Motion Graphics & Comp: Project IV - Abstract Motion

 MODULE DST 60704: Motion Graphics and Compositing 

Tristan Vaughan Sleep - 0365120

Motion Graphics and Compositing / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Motion Graphics and Compositing - Project II + III: Channel Bumper + Identity

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MODULE INSTRUCTIONS:

“FEB - MARCH 2025: DST 60704 / MOTION GRAPHICS & COMPOSITING  MODULE INFORMATION BOOKLET”

Project IV: Motion Abstract (Weighted 40%)

Project IV: Students of the cohort are expected to utilise all their prior knowledge from the previous tasks and use them to create one final animation on a topic of their choosing - being as creative as needed to see their design realised. The animation is required to be a minimum length of thirty seconds and should feature the use of both 2D and 3D elements to create a visually pleasing and satisfying video. The final product should be a video with original audio and should be published to the students E-Portfolio/submitted as outlined by the MyTimes.

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PARTICIPATED LECTURES:

WEEK XIII: Original Idea + Planning

Main Concept: For this final project, I had faced one of greatest difficulties within the project which was deciding a topic in which the video should be based on. What further complicated my thought process was the ‘abstract’ part of the design notes which pointed out the unique appearance needed by the project. For this I instead chose to get reference materials first and hopefully build an idea based around a shared design language. Mainly using sites such as Pinterest, I’d look at the resources I’d collected over the course and found a series of material appearing very flashy and geometric which was something that caught my eye. I’d also found some inspiration in the work done by my seniors which also used repeating geometric symbols to design their works. 

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“FEB - MARCH 2025: DST 60704 / MOTION GRAPHICS & COMPOSITING  MODULE INFORMATION BOOKLET”

With a strong collection of resources, I needed an idea to direct the project and have some kind of through-line. In this thought-processing phase, I’d chosen to pick an idea relating to creativity, ultimately choosing to focus on the idea of daydreaming - being creative enough to pull momentarily away from your work. With the resources gathered and the idea chosen, I’d begin working on drafts of the assignment through storyboards.

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“FEB - MARCH 2025: DST 60704 / MOTION GRAPHICS & COMPOSITING  MODULE INFORMATION BOOKLET”

WEEK XIV: Final Designs

After Effects: To conclude this final project, I wanted to limit myself once again to solely use After Effects and the resources found within it to see If I’ve truly learnt the necessary skill of the module. Furthermore, in this last animation - I wanted to experiment more with the timing of the video as some of my scenes pass too quickly or too slowly. As seen in my previous works, a majority of the animation uses the basics skills taught to us previous which relates to manipulating object to change shape, size, location etc. however, I’ve been able to add upon it with more specific aspects such as the ‘echo tool’ to create a drag effect or manipulating the property of the shape to look distorted like the falling ball in the beginning. In addition, I’ve been playing around more with layer effects and using them to manipulate the appearance of said objects, finding unique ways to change colours and patterns to create essences of the main message.

For the sound design part of the assignment, I’d used the site ‘Freesound’ as recommended by another lecturer to help add little indications of change in the scene so the piece doesn’t feel as boring to view. This manifests in the form of clicks, whistles and chimes to add a more whimsical charm to the final project. As for the music found within the scene, I resorted to using an online tool called Suno which creates soundtracks based on your description and input. Not only does this save time for finding a copyright-free track which fits your theme but it also is customisable which is what allowed me to combine two variations of the same musical piece together. 

“Final Animation for Project IV”

Overall, I was satisfied with how the final project turned out although I do believe there would be a good amount of room to make more changes and clean up the less-than desirable sequences I’d created. Regardless, I found my time with the module to be useful in learning a new, engaging skill while also offering advice for future projects with companies or other avenues of work experience.