IVN Task 1

ILLUSTRATION & VISUAL NARRATIVE COM61304

WEEK 2: PRACTICAL

NAME: WANG JINYI

I.D: 0374697

COURSE:Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

Lectures

Week 1：The 16 Types of Camera Shots & Angles

The lecture presents sixteen camera lenses and angles aimed at helping filmmakers improve visual storytelling in storyboards. It underscores the importance of grasping different camera movements, such as zooming, panning, and tilting, and how these techniques can significantly shape the viewer's emotional engagement and immersion. Furthermore, the piece examines a variety of common camera angles, including establishing shots, panoramas, and close-ups, which effectively convey intricate narratives and emotions through visual clarity.

Zooming creates the illusion of proximity to or distance from a subject.It effectively highlights specific points and adds drama when used sparingly.Over-reliance on zoom can feel less natural compared to other movements, like a dolly.

Panning involves moving the camera horizontally on a central axis, changing its direction while keeping its position fixed.It can follow moving characters or capture more of a landscape, enhancing the sense of place.Panning effectively guides the viewer's attention and is especially useful in action sequences to maintain focus on fast-moving subjects.

Establishing shots are used at the start of a scene to create ambiance and provide context.Typically long and wide, they indicate the setting and time, framing the subject while showing their environment's impact.These shots are essential for setting the narrative tone and enhancing audience engagement.

An extreme close-up captures a specific detail, like a person's eyes or mouth, from an unnaturally close distance.It should be used sparingly, but when applied effectively, it can enhance tension, emotion, and significance in a scene.This shot magnifies small details that might otherwise go unnoticed, providing deeper narrative insight.

An up shot (or low angle shot) is taken from below the subject's eye level, creating a perspective that makes the viewer feel smaller.This angle can shift power dynamics, portraying the subject as powerful, heroic, or dangerous.It elevates characters to iconic status, highlighting their significance or the impact of their actions.Commonly used in scenes where protagonists confront challenges or antagonists assert authority, it enhances the aura of power.

The medium shot (or ¾ shot) typically frames the subject from the knees up, allowing visibility of both the character and their background.This angle balances intimacy and context, capturing the character's gestures and emotions while providing environmental details.By maintaining close proximity, the medium shot effectively connects the character’s physical actions with their emotional nuances. 

Week 2：12 Visual Hierarchy Principles Every Non-Designer Needs to Know

Visual hierarchy is a key design principle that organizes elements in a way that facilitates easy comprehension. It typically places the header at the top in the largest font, with subsequent elements sized according to their importance. This arrangement guides the viewer's eye in a logical flow, ensuring they instinctively know where to look first. Understanding visual hierarchy is crucial for designers, as it allows them to create layouts that naturally direct attention without requiring conscious effort from the viewer.

• The Rule of Odds emphasizes central images by surrounding them with an odd number of neighboring objects. This arrangement directs attention to the focal point, clearly highlighting its significance.
• Typeface hierarchy organizes documents by using varying font sizes, weights, and spacing. This approach emphasizes key headings and creates a clear structure, making the content more readable, even with a single font.
• White space separates information groups, improving readability and focus. It helps guide attention to individual elements, while a lack of it can create a cluttered design. Skilled designers can also use negative space to convey subtle messages, such as the “arrow” in the FedEx logo.
• Alignment is crucial for structuring design elements, ensuring that text and images are not placed randomly. Common alignments include left-aligned text, which shares a left margin, and centered or justified designs that balance both margins. F-pattern designs align objects to the left, while Z-patterns use a mix of alignments. Simple designs often center elements for aesthetic harmony. Most Western readers are accustomed to left-to-right reading, making left alignment standard. Right alignment can balance heavier designs on the left, and vice versa.

Week 3:100 Camera Angles, Shots and Movements in Filmmaking

This article examines 100 camera angles, lenses, and movements employed in filmmaking, categorizing them into three primary groups: angles, lenses, and movements. Each camera angle serves a distinct expressive purpose and narrative function. For instance, a bird's-eye view emphasizes the vastness of the surroundings, while a low-angle shot underscores a character's authority. These photographic techniques not only enhance the visual experience for viewers but also evoke varying emotional responses and narrative tensions in different contexts.

God’s Eye Angle: A high perspective showing vastness, often used in sci-fi to depict the insignificance of Earth.

Drone/Bird’s Eye View: A top-down shot providing an overview of the setting.

High Angle: The camera looks down on the subject, conveying powerlessness.

Eye Level Angle: Positioned at the subject's eye level, common in dramas and comedies.

Low Angle: The camera points up, portraying the subject as dominant.

Ground Level Angle: Positioned at ground level, often depicting characters in vulnerable situations.

Over the Shoulder Angle: Captures one character's perspective during conversations.

