Final Video Submission

Storyboard Final

Final Narrative

The story begins at the end. A red architectural element struggles in a confined, artificial space. Struggles to design itself and form an identity to assume for its lifetime in the uninspiring world it now finds itself in, trying to remember what it was like in the outside world- when it was young and free, and exploring new things. It has a flashback, to when it first started life as an architectural element going out on its own to see the world. The viewer sees a distant memory of the element squeezing itself out of a brick wall to freedom. It is small and happy, jumping and traveling through what looks like a University campus. In time with the music's strong beat, the video flashes to the present time, where the viewer is confronted with the stressful sight of the struggling element, only recognisable by it's colour. It finds an empty street and tries to imitate the shapes it sees by growing boxes on its surface, but decides against it. The viewer is brought back to the present time where the object is in the fluorescent-lit room, struggling to find a shape to assume, and they are flashed back to another time in its life. It is a bit older, and has grown slightly, looking for more interesting forms to mimic, being particularly concerned their materials. On the University campus it finds a round element to mimic and appropriates the material accurately and in much detail. Again the viewer is flashed back to the present time as the music changes, and is quickly brought to another time in the element's life. It simply mimics the shape of The Louvre in Paris here, and after a reminder of the current situation the element finds itself in in that fluorescent-lit room it finds a sculpture, turns itself into a sphere, and grows an exoskeleton to match the sculpture it aspires to be. The music changes and there are 3 views of the struggling architectural element in quick succession, before the view is changed to the architectural element observing the Pyramids. Suddenly, the viewer can see a close up of the changed material on the element, mimicking the sand that the environment surrounding is made from, and the camera changes views to a long shot of the element's changed form- with pyramid shapes on all it's faces. The camera switches quickly to the stressed element when it is older in “the room” again where it is twisting and turning as it tries desperately to design itself as something worth being an architectural form. The music becomes more intense as the architectural element is obviously becoming more and more anxious about its time running out on making a design decision and forming an identity. Then suddenly the music comes to a climax and the architectural element becomes a box again, just the design that it started as.

Interesting and Useful Tip!

TO CHANGE A BOX INTO A SPHERE IN 3DS MAX!

We were trying in a tutorial for a while to cleanly morph a box into a sphere using the Morpher modifier. This did not work so I gave up until I found a tutorial on it. Turns out that a tutorial really should not have been needed, as the name of the modifier need is SPHERIFY.

How embarrassing. But anyway, its very easy.

It works like a percentage. So you take any object you want, and choose the Spherify modifier, and it is set to 100%, so that it automatically becomes a sphere when you add the modifier. Then you can animate this to go from 0 to 100 so that a box can smoothly change into a sphere.

Test Render for Material

More Render Examples

Better Test Renders

I figured out that the reason my box looked so fractal was because I forgot to give it more segments. This is much closer to the form I wanted to achieve in the first place:

Test Renders of Space

Storyboard in Progress- Snippet

300 Word Narrative

The story begins at the end. A red architectural element struggles in a confined, artificial space. Struggles to design itself in the uninspiring world it now finds itself in, trying to remember what it was like in the outside world- when it was young and free, and exploring new things. It has a flashback, and the music changes to a softer and more relaxed melody, to when it first started life as an architectural element going out on its own to see the world. The viewer sees a distant memory of the element squeezing itself out of a brick wall to freedom. It is small and happy, jumping and traveling through what looks like a University campus. It finds different ways to assume shapes that it finds in the environment. The viewer is brought back to the present time where the object is in the fluorescent-lit room, struggling to find a shape to assume and material to feel, and they are flashed back to another time in its life. It is a bit older, and has grown slightly, looking for more interesting forms to mimic, being particularly concerned their materials. It looks at The Louvre, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and other famous and beautiful architectural structures and changes its own material to look like theirs too. The camera switches quickly to the stressed element when it is older in “the room” again where it is twisting and turning and changing materials as it tries desperately to design itself as something worth being an architectural form. The music becomes more intense as the architectural element is obviously becoming more and more anxious about its time running out on making a design decision. Then suddenly the music comes to a climax and the architectural element becomes a box again, just the design that it started as.

Test Video of "Panicking" or "Stressed" Box

The Story of Frankenstein?

