11.01.2023 - 07.03.2023 / Week 1 - Week 9Yung Siew Weng / 0339847
Information Design /
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Final Project / Animated Infographic
FINAL PROJECT
MODULE INFORMATION
Information Design - Final Project @ Animated Infographics
INSTRUCTION
We are required to create an animated infographic informing audience about given topic (min 1.5 - max 3 min video). The video must include some form of data/statistics as well as use the questioning technique and provide answers.
EXPLORATION
During week 1's practical session (12 Jan 2023), we had been tasked on sharing our personal burnout experience (task 2 of the week).
Task #2 : Share personal burnout experience.
➜ The burnout experience that I had been through before regarding motion graphics happened during the last semester : video and sound production. During the moment, I was tasked on a short motion video, which had exhausted both my mind and spirit. Overall, although I had completed the project, I felt that the outcome was not in good condition. It was extremely difficult to keep the materials clean because I was using clay as props to build the character. Also, the biggest reason leading the burnout was that the assignment began during the peak of the semester, when I had piles of overwhelming stress and deadlines. Despite my confidence in my topic, art direction, and outcome, reality threw a lot of curveballs at me before I could finish the piece. In short, creating a motion graphics or animation video is much more difficult and involved than I anticipated, with each step leading to a different conclusion.
Also, we are instructed to a Task #3 : Research on Art Direction for Kinetic Typography and mental health (group).
Fig 1.1 Research on burnouts (week 2 / 18.01.2023)
Continued after the research, we are required to breakdown the script and VoiceOver according to the key points and present the spreadsheet on week 3 with the breakdown of duration, scenes, visual suggestion, graphics and etc.
Fig 1.2 Breakdown & visual suggestion (week 3 /25.01.2023)
Then, we divided the parts and starts to sketch the first storyboard draft.
#The assigned part : Part 3
Fig 1.3 Storyboard _ individual (Part 3) (week 4 / 31.01.2023)
Fig 1.4 Full compiled story _ Group (week 5 / 02.02.2023)
Since most of us are roughly sketch the storyboard ideation, we did a quick decided on choosing the best composition and decided the final art direction for the shape, colour and etc. After, we continued our progression on reconstructed the storyboard more guided and clearer.
Our teammate, Pei Yun had helped the group on designing the character design for us so that we can create a consistency between the group's storyboard.
Fig 1.5 Character design by Pei Yun (week 5 / 04.02.2023)
Continued then, I reconstructed the storyboard in AI with the resolution size 1920 x1080px and I animated it by using photoshop for reference.
Fig 1.6 Reconstruction of storyboard (week 5 / 04.02.2023)
Fig 1.7 Animated Storyboard _ individual (week 5 / 04.02.2023)
Then, our teammate, Jiahui helped us on compiling all the storyboard and our final outcome for animated storyboard are finalised :
Fig 1.8 Animated Storyboard compilation _ Group (week 6 / 12.02.2023)
Feedback _ week 6 / 14.02.2023
Try to animate one part of the story to see the effect. Overall, it appeared to be no problem, but there are some very long pauses that require a little more frame. After having feedback from Mr. Martin, we continued our progress on the AI assets and animation. Since there is a teammate left out from our group, we regrouped ourselves; to make the overall progress fast and effective, we choose to divide the group into two teams - the illustration, and the other animation team.
#Illustration : Pei Yun, Me
#Animation : Jiahui, Yi Xvan, Kai Yi & Hoi Yee
Then, Pei Yun and I divided the task equally, discuss about the final art direction (typography, colour schemas, stroke size etc) and finalised a consistent outcome. I eventually reconstructed all the storyboard since I found that there are many scene that we planned are not quite matched to our art direction, and the full illustration outcome of my individual part was documented under the PDF below :
Fig 1.9 Illustration_ Assigned _ individual (week 6 / 19.02.2023)
After both of us finalised our illustration, we compiled all the files together for easier the animation team to animate. Our compile version of the full illustration and our AI assets :
Fig 1.11 Full compilation (week 6 / 19.02.2023)
Continued after, the flow was then handed over to the animation team. In order to have the feedback session in the following class, our animation team had did a quick cut and check out the quick cut here.
