In realising the time I have left for this project, I am unsure as to if I will be able to finish my product in time and screen it. One issue I would like to address is the drawing of the frames, I have decided to hand draw the frames using pen and paper; it is far easier for me to draw free hand like this than to draw digitally. I believe digital drawings would look better but drawing directly into Photoshop, Flash or Illustrator is far too time consuming. I think that I should draw the frames roughly and that way I can ensure that some content is at least there for the final product, drawing over the pencil would be great and I would even be able to colour the frames but these touches aren't essential. I think that getting a provisional video is more important as I can improve it later if I have the time.
This same issue goes for audio. I believe Mo would be the most ideal narrator but organising for him or any of the other volunteers to record the audio may be difficult. As a result, I think that recording the audio myself (likely in my closet) will help with producing some final product. Again, this is something I could revisit if need be, simply recording it myself just allows for a provisional video to be made so that my project isn't a failure.
When I did my project for GCSE, I had only animated half of my final product due to time constraints and that was a minute long animation. The product I have chosen to create is far more time consuming despite not requiring full animation. I've learned from my experience at GCSE and therefore believe it is best to at least have something to hand in, which I can later improve if I have the time.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Sunday, 9 April 2017
Character Design Concepts (Part 3)
Building on from the previous design idea, I decided to maintain the simple style but instead build more substantial anatomy and even add some more detail to the outfits - this takes up more time but I feel it is worth it in order to produce a good video.
The actual anatomy of the character is reminiscent of the Odd1sout, however more detail is clearly given. Notably this style allows for a more expressive face as I made the face more of the prominent feature, the eyes and mouth are large enough to display a range of emotions. I chose to give more thickness to the limbs as the stick limbs from the previous design seemed as though they would get confusing if I drew a fight or again many characters on a single frame.
The designs are detailed enough to clearly showcases a difference between the Crusaders and the Muslim forces and as with my other designs I've clearly placed the area that will contain the initials of each respective character when required. I think this style is great and it is close enough to the previous one that I can revert back to Part 2's design if I am indeed running out of time with my frames.
Odd1sout
Friday, 7 April 2017
Character Design Concepts (Part 2)
I drew the following designs by hand and notably it is rather basic, which would allow for me to draw the frames quicker and therefore add more frames to create some sense of movement or diversity in the images shown. I essentially gave the characters stick figure arms and legs like in much of the styles given below; I took inspiration from ExtraCredits initially but felt the lack of arms and legs might prove to be confusing if multiple people were in frame at once.
Perhaps the designs are too simple as they seem to lack much historical accuracy and are kind of boring. I've continued with the idea of putting initials on the characters to distinguish them but I've noted how difficult it would be to make this style have expressive emotions from the characters, the designs made seem to fit very basic 'emoji' style emotions.
I do not think this idea is entirely a no, in fact I may devolve into using this style if running behind, however I think re-designing the characters once more would be helpful as to ensure the best avenue for a character design.
The design is very simple and combines elements from the content creators below:
Cyanide and Happiness
Tabbes
Tomska's ASDF
ExtraCredits
Perhaps the designs are too simple as they seem to lack much historical accuracy and are kind of boring. I've continued with the idea of putting initials on the characters to distinguish them but I've noted how difficult it would be to make this style have expressive emotions from the characters, the designs made seem to fit very basic 'emoji' style emotions.
I do not think this idea is entirely a no, in fact I may devolve into using this style if running behind, however I think re-designing the characters once more would be helpful as to ensure the best avenue for a character design.
The design is very simple and combines elements from the content creators below:
Cyanide and Happiness
Tabbes
Tomska's ASDF
ExtraCredits
Thursday, 6 April 2017
Character Design Concepts (Part 1)
These initial designs are relatively realistic in terms of being close to real human anatomy. I was mainly inspired by Horrible Histories and their basic cartoony design which still is quite historically accurate. I managed to develop some ideas for my portrayals of the Crusaders and the Muslims respectively, plus I came up with some small icons to act as indicators for them on any maps I use in the final video.
The inclusion of the areas to place "initials" comes from ExtraCredits who do this to differentiate roles and characters. With this I might be able to distinguish between certain Crusaders and Muslims who may look alike due to their armour sets. Additionally, I would like to note that the indicators for the map are done as to provide an opposite top the design for each religion.