Thinking about using part of this story in my narrative, so I researched the story of Frankenstein to see if I could connect any themes to my current narrative. Here is what I think is important in the story, but I am not sure if it will be appropriate to use it:

- a novel about a failed artificial life experiment that produced a monster

- gothic novel and the romantic movement, one of the earliest examples of science fiction

- the character makes a deliberate decision and turns to modern experiments in the laboratory

- electrical experiments on dead animals (Giovanni Aldini)

- warning against the expansion of modern man in Industrial Revolution

- Frankenstein is the human protagonist

- monster, fiend, wretch, it, daemon, are all names for the monster itself

- the monster is hideous, and Frankenstein leaves his creation and attempts to live a normal life

- abandonment leaves his creation confused, angry and afraid

- loneliness is a theme

Research: Architectural Space Concepts

Concepts I Could Use for Animation:

- art of design and erecting buildings

- generally describes structures

- method of construction

- behaviour of a building

- form follows function (modern concept)

- sustainability

- spacial zones

- digital models- spaces can be changed around

- space is the immaterial sense that the architect envelops and the painter suggests

- space having a quality other than emptiness

- space is void, which means there is an absence of mass, but it is filled with air

- shape, size, colour, texture, position, orientation

- shape defines a form

- Frank Lloyd Wright believed that form and function are one

- without understanding form, it is impossible to comprehend function

- the building needs to have a use, purpose or reason for existing

- functionality is a key component in integrating architecture and the environment

Considerations:

- planning

- designing

- constructing form

- space

- ambience

- functional

- technical

- social

- environmental

- aesthetic

- material

- technology

- light

- shadow

Feel of a Space:

- comfortably enclosing

- depressingly shut-in

- liberatingly spacious

- personal bubble

- different experiences for different people in the same space

- diffuse lighting lessens shadow

- less perception of depth

- soft, diffuse or warm light gives feeling of restfulness

- sharp, cool light gives feeling of liveliness

Sketching Some Ideas

Basically, this image shows that I would like to continue with my narrative for the second assignment, but expand on it. I would like to show scale, as in showing the box when it is young, and to growing up to be something. It might find everyday objects to try and mimic theme (like the coat hanger), and the ruler is a good idea to show how big it starts off to be. It could have a look in the mirror at itself- maybe it is self-conscious about its looks? might hold its tummy in when looking in the mirror. Architecture has feelings. It might come out of a brick wall to start with, being an "architectural element" that has a journey. Then it might find actual architecture to mimic and enjoy creating in itself. I like the idea of maybe the element looking back on these things as distant memories, to show time has passed. So I am thinking of setting it in a plain, shiny grey space with high contrast lighting and shadows... where the element is forced to design itself- like we are as students (forced to come up with designs under pressure). So it will look back on experiences it has, while it struggles to find its "true form". It will look at figure as well as materiality of objects and structures it has seen in the past.

Brainstorming Ideas for Final Animation

Animating Materials Test

Article Synopsis

CITATION:

Students Consider Architecture's Materiality

Kelly Carlson-Reddig

Journal of Architectural Education (1984-)
Vol. 51, No. 2 (Nov., 1997), pp. 96-104

Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Inc.

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1425449

This article dealt with the architecture students struggle to develop critical thinking regarding architecture's materiality. The seminar was called "Intention and Materiality", which looked at issues relating to intended relationships, purpose, site, climate, typology, culture, society and other issues that affects decision-making about material choices.

The article outlined the structure of the seminar, and then discussed students' concerns and ideas regarding the role of materials in architectural design. Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc described the essential principles as "the nature of materials" and the students suggest that this "nature" hints at the appropriate uses or forms for the material. Today, most students of materiality embrace the "early modernist notion that architectural forms should arise from and be expressive of materials", and it is seen as important (or even positive) to understand the limits of using particular materials in architecture, even when considering their seemingly "unlimited availability".

Students however, in projects are using substitutions for the "real thing" which questions the idea of imitation of materials and when it is appropriate.

"Realness" and "honesty" of materials is always a concern for both architects and students alike, and imitation materials are perceived as being less real, even though they are in themselves in fact, quite real.

Theme or Visual Direction of Final Assignment

I would like my final assignment to follow in a similar direction as the second one. I think my narrative was strong in that video, but there was not much room for showing off modelling abilities and materiality was limited for the box that I was animating. So in the next video I would like to combine a similar narrative but perhaps with a more interesting protagonist....

I am really interested in finding ways of making the combination of visualisation animation and real footage seamless, and therefore I need to use/create believable and appropriate materials for this. For this video I would like to add another aspect to the narrative, which I am still thinking about. However, I think it would be interesting to change the scenery to something everyday and small scale- like someone's room, and make everything in the room look large. I am not sure how far I can go with this, but it might be fun to first make it seem like the protagonist is building-size and then show it as something actually really small.

Real Footage to Use for Test Video

Sub City New York from Redglass Pictures on Vimeo.

Assignment 2 Final Video Upload

This is my video upload for BENV2402 Time Based Visualisation, 2011, Assignment 2. It is about a young box who wants to grow up to be architecture and is very excited about it! He tries all sorts of different ways to become architecture, and in the end settles down and is happy.

