itself. I decided to base my Archive research on the continuation of a past project CO2: Securing our future, although this project was largely focused on the Earth’s population and how the quality of life is improving. Now I feel that being aware of climate change and the immensity of which we are polluting our home Earth, has to be more accepted and altered so we can buy our species more time to think about what we are going to do about the end of the world. It has been widely analyzed and calculated at this point in time, within 1000 years the Earth will have exhausted its resources and no longer be habitable for humanity. With greater climate change, our species will become overcrowded and underfed, but we are already on the path to exhausting our planets supplies; making it possible for our existence to be wiped out with one final push, be it war, famine or suffocation from the lack of oxygen. Throughout history, species last roughly 3 million years, whereas our own, the most intelligent, will struggle to meet half as long as that.


The following photographs are proof of research within the UCA Epsom Archive and also what led me to decide to reflect back on my previous project of Overpopulation and the future of planet Earth. Without this initial Primary research I would not have come to the conclusion and subject for this essay. 


I am sure more effort will be put into preserving Earth for a bit longer over the next 1000 years but in reality, we should have been taking care of this eventuality a long time ago. 




































 
 





The following animations are where i gathered some of my research and have inspired me to continue this project in the near future.







Friday 17 October 2014

MA Graphic Design: Brief 4.


My First Film...

For my final brief in Year 1 Graphic Design: Visual Communication I had to remake a title sequence of any chosen film - I chose "I am Legend" (Maidstone, Kent rendition). Enjoy!





Just for fun...


One day as part of some research, myself and two friends went in the "wilderness" of Maidstone - Where we found some amazing views, perfect for footage and creepy forgotten tunnels...




Kinetic Type..


During a Year 2 lecture on typography, we were show examples and alternative methods of playing with type - This short animation is what first really drew me into moving graphics and kinetic typography...






After Effects?


In my 3rd and Final Year of my BA I decided I wanted to seriously play with film and animation to see if it was what I truly enjoyed...







Through experimentation and countless YouTube tutorials, I gain some knowledge of After Effects and how I could use the program to successfully create films.. 





and even animate characters, giving them personality and feeling.






Motion Graphics..

  1. "Motion graphics are graphics that use video footage and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or rotation, and are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects."




Inspirations..

Most of my inspirations for animation come from YouTube - where so many alternative methods of film are placed and sometimes draw hardly any notice.. or the respect they deserve.






Recent Works..




I have recently received a commission from ARC Interactive Studios to help animate and design the final storyboard for "Gnome Non-Sense" - which is to be released on mobile devices and social media websites. The ARC team recently won "The Big Pitch" (Anglia Ruskin student business competition) and received £10,000 to make this game a reality.





12 months later...?



Eventually, I would love to work with a Creative Animation Studio where I can continue to play with motion graphics, visual storytelling, statistics and film. For example....



MomocoMontage




Currently studying at UCA Epsom, MA Graphic Design:

I hope to continue playing with animation and film whilst learning new programs and coding for websites.


Within this year I hope to further my experience with the Adobe Suite and make life-long contacts.

Then 12 months from now, I hope to be gaining even more experience with creative animation studios and push myself into film industries.



Thank you.