And, we received some feedbacks from Mr. Martin during the class hours. I organised the feedback that he mentioned in class under the PDF below :
Feedback _ week 7 / 23.02.2023
Fig 1.12 Full compilation,
Feedback animation draft 1 _ Group (week 7 / 23.02.2023)
After the feedback session, I used to amend on my illustration part :
"There is no simple cure for burnout". Based on my interpretation, cure is considered as medicine so I having the intention to create a hospital icon for the frame but unluckily it not clear for audience to understand and I amend it to "NO MEDICINE" -
Fig 1.13 Amendment _ individual (week 7 / 23.02.2023)
Continued after the amendments, we continued pass the flow to the animation team. Then, the team had finalised a version as our final draft :
Fig 1.14 Final Draft (week 8 / 02.03.2023)
To be honest, especially for me as the group leader, due to the "final week", I did not manage to check the condition of the animation and send the compiled version to our moderator for feedback and suggestions. Although our moderator, Mr. Martin, suggested we direct submit the draft as our final outcome, we refused on it since we think that we had much, much more things that should be amended.
Prior to the modifications, I did a quick shout-out for the parts I thought or mentioned before that should be taken into consideration by using "bilingual". Check suggestion here. After having direction on what is the issue and what should be amended, we start to evaluate it. Since the parts for S1 - 5 seems to be not connected, boring as well as many "transition", I came to the intention to help out my teammates on amending the parts as she was suffered in time restriction and issues. And, yes, I picked up the animation responsibility too. //OK, I did at eleventh hour and midnights.//
I took the responsibility to refine scenes 1–3. As the illustration was done by my other illustration teammate, Pei Yun, I did a rough ideation and made some amendments to make the animation go in more smoothly. To be more critics and produce the better outcome, I did a critically "preview" on the scene to get a direction for a better outcome :
Scene 1
Issue :
- I felt that the initial animation version was too "fast." and not smooth, more like stop motion. And since this is the first scene of the video; normally, it should be more interesting or eye-catching for the audience’s eye.
- the frame that was mentioned to recommend last feedback (work is draining) haven’t amended yet.
After having the ideation of how to amend and construct this frame, I did a quick draught in AI on how it should go and directed and use the pen tool in AE to create the shapes for animation :
Fig 1.15 Development in AI layering and setting,
Scene 1 (week 8 / 06.03.2023)
Fig 1.16 Development in AE, Scene 1 (week 8 / 06.03.2023)
Scene 2
Issue :
- Based on previous feedback, the flask should be dropped from the top; not top-side, not bottom. And, the pouring frame was a bit weird as they did not drop together; the "liquid" does not aimed to the character.
- Based on previous feedback, the transition to a black background should be the black push the white until it filled up the screen.
- The office setting : the character was too "transparent" to view the background, and the transition that goes into the scene was not connected? like the ball should be out of the screen then just go into when the office setting was showed.
- 0.29 parts was a bit boring ; like slow motion
For this scene, I did not recreated or amend the illustration, but just some minor layout composition in animation :
Fig 1.17 Development in AI layering and setting,
Scene 2 (week 8 / 07.03.2023)
Fig 1.18 Development in AE, Scene 2 (week 8 / 07.03.2023)
Scene 3
Issue :
- This scene seemed be more great, but may did some amend to hit the consistency.
- The crown scene was not so clear to VoiceOver?
I used to make the scene to be more consistent and smooth, so I reused the office setting set from Hoi Yee's version and did some amend on it. And, since I felt that the crown setting was a bit not clear and too short to fulfil the Voiceover recording. The line :
"Moreover, additional time at work also means less time for relationships, exercise, and doing other things that can help you relax."
As the line having the key word "doing other things", i had the intention to create some elements aside the relationship and exercise. I added some elements like a sleeping mask (sleep), donuts (eat, which for me is junk food) and star (play and have fun’s element - make fun of your interest).