These are quite accurate representations of each of the two religions during the Third Crusade, however the drawings are perhaps too based in reality. There's so much detail that drawing these frames would be a nightmare and occupy way too much time, which I cannot afford to do. As a result, I've decided to redesign my characters into a more simplified style.
The inclusion of the areas to place "initials" comes from ExtraCredits who do this to differentiate roles and characters. With this I might be able to distinguish between certain Crusaders and Muslims who may look alike due to their armour sets. Additionally, I would like to note that the indicators for the map are done as to provide an opposite top the design for each religion.
These are quite accurate representations of each of the two religions during the Third Crusade, however the drawings are perhaps too based in reality. There's so much detail that drawing these frames would be a nightmare and occupy way too much time, which I cannot afford to do. As a result, I've decided to redesign my characters into a more simplified style.
Friday, 31 March 2017
Audio - Auditions
Here I have made a short video with the test audio on:
Audio Test from Eughan Wooding on Vimeo.
I will be assessing the participants generally and on a separate basis.
Me:
Quite a nasally voice, seems to struggle with enunciation. In terms of delivery it is relatively standard and isn't too offensive to listen to. The pace is fine but too fast in some parts, which would need work on.
Jon:
Well pronounced and clear. The pace in which the text is read is great and establishes a clear and informative tone. Perhaps too formal, the idea behind my project is to create a very casual and accessible or entertaining means of learning.
Daniel:
Loud enough and quite clear and confident. I know for a fact that Daniel is well-read on the topic of the crusades and would be able to pronounce key terms very well, however in this audition he speaks far too quickly and so his pace would need to slow down for the final piece if he were chosen.
Niall:
A very friendly voice and clearly spoken. Issue at the time (as can be heard after a few listens) is that Niall is very smiley and would often laugh or smile due to feeling the session was 'awkward' due to the silent nature I assumed while he recorded; his inability to take the session seriously may otherwise affect the outcome of the audio, which would need work if he were chosen.
Mo:
A very deep and distinct voice, this is important in creating a memorable video that will perhaps help people learn. His voice might be too low but I think that it would be ideal for the information being presented; names of key events, forces, places and people would have a very cool sound in Mo's voice. In terms of speed I think he was fine, although I would have to work on my script to ensure he has enough points to rest and breath as he seems to strain a little towards the end.
Holly:
The speech was very clear and calm, which makes the video seem more accessible. I think it is important to offer the role to both genders as media often sees a lack of female narration; as a result, I sought out Holly who is well-read on the crusades and would therefore be able to comprehend the information and not necessarily read it in a confused manner. The only issue I could find would be volume but I am also aware that she is capable of speaking louder.
Final thoughts and judgement:
I think that it is important to note that recording in the music rooms proved difficult to organise and as a result I don't believe either of the candidates are able to fully commit to narrating for me. In the future, I can't guarantee that we will be able to record in the area and therefore think that I should consider recording myself at home, in case the narrators are unable to commit to the project.
I would rank the best as Mo, Holly and Jon due to the clarity they offer in speaking. Their voices are distinct and offer a great range of narrators for me, I think that if one of them can't read my script for me then I'll be able to ask the others. However, I will definitely be recording myself at home, this way I will still be able to finish my product if none are able to record in time.
Audio Test from Eughan Wooding on Vimeo.
I will be assessing the participants generally and on a separate basis.
Me:
Quite a nasally voice, seems to struggle with enunciation. In terms of delivery it is relatively standard and isn't too offensive to listen to. The pace is fine but too fast in some parts, which would need work on.
Jon:
Well pronounced and clear. The pace in which the text is read is great and establishes a clear and informative tone. Perhaps too formal, the idea behind my project is to create a very casual and accessible or entertaining means of learning.
Daniel:
Loud enough and quite clear and confident. I know for a fact that Daniel is well-read on the topic of the crusades and would be able to pronounce key terms very well, however in this audition he speaks far too quickly and so his pace would need to slow down for the final piece if he were chosen.
Niall:
A very friendly voice and clearly spoken. Issue at the time (as can be heard after a few listens) is that Niall is very smiley and would often laugh or smile due to feeling the session was 'awkward' due to the silent nature I assumed while he recorded; his inability to take the session seriously may otherwise affect the outcome of the audio, which would need work if he were chosen.
