Motion Graphics

2D Elements are just formed of x and y axis so the image is flat and you can not see around it. In this video of 2D cubes you can tell they are just 2d because you can only see one face of the shape and not all the way round the shape http://videohive.net/item/2d-cubes/4642018

3D Elements are formed of x and y and z axis to give the image dimension so you can see all the way around it. In this video you can see all round the shape so it shows you they are 3D, they also use light and shadow to give a more realistic 3D effect http://vimeo.com/46422200

Mattes is the way of controlling transparency elements. In this video you can see the colour and the transparency of the writing changes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkBApo255Q

Alpha Channels are components that represent transparency of a colour, it is used to determine how pixels are blended with other pixels. In this video we see how the text is one component and it is put over the top of the background which is another component but you can still see the background image around the text https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDtxfiaGRx0

Keyframes show the beginning and end of a flowing transitional video, usually of animations. For example in this video key frames would be used at the start of each new solid colour and they would blend between them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXIjtlobrgs

Layers are created in videos so that it is easier to edit and adjust single parts of them, this means you can build up your video of backgrounds and foreground and change them at anytime. It can also be used to make an image look more 3D by cutting one picture into layers and changing the ratio of them. In this video all these comments and background solids would be different layers but edited together to make one final video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XcBbN8qB_w

Composite Modes are used to determine how 2 layers are blended into each other. For example in the images below we see how 2 images can be blended together to create one image. 

Genre Theory - Case Study

1. "Genre is a barrier to creative and a straight-jacket to prevent experimentation"

2. "Genre is an endlessly flexible tool for artists to connect with the audience most likely to enjoy their work"

Imagine a world without genre, where every film is considered from scratch with no preconceptions; which side are you on?

I think Genre is an endlessly flexible tool because it gives the artists the opportunity to either stick to it and produce something creative within a strict structure or it gives them the opportunity to break the format and make something entirely original by using sub genres or genre hybrids.

3D Camera Projection - After Effects

To make this video, first we imported the 4 night png. files and dragged night sky into the new comp. We then dragged the rest into the time line in sky, sand, pyramid and wall. We then went to Layer > new > camera and selected a 50mm preset and then switched all elements in camera 1 to 3D. We then changed to view mode from active camera to top camera to make compositing easier. To composite the elements we selected the pyramid and moved it back on the Z axis and changed the view back to active camera and resized the scale to the original comp scale and switched back to top camera. In camera 1 we changed the point of interest to anchor the furthest element. We could then use the orbit camera tool to look round around the 3D space. To animate the video we selected depth of field and made a key frame in the position a 250 in the Y axis, we the moved the time line on 3 seconds and made another ke from at 380. We then made a key frame in aperture at 220.0, moved the time line on to 3 seconds and made another key frame at 0.0 to change the focus.

Psychoanalytical Theory - Case Study

Sigmund Freud's theory is the idea of having a character or an object etc take the role of The Ego, The Super Ego or The Id. The Ego would be the general normal character with dreams or ideas, the Super Ego is the character bringing them down to earth and telling them what to do or that something is un-accomplishable, The Id is the bad influence, persuading them to do something which usually they shouldn't be doing. Freud's further idea is 'The Uncanny' which is the theory that something is coming back from childhood in an unfamiliar and often scary manner.

Jaques Lacan's theory is the idea of  'Object Petita' where a character needs to accomplish something to complete themselves. The 'Object Petita' is often unachievable. There is also the idea of the 'Mirror Phase' which is something holding you back or stopping you from being able to complete yourself.

Inception is a film with examples of these theories. With the first, Cobb (Di Caprio) is The Ego, he is an everyday character with aspirations. Ariadne (Ellen Page) or Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) would be The Super Ego, telling him his dreams aren't accomplishable and that they're not a good idea. Mal (Cotillard) would be The Id, persuading him to do things that he shouldn't be doing. The next theories examples would be Cobb wanting to meet and hug his children, this dersire is the 'Object Petita' which is the need to complete himself but it is almost impossible because of the dream, which is the 'Mirror Phase' which is stopping him competing himself.

Jaques Lacans theory goes on to develop onto how an object or location can unconsciously remind us of something. The theory of The Symbolic Realm draws upon the ideas of the signifier and the signified (the signifier is the thing which makes you think of something and the signified is what you think). This links to semiotics which is where a symbol automatically makes you think of something. For example the heart shape reminds you of love and romance etc.

Task: we were gives a word and told to use and object in a description of the scene to represent to word.

A police officer walks onto the crime scene of his murdered partner, the room is empty apart from red marks on the, the officer goes to head out before he notices something glinting on the floor. bending  down and picking it up, holds the small object up to the light where revealing a bullet shell, rolling it in his palm we see faint finger prints