Over the Body Angle: Similar to the over the shoulder, focusing on one actor's body and another's face.

Cowboy Angle: A hip-level shot popular in westerns, focusing on gun draw scenes.

Point of View (POV) Angle: Shows what a character sees, enhancing suspense.

Dutch Angle: A tilted horizon used to create unease or foreshadowing.

Fish Eye Angle: Achieved with a fish eye lens, offering a distorted, wide view.

Task 1 : Vormator Challenge - character creation

 Instruction :

1. 

• Used to select, move, and resize objects without altering their proportions. This will be essential for arranging the Vormator shapes.

2. 

• Used to select individual anchor points or paths of a shape, which can help when fine-tuning the alignment or position of shapes without altering their overall form.

3. 

• While the Vormator shapes cannot be altered, the Pen Tool can be used to add lines or additional strokes within the character design if needed. This tool can also help when combining or masking shapes.

4. 

• A critical tool for combining, subtracting, or intersecting multiple shapes to form new elements:
• : Combine multiple shapes into one.
• : Cut out one shape from another.
• : Create a new shape based on overlapping areas.
• : Remove the overlapping portions of two or more shapes.

These will allow students to creatively combine the Vormator shapes without breaking the shape constraint rule.


5. 

• Used to combine or delete overlapping areas of shapes. This tool will be especially helpful when merging parts of the Vormator shapes to create new elements while keeping the original shapes intact.

6. 

• : Rotate the shapes to different angles.
• : Flip shapes horizontally or vertically.
• : Resize the Vormator shapes, ensuring that proportions are maintained (no stretching).
• : For precise alignment of multiple shapes, ensuring that balance and proportion are visually consistent.

7. 

• Allows students to quickly pick and apply color, gradients, or stroke properties from one object to another.

8. 

• : For selecting and applying solid colors.
• : To create smooth transitions between colors within a shape. This will help in giving depth and texture to their characters.

9. 

• Helps students organize their workflow by placing different parts of the character on separate layers. This also makes it easier to edit specific parts without affecting the rest of the design.

10. 

• For adjusting the thickness and style of lines, if outlines or borders are applied to the Vormator shapes.

11. 

• Although not altering the Vormator shapes, clipping masks can be used to hide portions of shapes to give the illusion of new forms or to manage visibility creatively.

12. 

• Used to manage the workspace, which may come in handy when presenting multiple iterations or variations of their character on different artboards.

This exercise is designed to build our technical proficiency in Illustrator while encouraging us to engage in the creative development process. It’s not only about mastering the tools but also about how you problem-solve and evolve your ideas within the given limitations.

 Process :

First, I began by using the vormator shapes provided by my mentor to create a line drawing in AI. This process allowed me to refine my skills in vector design while also encouraging my creativity. As I delved into this project, I started to conceptualize the character of my Pokemon .

After several iterations and thoughtful adjustments, I finally settled on the final design of my Pokemon. I envisioned it as a character that embodies both a charming aloofness and an air of mystery. To achieve this, I chose a color palette dominated by purple, pink, and indigo, which I believe adds to its enchanting presence.

I decided to name my creation “Poffu.” The name evokes images of something fluffy and sweet, reminiscent of a delightful pastry. In fact, one might even imagine it as a berry-flavored cream puff!

#Final composition

Self reflection:

 Throughout this creative journey, I learned the importance of patience and experimentation in design. Each modification brought me closer to the character I wanted to bring to life, and I found joy in the process of discovery and iteration. 

In the end, Poffu is not just a character ; it’s a reflection of my creative growth and the delightful surprises that come with artistic exploration.

Feedback：

Our group of eight embarked on an exciting journey to participate in The Show event organized by TDS. We took part in a design competition with the theme "Unity Through Diversity." Before the competition began, we convened to brainstorm and develop our ideas, ultimately deciding to focus on the rich diversity of Malaysia.

As we divided our tasks among ourselves, we moved from conceptualization to drafting, coloring, and final touches. We aimed to represent various ethnicities, cultures, and unique characteristics, reflecting the vibrant tapestry of Malaysian society.

However, there were certainly areas where we fell short. We spent too much time on brainstorming, and differing opinions among group members led to insufficient time for actual painting. Additionally, a lack of communication meant we could only use the limited colored pencils provided by the organizers. In contrast, other teams had access to a variety of more effective tools such as watercolors, acrylics, and crayons. This not only made our colors appear less vibrant but also consumed a lot of our time and energy.

Despite these challenges, a profound sense of satisfaction washed over us as we watched our ideas come to life on paper. Regardless of the competition's outcome, the joy of creation and collaboration was our true reward. This experience was not only enjoyable but also educational, as I learned valuable lessons about teamwork, creativity, and the importance of embracing diversity. Overall, it was a remarkable experience that I will cherish.