150 Word Story- Refined and Final

The protagonist in this narrative is a box. This young box is going to grow up to be part of the built environment. Throughout the video he seeks inspiration for his own form when he grows up, and we see him grow up as the music video progresses.

The music video will be comparing the element of architecture to the final structure, and the bring up the idea of the architectural machine in the way that the architectural element itself "decides" how it will/"wants to" look. The block will grow in size and the goals will get more elaborate as the story goes on, and the video brings up the idea of the "machine" having opinions and a personality, referencing society's interest in the technology of robotics in life, and the relationship between the two.

The song used is called Radar Detector, which in literal terms is an electronic device that detects whether a driver's speed is being monitored by police using a radar gun. This relates to the concept of the music video through the idea of the viewer monitoring how this box goes through his life, and the speed at which the box makes decisions about his life as an architectural machine.

Storyboard: The Architectural Machine and the Decisions It Makes

Audio to Animation Test using Particulars Plugin

This is an audio to animation video I created in after effects with the intention of using it in my final submission video for Assignment 2 BENV2402. But there is a watermark, and I am not sure how to get rid of it (because I did not buy the full version of the plugin for $300)
So I may not use it in the end, but I thought I would upload this while I decide what to do with it! I thought it would add an interesting extra layer/effect to my music video

Real Footage

I hope to include some of this footage in my Assignment 2 video.

My Chosen Song for Music Video: Radar Detector

My video will be very different from this one :)

Peer Reviews

Inspirational Video

Hot Boxing The Cockpit from Beppo Albrecht on Vimeo.

150 Word Story

My final video will be mostly about buildings. Being about buildings does not mean that the music video will only feature the built environment, of different types and colours, but it means that I will try to capture the experience of being around buildings (as well as I can model and represent them anyway). It will start with moving through a rendered cityscape as if in a moving car, and cut to parts of some of my Assignment 1 animations, but I am not sure which parts of them will be appropriate for this theme I have chosen. It will be important for me to consider colours and lighting mainly in this project (as can be seen from my choice in images). The song I choose will be about moving through spaces, have a good melody and tempo to animate/create effects to, but I am not sure about what I would like the lyrics to be about.

15 Images and Why I Chose Them

Orange Passage: Gerard Jonkman, http://1x.com/photo/40112/category/architecture/latest-additions/orange-passage

Colour is very important in architectural design.

City of Colours: Paula Loonen, http://1x.com/photo/41004/category/architecture/latest-additions/city-of-colours

Contrast of colours is also important and interesting in architectural design.

Contemplation: Dario Martins, http://1x.com/photo/41394/category/architecture/latest-additions/contemplation

Scale is an interesting thing to work with in design, as well as Black/white compositions in scenes.

Lady with Hat: Takami, http://1x.com/photo/43169/category/architecture/latest-additions/lady-with-hat

Composition of scenes is important when thinking about animation/videos, and the use of the space by people is important to consider when designing.

Triangular caleidoscope: Dan C.H., http://1x.com/photo/42974/category/architecture/latest-additions/triangular-caleidoscope

The use of reflections, colours, different types of surfaces, and the POV are all very dynamic here.

Stunning Expo: Thomas Sivilay, http://1x.com/photo/42348/category/architecture/latest-additions/stunning-expo

Texture is important to consider when designing, as well as complex shapes.

Ensanche: elena pueyo, http://1x.com/photo/41650/category/architecture/latest-additions/ensanche

Great colour to consider using, bright and interesting, eye-catching and yet not over-the-top.

Berlin, 06: nikifrank, http://nikifrank.deviantart.com/art/Berlin-06-158854805?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=261

Consider tones, and simple shapes can work very well and create atmosphere.

Shanghai - Huangpu River: angelreich, 2010-2011, http://angelreich.deviantart.com/art/Shanghai-Huangpu-River-187269081?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=59

Think of a cityscape/architectural design as "alive".

Spiders' View: andreimogan, 2011, http://andreimogan.deviantart.com/art/Spiders-view-244338151?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=68

Very interesting camera perspective used here, consider for capturing certain feelings in the space and a new way of looking at previously simple spaces. Lighting is also interesting.

When Water Meets Color: BenHeine, 2011, http://benheine.deviantart.com/art/When-Water-Meets-Color-208543448?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=135

Great use of different colours here, worn materials on walls is something to consider for a more authentic look (when creating a 'fake' version). Context of water and buildings together, with reflections is good to consider.

A World Askew: lorrainemd, 2003-2011, http://lorrainemd.deviantart.com/art/A-world-askew-3707962?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=153

Composition is interesting, good use of colours and dimmed lighting, with a person to balance the scene. Person's use of space.

...Wroclaw4...: canismaioris, 2010-2011, http://canismaioris.deviantart.com/art/Wroclaw4-164288012?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=30

Effective use of mood lighting, using a spotlight. Interesting materials with patterns and a fairly simple model with lots of connotations and atmospheric qualities.

