Evaluation

These are some screenshot of some of my trailer, mostly i mixed monochrome with sepia tones so other than my final stop motion my entire trailer is without colour- i wanted it too look old and somewhat mirror the 1940s style that i had previously researched, i left my final stop motion in colour simply because the colours themselves were very British and alluded to the Union Jack. some of my film was in portrait format so in order to place it within my trailer i placed photographs over the top ( lowering the opacity and using a layer mask to make the video clearer), i'm actually fairly pleased with how they turned out and since my video is disjointed itself these segments work well although this could have been avoided entirely if i had filmed landscape to fit the screen.

My kinetic text was probably the hardest section of my video, it was a strong element in the brief so i knew it had to be as important as the rest of my trailer, since all of my video was shot by me i felt that my kinetic text had to have a handmade quality to it or it would look too clean and out of place in my trailer. i always wanted to place it atop the last shot of my stop motion ( i felt that placing it atop any of my video would be too overpowering since my video focuses on different people). i designed the type myself it wasnt based at all on any of the fonts found in the 1940s trailers researched (although it probably should have been in order to fully convey a flavour of the era- my film was essentially about being British "carry on the struggle" was the line in Churchills speech that conveyed this, i thought that "carrying on" was a British concept, its what they did during the war and i think to some extent something we do now). despite this i do really like my type, its light and fun and it mirrors my stop motion. having the text fly in on planes was essentially an aspect taken from my three stop motions in the video and related to the British Air force which during the war was one of our strongest defences. practically it also allowed the words to float in without looking out of place. i think the gun is probably one of my favourite bits of kinetic text and ive tried to keep the motion fluid by having smoke rise from the gun with the words carry on.

overall im really happy with what ive achieved in my trailer, i think its fun and very British which was my overall concept. i loved doing the stop motions since it allowed me to be more imaginative and creative. i enjoyed using motion far more than i liked using final cut pro simply because it had a lot more filters and cameras, although i managed the basics in motion i would have liked to explore 3d cameras a little more when placing my kinetic text but since i had a fair amount of text flying in i felt it would complicated matters if i used the cameras as well. i also think my trailer would have been faster paced if id used a smaller section ( but i had a lot of footage and i couldnt resist displaying more of it). Churchills voice was also very heavy and slow in order to lighten it to match my trailers mood i placed an acoustic instrumental version of the kinks a sunny afternoon track below the video ( i thought that the song itself was upbeat enough to lighten and ironic since Britain is known for its bad weather) and i think it works although im not sure if its entirely effective enough. despite this im pleased with my trailer and i had a lot of fun creating it.

Kinetic text design

i created these phrases within illustrator ( the fonts of my own making were supposed to convey a sense of playfulness) ive always preferred fonts that link together in shape or style which is why i allowed a lot of my lines to flow together which also generates fluidity. using red planes, parachutes, sandcastles and teapots were already evident within my end stop motion so it felt prudent to integrate them as extra details that incorporated delicacy. planes would also allow me to drag the text  across frame without having to worry about it looking out of place. Red white and blue another reference to Britain although i may use a darker blue a shade that matches the end still in which the text will be placed atop. im actually really pleased with how the text looked although the order of appearance will have to be considered as to which elements link together, the steam rising from the teacup will have to follow the teacups arrival ( as one example). although the design itself is probably a little too 60s in style i think it works with my video and i prefer it to some of the fonts used in the 1940s trailers previously researched, since my trailer is made up of videos that i have made myself and stop motions that i have created myself it made more sense to make my own font to continue the handmade style which my trailer revolves around.

Innate Britishness

i was looking for inspiration as to design my kinetic text i wanted it to be british and display silhouetted objects that work with it. i was instantly drawn to the keep calm and carry on posters which i think really portray my own theme.

http://www.panicposters.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/f63dc5ec28f3175f8a7f615bd217eb71/f/i/file_28.jpg

 there is a dry cynicism ( which in itself is british) the phrases are simple the font bold and legible and the small emblem incorporates detail as well as visibly portraying an aspect of the phrase and i like how the teapots and teacups seems to grow from the phrase below. bold red, blue and white allude to the union jack flag which once again relates to my own video. i want my kinetic text to be fun and i want it to move into frame in a way that that also includes a silhouette or motif of some kind that relates to the speech and my stop motion ( the section where i plan to place the text).

 http://rlv.zcache.com.au/keep_calm_and_drink_tea_all_colours_case-raaa2960cae3d4d6db23c081c7e7da0f9_80c4n_8byvr_512.jpg

i love the teapot silhouette something ive already included in my stop motion but could also be created in my kinetic text which would also ensure continuity.
http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-carry-on-7685.png

The crit

overall the crit went well, everyone seemed to enjoy my concept particularly the stop motion segment at the end which was the most playful element. it was suggested that i cut of a few frames at the beginning of the section in which my character is running just to make sure the movement flows which i shall try and do although its dependant on how easy cutting the frames will be in motion since ive already exported my videos as one whole trailer. mostly i just need to focus on my kinetic text i want to make sure it works well with my film as well as really embodying the overall british feel that my trailer revolves around.