Mo:
A very deep and distinct voice, this is important in creating a memorable video that will perhaps help people learn. His voice might be too low but I think that it would be ideal for the information being presented; names of key events, forces, places and people would have a very cool sound in Mo's voice. In terms of speed I think he was fine, although I would have to work on my script to ensure he has enough points to rest and breath as he seems to strain a little towards the end.
Holly:
The speech was very clear and calm, which makes the video seem more accessible. I think it is important to offer the role to both genders as media often sees a lack of female narration; as a result, I sought out Holly who is well-read on the crusades and would therefore be able to comprehend the information and not necessarily read it in a confused manner. The only issue I could find would be volume but I am also aware that she is capable of speaking louder.
Final thoughts and judgement:
I think that it is important to note that recording in the music rooms proved difficult to organise and as a result I don't believe either of the candidates are able to fully commit to narrating for me. In the future, I can't guarantee that we will be able to record in the area and therefore think that I should consider recording myself at home, in case the narrators are unable to commit to the project.
I would rank the best as Mo, Holly and Jon due to the clarity they offer in speaking. Their voices are distinct and offer a great range of narrators for me, I think that if one of them can't read my script for me then I'll be able to ask the others. However, I will definitely be recording myself at home, this way I will still be able to finish my product if none are able to record in time.
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Audio - Location: Music Room or Closet?
School:
A possible recording location is the school's music rooms in the music department. These areas are filled with music equipment and therefore could be an issue. However, they're reasonably sound proof and provide a relatively lo-echo location.
A major issue would be the fact that these music rooms typically have music lessons going on, either in other smaller rooms or in the major class rooms, in which case my recordings might disrupt those lessons (and I wouldn't be permitted to do that). Furthermore, these lessons would also disrupt my own audio and that would also be an issue.
One benefit is the fact that the location is on school grounds and therefore organising a recording session with my peers would be easier, in fact they're more likely to come during a common free than if I was to have them record at my house. I think that this is a great location to try organising some auditions to see if anyone would be ideal for narrating my video; the issue would be actually finding a time when no other classes are occurring and those auditioning were free.
Closet:
The idea to record in my closet comes from the YouTuber MatPat. His audio is extremely clear in his theory videos and for a time I believed that he recorded in a foamed studio but it has been confirmed that he records from his closet. The clothes essentially prevent the reverberations and allow for him to record extremely clear audio. I will have to record my audio on my phone as I don't have a microphone but this means that the recording from the closet will be too much of a hassle to record - since my phone is smaller than a high-budget microphone.
A possible recording location is the school's music rooms in the music department. These areas are filled with music equipment and therefore could be an issue. However, they're reasonably sound proof and provide a relatively lo-echo location.A major issue would be the fact that these music rooms typically have music lessons going on, either in other smaller rooms or in the major class rooms, in which case my recordings might disrupt those lessons (and I wouldn't be permitted to do that). Furthermore, these lessons would also disrupt my own audio and that would also be an issue.
One benefit is the fact that the location is on school grounds and therefore organising a recording session with my peers would be easier, in fact they're more likely to come during a common free than if I was to have them record at my house. I think that this is a great location to try organising some auditions to see if anyone would be ideal for narrating my video; the issue would be actually finding a time when no other classes are occurring and those auditioning were free.Closet:
The idea to record in my closet comes from the YouTuber MatPat. His audio is extremely clear in his theory videos and for a time I believed that he recorded in a foamed studio but it has been confirmed that he records from his closet. The clothes essentially prevent the reverberations and allow for him to record extremely clear audio. I will have to record my audio on my phone as I don't have a microphone but this means that the recording from the closet will be too much of a hassle to record - since my phone is smaller than a high-budget microphone.