Stonehenge: angelreich, 2008-2011, http://angelreich.deviantart.com/art/Stonehenge-87560057?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Farchitecture&qo=6

Use of background/sky is great because of the movement you can see in a still image. Gives an intense atmosphere in the image.

National Performing Arts Center, Beijing: Lance McMillan, Photo of the Day August 22nd 2010, http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/beigjing-performing-arts-center/

Use of reflections, plenty of lighting and great colour scheme.

Interpreting Hypertextual Picturesque and Systematic Delay

As technology and our ways of thinking evolve, we need to still remember the aesthetic theories that once completely influenced all architectural design; the picturesque. However, while including this deliberate and visionary aspect of design, we need to move away from design being determined externally by the influence of organised framework, and towards adaptive thought and bifurcation. We now have such technology available that we can truly generate creatively, with more experimental and emergent processes that create fields of potential to enhance unbiased creativity and account for our thoughts as the changing landscape. The electronic space available to us allows design processes to become much more abstract, dynamic and experimental, but as we take advantage of these evolving technologies in design we need to continue to consider our influences from nature and aesthetic theories.

Assignment 1 - 7 Animations

Improbable

The theme for this video is "Improbable" where the boxes represent buildings, and they change positions, rotations and materials dynamically.

Jealousy

The theme for this video is "Jealousy", where a spiral of jealousy is animated to show the intensity of the emotion, and then it is melted away just as we should with our jealousy.

"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves." ~William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, 1693

Clumsy

The theme is "Clumsy" where the protagonist has spheres forming on the surface, and clumsily drops one, tries to catch it and fails.

Lazy

The theme for video is "Lazy" where a figure is formed and walks for a short time, stops and pants because they are so lazy!

Lively

The theme for this video is "Lively", where spheres duplicate several times and the objects' shapes shift randomly and drop to the floor plane, in a lively way.

Cooperative

The theme is "Cooperative" where the lighting cooperates with the scene and object, changing the position, direction and brightness of the lights throughout the animation to obtain the best effect.

Straightforward

The theme for this video is "Straightforward", and when you Google "what moves straight forward" you get instructions for playing chess. A pawn moves in a straight manner on a chess board, just as shown in this animation.

FILEFRONT UPLOAD

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20661231/3333620-RebeccaPenn_Resubmit.zip

Sketches of Animation Frames

7 Words as Themes for Animations

- Improbable

- Lively

- Clumsy

- Straightforward

- Cooperative

- Jealous

- Lazy

15 Images Relating to Theoretical Concept

cellular: by prismes, 2007-2011, http://prismes.deviantart.com/art/cellular-47231283?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract&qo=232

Lines of a wave: by ~somebody3121, 2008-2011, http://somebody3121.deviantart.com/art/Lines-of-a-wave-87222669?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract&qo=37

Apple blossom: by vulcania, 2008-2011, http://vulcania.deviantart.com/art/Apple-blossom-74944590?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Afractals&qo=72

under river: by imaginum, http://imaginum.deviantart.com/art/under-river-74725464?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Afractals&qo=71

Raindrops square: by ~DragonOfLust, 2010-2011, http://dragonoflust.deviantart.com/art/Raindrops-square-154658673?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract&qo=80

Cubicle world: by ~Addran, 2011, http://addran.deviantart.com/art/Cubicle-world-207121542?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=317

Body lines 002: by ~tomodati, 2006-2011, http://tomodati.deviantart.com/art/Body-lines-002-43653201?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=293

Squares: by ~voltiostudio, http://voltiostudio.deviantart.com/art/Squares-132830030?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=283

target: by ~nurgonul, 2008-2011, http://nurgonul.deviantart.com/art/target-87762713?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=262

Space Time: by ~deliry, 2010-2011, http://deliry.deviantart.com/art/Space-Time-187153295?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=187

Fire Spiral Tunnel Action: by ~tackyshack, 2010-2011, http://tackyshack.deviantart.com/art/Fire-Spiral-Tunnel-Action-179288384?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract&qo=135

Lines Before Zero: by *petitescargot, http://petitescargot.deviantart.com/art/Lines-Before-Zero-41953647?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=241

Synaptic Overload: by *DpressedSoul, http://dpressedsoul.deviantart.com/art/Synaptic-Overload-244329082?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%2Fabstract%2Fabstracts&qo=367

Julian Model: by =magnusti78, 2008-2011, http://magnusti78.deviantart.com/art/Julian-Model-85799747?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Afractals&qo=47

Cubik Olympic: by *DigitalPainters, 2005-2011, http://digitalpainters.deviantart.com/art/Cubik-Olympic-17436720?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Afractals&qo=8