kinetic text further research

the photographs below are screen shots from the programme sherlock whose use of kinetic text helps to tell the storyline, generally these elements of text fade in and out although individual letters and paragraphs do roll in. Mostly i love the finesse of the lettering and how the text curves round characters and objects which really integrates the text with the film.

the text itself also conveys perspective in the screenshot above Irene Adler is Sherlocks focal point and even without seeing the episode the question marks allude to the mystery of her character.

in the scene above sherlock visits his 'mind palace' which is depicted to the audience through the text which he moves within his palms and disregards as he disregards concepts that drive the mystery. this segment relies heavily on the kinetic text without it he's alone in a room flexing his fingers. the text itself generally seems to move in straight lines blurring slightly and then fading the movements is almost constant something that ensures its fluidity and the with it the fluidity of the film section. i think hellvetica has been used - i cant be sure because the repeat makes it harder to make out but the thinner type mirrors the characters tall frame as well as the elegance of the genre.

again kinetic text in the shot above conveys an alternate perspective, the words aren't necessary clear or legible but its obscurity relates to the programme and the character and i love how well it fits within the setting, the text itself could almost be perceived as a prop its so well integrated into the scene.

The text above is crowded and overpowering and i love how through the use of one repeated phrase invokes claustrophobia, the serif font ( possibly rockwell) is bold and rigid but it retains the elegance already suggested in the font used above ensuring its continuity.

The main purpose of kinetic text is to really emphasise phrases and words- i don't plan on including all of Churchill's speech or even a whole section, i want to distinguish the most powerful words and have those move in onto the screen in order to ensure a clear focus.

Kinetic Text

There is a strong element of kinetic text within the project, i wanted to research basic kinetic text before applying any to my video just to see how it could work and emulate the key themes within my trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mnvvVi4HaI

in the screen shots above i mostly liked the playfulness of the movement itself which kept the text continuous and fastpaced, the colours used ensure contrast whilst the different surfaces and angles give the text a 3 dimensionality probably achieved through the use of motion cameras ( im not entirely sure if i want to use motion cameras or not since my own trailer has a vintage roughness to it that the smooth motions of the cameras do not fit into. the font itself is legible and bold but i think i may design my own font to emulate the britishness of my trailer. id also prefer my own text to have more purpose or subtlety if you will i want it to work with whatever background i place it on and move almost in relation to that, another aspect to consider.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9WeNXlA3Ek
the kinetic typography movie above was again very fun but again i felt that it was too clunky and would be dominating in conjunction with filmed aspects, despite this i liked how various outside shapes have been included and moulded around the text which is an aspect i plan to consider to ensure my text is congruent with my overall theme.

Some backgrounds for my portrait sections

some of my films are in a portrait format ( it didn't occur to me when filming that screens are landscape- something to remember in future  projects) so i experimented with some still images that i could place behind portrait segments to fill the entirety of the frame. i wanted to keep the background images subtle enough to work behind the video, but interesting enough to provoke contrast.

 the union jack above was a stock wallpaper image that i altered (i made it black and white) which softened and mimicked the rest of my trailer. altering the opacity would also help to turn it into more of a background and ensure its subtlety.

i thought this still of lauren would work well underneath the segments where she is the main subject. i mostly liked the frame of the arm and the high contrast, possibly placing her standing waving the flag above the crook of her arm could help to blend the still and video segment more seamlessly together.

altering the blending mode on this image allowed me to blend the union jack wallpaper with a still of eastbourne beach into what i felt was an incredibly british scene. britishness was my key theme and it made sense to embody this within the background as well as in the video.

Some stills from my third shoot

most of these shots focus on the eyes - i thought that they would create a more striking image- although my trailer is mostly going to be more upbeat and cheerful i do plan on punctuating the beginning with fast snappy shots of eyes that fade from one to the other, i think it would make a more interesting starting point and would relate the speech by displaying various perspectives. as well as this the bbc trailers are fond of starting there own drama trailers with flashes of faces so i wanted to see if it would work within my own.

i really wanted to stylise them in a way that emulated the 1940s era so once again i explored monochrome sepia, grains and desaturation as well as contrast. higher contrast combined with monochrome really made my photographs look dramatic and aged.

i wanted to make the flag a focal point but i didnt it to be obvious so i opted to experiment with placing it in the frame in a more abstract position, in the photograph above i placed it in the foreground underneath her head ( although i think too much of it is hidden for it to be recognisable as the union jack) i also wanted to explore a more high key style since my subject has pale skin so i increased the brightness and then made the small triangle of background visible top left of frame white. overall i'm not convinced i think the style of the photograph looks to modern and the flag too obscure to be included within my trailer.

the sepia toned photograph above is one of my favourites- i think it matches the era nicely which ensures the overall continuity, again i've included a grain to establish age and I've increased the contrast to really darken the eyes ensuring they and the flags are the main focal points. burning the corners of the frame also drew the eye inwards.

the two photographs above are stills from my drinking tea stop motion which i mostly liked because they were a lot darker in lighting and more dramatic which really emphasises the white of the teacup which further cements the sense of britishness that my whole trailer revolves around.

Out of all of my photographs this is my favourite. the fill of the foreground directs the eye down to the flag and i love how the texture i've placed on top of it really gives the image a vintage look. i'd love to include it within my video though its dependant on how the various clips look together.