DPI - Final Project / Self-Titled

July 06, 2023

DPI - Final Project / Self-Titled

8.6.2023 - 6.7.2023 (Week 10 - Week 14)
Chong Hui Yi / 0363195
Digital Photography and Imaging / Bechelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Final Project / Self-Titled

INSTRUCTIONS

Final Project: Self-Titled

"Self-titled is an exploration project for the students to express their own individuality and reflect their personality into digital art self-expression. The main idea is to build up self-confidence and discover their interest."

Sketches:

I am an introverted person who enjoys playing the piano, reading novels, and comics. My hobbies include collecting cute things and engaging in activities like jigsaw puzzles. Although I struggle with time management, I am patient and have a lively imagination, often entertaining others with my humorous remarks.

I want to design a scene that combines the illusion of being underwater with a dreamy sky filled with clouds. The canvas will feature a curving piano road surrounded by things I love, such as a Ferris wheel, cute dolls, origami cranes, and paper boats. The lower part represents the clouds, while the upper part depicts the view from beneath the water's surface, possibly with a gigantic hand reaching into the water. The overall theme aims to create a surreal and magical atmosphere, where I am both above the clouds and below the sea, symbolizing the contrast between fantasy and reality.

Fig. 1.0 Mood board, week 11 (15/6/2023)

I found inspiration and some images from Pinterest and drew two simple sketches.

Fig. 1.1 Sketch 1, week 11 (15/6/2023)

Fig. 1.2 Sketch 2, week 11 (15/6/2023)

Digitalization:

First, I completed the background in Adobe Photoshop, including the piano path, clouds, and underwater photo. I added a blue color filter to the piano path because the original image seemed a bit too yellow.

Fig. 2.0 Background creation process, week 13 (29/6/2023)

I selected one of the photos taken in the school's photography studio. Since the overall image was a bit dark, I increased the brightness of my portrait. However, in the feedback provided by Mr. Martin, it was mentioned that my portrait was still too dark, but this adjustment was made afterwards. Apart from adjusting my portrait, I also created a shadow.

Fig. 2.1 Modify portrait & creating shadow, week 13 (29/6/2023)

I added a paper boat to the composition and adjusted its contrast and color to blend it better with the background. The same technique was applied to most of the other decorations as well.

Fig. 2.2 Photoshop process for paper boat, week 13 (29/6/2023)

I added a paper crane, a paper airplane (which I will later delete), and a hand to the composition. For the hand layer, I used the "Add Layer Mask" function and the brush tool to erase the arm, thereby reducing its opacity. This gives the impression that the hand is reaching into the water.

Fig. 2.3 Screenshot process 1, week 13 (1/7/2023)

I added some amusement park attractions behind the piano path, including a roller coaster, a swing ride, a carousel, and a Ferris wheel. The process of adding these elements was similar to the modification steps described in Fig. 2.2. In addition, I also adjusted the position of the piano path.

Fig. 2.4 Screenshot process 2, week 13 (1/7/2023)

I learned online how to transform objects into an icy state, and I found it fascinating. I experimented with the hand image and applied the same technique to create an icy piano path. My intention is to animate the gradual freezing process, starting from the top and moving down, for both the hand and the piano path (refer to Fig. 2.5).

Fig. 2.4 Process of creating an icy hand, week 13 (1/7/2023)

Fig. 2.5 Icy hand & piano path, week 13 (1/7/2023)

I wanted to create a glowing effect for the paper crane. Initially, I used a brush to paint the highlights, but later on, I found that using the Outer Glow effect in Blending Options worked well too.

Fig. 2.5 Brush Tool vs. Outer Glow for glowing effects, week 13 (2/7/2023)

I realized that placing the figure, piano path, and hand in diagonal positions might create a better composition. Therefore, I readjusted their positions accordingly.

Fig. 2.6 Adjusting the position, week 13 (2/7/2023)

I realized that the document size seemed incorrect, so I created a new document and copied everything over. Due to the original document being smaller, it left a lot of empty space at the top. I used content-aware fill to fill it, and the issue was resolved.

Fig. 2.7 Screenshot process 3, week 13 (2/7/2023)

Based on the feedback from Mr. Martin in Week 14, I reduced the contrast of the image and added a gradient map with pastel colours. With these adjustments, the editing process is now complete. The next step is to proceed with the animation.

Fig. 2.8 Reduce contrast, week 13 (2/7/2023)

Fig. 2.9 Add a gradient map, week 13 (2/7/2023)

After Effects

I opted for After Effects over Adobe Photoshop to create animations because it provides more extensive functionality, although I am less familiar with it. I discovered the background music "Piano Moment" on the website https://www.bensound.com and felt it was a perfect fit for my design.

Fig. 3.0 Screenshot of animating in After Effects 1, week 15 (7/7/2023)

Fig. 3.1 Screenshot of animating in After Effects 2, week 15 (7/7/2023)

For the piano path and hand, I wanted to create a gradual top-down freezing effect. I applied a mask to the icy layer. I discovered that I could use Mask Feather to achieve smoother transitions and create a soft masking effect.

Fig. 3.2 Screenshot of animating in After Effects 2, week 15 (7/7/2023)

For my portrait, I utilized Puppet Warp to adjust the movements of the limbs. However, I encountered numerous challenges during the process, as sometimes the bending of the limbs seemed illogical.

Fig. 3.3 Screenshot of animating in After Effects 3, week 15 (7/7/2023)

Final Result:

Fig. 4.0 Dreams and Reality - JPG, week 15 (7/7/2023)

Fig. 4.1 Dreams and Reality - PDF, week 15 (7/7/2023)

Fig. 4.2 Dreams and Reality - MP4, week 15 (7/7/2023)

Youtube link: https://youtube.com/shorts/AY17oThTusg?feature=share

FEEDBACK

Week 14: Mr. Martin suggested adding an adjustment layer for levels to make the portrait brighter as he felt it was too dark. He also mentioned that the overall contrast of the composition was too strong and advised reducing the contrast. Since the image already had a lot of blue, adding a blue gradient map would not create significant changes. Instead, he recommended trying a gradient map with other colours, such as pastel colours, to achieve the desired effect.

REFLECTIONS

Experience:

This is the project where I felt the most freedom because I could incorporate my favorite things and emotions into the design. However, it was also the most challenging project as it required expressing my personality, hobbies, and more through design. This final project provided me with an opportunity to use a camera for photography. It was my first time using a professional camera instead of a smartphone, and I was excited about it.

Observations:

I found that when I'm unfamiliar with something, such as using After Effects for animation, it's exciting to discover its functionalities during the research process. For example, learning about how to use Puppet Warp, various functions of masks, and many other features I wasn't familiar with. I realized that there are times when I get too immersed in the design process and gradually lose perspective, leading to misjudgments. It's important to take breaks and seek feedback from others.

Findings:

Through this final project, I experienced the process of creating simple animations. It wasn't as difficult as I had imagined, but it required more time to become familiar with it. This project also helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself.

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Chong Hui Yi (0363195)