Sunday, 26 March 2017
Teaching Guides
What I read:
Sort of worth it, they're interesting but apply to the more conventional areas of teaching and don't really help given the distinct nature of a video - it's meant to be relatively informal but there is a clear teacher-student dynamic to the structures proposed. The platform I would be using (a digital video uploaded to YouTube) would certainly be applicable within a lesson as - in accordance with Michael Schratz - students are allegedly fine with having information "poured" at them. The book focuses on the dynamics of group work vs the more traditional lecture style but the nature of my product allows for feedback and discussion on the subject within an online comments section; the aim of my project is to generate interest and provide some overall knowledge in order to spur further historical interest and education, but the idea of entirely teaching something may not be possible in the time I am allotted. The Teacher's Toolkit was widely useless to me as it focused more on conventional teaching strategy; particular focus was placed upon methods of teaching such as class activities which would definitely not fit the format of my product.
Schratz makes an interesting point about structuring a lesson around an image, showcasing it at the start of a lesson then teaching about the subject and then having students reflect on the initial image at the end. With this, I could include a conventional crusader at the beginning of the video and have the student perhaps question the notion of "victorious crusaders" that the Media has generated. I believe the Western educational institutions fail to acknowledge the human aspect of the Muslims in this section of history; it appears to just be a clear Christian vs Muslim narrative however I would like to balance this out. I therefore have something to take away from reading Schratz's work.
This method is rather unconventional and coincides with some suggestions put forth by Phil Beadle. He explains that, within plenaries at the end of a lesson, the formulaic "What have you learned today" is likely to disengage the pupils and signal it is the end of the discussion. At least with this 'picture' method, I can allow for some reflection to occur - even if it is subtle and not outright. My attempt is to make them see the original image in a different light to the initial showing.
However, there is one last thing surrounding Schratz's work in regards to 'voice'. Essentially it proposes some cultural assumptions are to be made in regards to a topic based on the origin and background of students along with the accent and format of the teacher's speech. In order to achieve some degree of reliability in being neutral, it is important to tell both sides of a topic. This method is called 'Crosscultural, Comparative, Reflective Interview'; the idea of discussing the Christian and Muslim sides introduces a sense of neutrality and a lack of bias within my work, which I aim to achieve.
- Qualitative Voices in Educational Research - Michael Schratz
- How to Teach - Phil Beadle
- The Teacher's Toolkit: Raise Classroom Achievement with Strategies for Every Learner - Paul Ginnis
Sort of worth it, they're interesting but apply to the more conventional areas of teaching and don't really help given the distinct nature of a video - it's meant to be relatively informal but there is a clear teacher-student dynamic to the structures proposed. The platform I would be using (a digital video uploaded to YouTube) would certainly be applicable within a lesson as - in accordance with Michael Schratz - students are allegedly fine with having information "poured" at them. The book focuses on the dynamics of group work vs the more traditional lecture style but the nature of my product allows for feedback and discussion on the subject within an online comments section; the aim of my project is to generate interest and provide some overall knowledge in order to spur further historical interest and education, but the idea of entirely teaching something may not be possible in the time I am allotted. The Teacher's Toolkit was widely useless to me as it focused more on conventional teaching strategy; particular focus was placed upon methods of teaching such as class activities which would definitely not fit the format of my product.
Schratz makes an interesting point about structuring a lesson around an image, showcasing it at the start of a lesson then teaching about the subject and then having students reflect on the initial image at the end. With this, I could include a conventional crusader at the beginning of the video and have the student perhaps question the notion of "victorious crusaders" that the Media has generated. I believe the Western educational institutions fail to acknowledge the human aspect of the Muslims in this section of history; it appears to just be a clear Christian vs Muslim narrative however I would like to balance this out. I therefore have something to take away from reading Schratz's work.
This method is rather unconventional and coincides with some suggestions put forth by Phil Beadle. He explains that, within plenaries at the end of a lesson, the formulaic "What have you learned today" is likely to disengage the pupils and signal it is the end of the discussion. At least with this 'picture' method, I can allow for some reflection to occur - even if it is subtle and not outright. My attempt is to make them see the original image in a different light to the initial showing.
However, there is one last thing surrounding Schratz's work in regards to 'voice'. Essentially it proposes some cultural assumptions are to be made in regards to a topic based on the origin and background of students along with the accent and format of the teacher's speech. In order to achieve some degree of reliability in being neutral, it is important to tell both sides of a topic. This method is called 'Crosscultural, Comparative, Reflective Interview'; the idea of discussing the Christian and Muslim sides introduces a sense of neutrality and a lack of bias within my work, which I aim to achieve.
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