Christopher Hobbs-Massou
I know this is a bit of a faux pas in education, but I've got to say, I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out, at least visually. Now, with that out of the way, I'll explain why, and discuss the process and concepts behind this finale.
Story: (just a little wee one)
9/4/2020
The brief for this third and final poster was to create a storyboard inspired by our haiku. Like the other two I used the same basic themes in its design, however decided to focus on the independence aspect more heavily in this work.
Above, is the initial sketch done during the studio session for Des101. The rough narrative structure of this sequence is a 'running away with the circus' type of story. The establishing frames set the scene of a society where everyone is defined by uniformity, routine, and an ever pressing obligation to the tasks and worries of domesticity - represented by the presence of a clock. In this story, a main character, an eccentric, feels that normal life is lacking, (In colour, adventure, fun, social freedom... any of the above really. The idea is there, but the specifics are up to the interpretation of the reader.) and decides to 'be themselves'. This is too far outside the norm for their peers, who ignore and do not support the main character. things change when the protagonist find others like them, and joins the new group. In the top right frame, the main character meets people from their old group in the future, and they are asked about problems like money, shelter, and how they cope with hardship. The reply is simply that they have one another and that is all they need. (ie they don't need the trappings (and restrictions) of a larger society)
I actually really liked this narrative, but I had once again run into the problem where it didn't really fit the themes from my haiku properly. So, it was back to sketching.
My second storyboard was much simpler, but tied more neatly into the ideas and spirit of the haiku. In this story, a person finds themselves weighed down by a progressively heavier load, until finally, the burden becomes too much and they can no longer go on. This is really meant to be a subjective way for the reader to insert their own perceptions of what can weigh you down in life, money, responsibility, regret, and troubles anything really. It is a device that entirely depends on the person looking at it.
Once the character finds themselves unable to continue living like they are, they stop, in total frustration or despair (again, it's up to you which), when a newcomer, someone who has nothing in life, stops and makes a suggestion.
From there, the main character gives and gives, each time gaining colour, becoming a little brighter, and standing out from the bleak surroundings, until finally they are left with only a small load to carry. The final frame is a wide shot, showing them surrounded by other people still living the same way as always, burdened by woes.
I wanted the change in colour to represent the gradual discovery of a different way of living, the less the character, bowed to convention, the freer they became. This is ultimately the the way I chose to express theme of independence.
If I may get a bit poetic here, the character is left living a more vibrant existence, but still has a load to hold, because no life is completely free of trouble, and everyone needs to carry a little piece of the responsibilities of living.
To construct this poster, I used a collage technique of coloured card, arranged to create the frames and photographed them. Although basic, I like that the simplicity allows the narrative taking place to be the focus, so that each frame does the storytelling.
Given that, at the time of writing, the country is in lockdown, resources are somewhat lacking in my flat, so the materials used all come to you via the recycling! (Except the craft mat, of course.)
Next I arranged those photographs in Photoshop, and played around with changing colour and saturation to try to even out the look and make the main character's transformation visually clearer. I took cues from colour changing tutorials to achieve different looks. R, M. (2015, January 20) & Nace, A. (2015, March 24).
Although I kind of liked the grittiness of the above storyboard, I settled on the simpler frames you see below. Ultimately I am happy with the narrative itself, but would have liked a cleaner visual result, an even simpler collage, with less visual noise.
#Design101 #DesignUoA
References and Citations:
Senan, M. (2018, January 21). Bury me when I die beneath a wine barrel in a tavern. With luck, the cask will leak. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://dearhankandjohnshortpoems.tumblr.com/post/169967144658/bury-me-when-i-die-beneath-a-wine-barrel-in-a
Nace, A. 2015 (2015, March 24). How to Select and Change Colors in Photoshop. Retrieved March 28, 2020, from https://phlearn.com/tutorial/how-to-select-and-change-colors-in-photoshop/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=select and change color description
R, M. (2015, January 20). Pencil Drawn Effect. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDxF7xJzEwA