Fig 1.19 Development in AI layering and setting,
Scene 3 (week 8 / 07.03.2023)
Fig 1.20 Development in AE, Scene 3 (week 9 / 06.03.2023)
Fig 1.21 Final Outcome, Animated Scene 1 - 3
_ Individual (week 9 / 06.03.2023)
After complete re-amended on the parts (S1-3), I continued the exploration on compiling my peers' outcome by adding some interconnected transition :
//guess who haven't sleep at 5 in the morning? 🥱//
Fig 1.22 Full compilation,
Animated Infographic - Burnout (week 9 / 06.03.2023)
Following the full compilation, I passed the file assets to Pei Yun for the subtitles and sound
effects. After several adjustments and modifications, the final outcome was finally released. I personally really satisfied the outcome with the sound effects and subtitle (we aimed to use a formal YouTube style font). Feel free to view it once, hope you enjoy it! 💨🤍
Fig 1.23 Final outcome,
Animated Infographic - Burnout (week 9 / 07.03.2023)
Youtube Link : https://youtu.be/PeSWmHIlLp4
FEEDBACK
Week 6 / 14.02.2023 @ Animated Storyboard
Try to animate one part of the story to see the effect. Overall, it appeared to be no problem, but there are some very long pauses that require a little more frame.
Week 7 / 23.02.2023 @ Animation Draft 1
REFLECTION
Overall, the whole process is really frightening; every step, basically every time, is a "heart attack". On this project, it is obvious that we are many times slower than others, and our progress has been delayed due to many external factors. But I'm glad we finally did it.
Furthermore, although this is also considered a group assignment, it is even more "difficult" than the kinetic typography. For kinetic typography, we might only need to focus on the same font and colour schemes, and then the outcome will not be easily "off topic". But for this project, an animated infographic, it seemed to be double trouble from the illustration until the animation. Different individuals have different design thinking and perspectives towards the same elements. At the very beginning, we all decided to separate all the parts, which meant that each person would be in charge of both illustration and animation for a particular part, but we faced difficulties with the art direction, including the character size, line thickness, and design concepts that would be slightly different from each other. Then, we changed our plan to separate the groups into two: the illustration team and the animation team. And I was in charge of illustration.
Prior to charging the part, we all felt that illustration only needed to finalise the storyboard that had been created by the team before, so the ratio of the illustration and animation teams was 2 to 4. Nevertheless, when I set out to finalise the storyboard, I felt that lots of scenes and frames that we initially designed were not applicable or even equal to the voice recording idea. So, I took several days to explore and investigate: what is the rationale of the individual to create this storyboard frame? Is the discussed breakdown script misleading? etc. In short, completing this task proved to be twice as difficult as I had anticipated.
I believed I could exhale, unwind, chill out, and concentrate on making my tiramisu (Project 1) once the "responsibility" was finished. But when the outcome of the final draft compilation was revealed, I was really taken aback. Even when the moderator indicated "we can submit," we declined. Although this is a group task, but since i have been designated as the leader for this assignment //although nominal//, yet, I still have a responsibility to be responsible and not anticipate anything "out of expectation", especially we did not change many of the sub-things that were mentioned in the previous feedback. No matter what the progress of the discussion and issue was, it finally ended with the conclusion that I picked up the responsibility to be in charge of the animation part. In short, this animation experience was so interesting, and I enjoyed so much finalising the storyboard and animating 1+ minute clips non-stop for 20 hours, causing my hand muscles sore.
In conclusion, despite the disappointing aspects, I discovered that, as a result of managing the animation, my AE skill has increased in comparison to my prior resistance to AE. Ultimately, despite how difficult the progress is, I am grateful to have teammates that are willing to endure this anxiety with me. I also appreciate my brain for keeping me awake for these few days of working from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m., as well as my poor hand, which is doing its best to bear the pain. Finally, do I really deserve a good nights sleep now? and see doctor? 😭💔
*Updated :
"Doing a burnout-themed project, experiencing a burnout experience" (JQ, 2023)
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