This project is about using time and motion as emotive and descriptive forces. How does one make the design, layout, and animation of a thing define it? There are two components to this project: a printed book and a digital animation. The booklet is an opportunity to explore ideas, type, design directions, etc. The end goal here is to convey the meaning of an action verb in a constrained, printed form. The animation has the same goal: show an action verb’s definition through design. Think of these two works as companion pieces: together they should make each other better.
# DUE:
This assignment will run for 5 weeks. We'll look at people's completed animations and books on:
Wed sec1: 2013-11-20
Thu sec2: 2013-11-21
Fri sec3: 2013-11-22
FOR THE ANIMATION
Animate the verb you have chosen using After effects so that the animation techniques/styles/decisions visually explain the definition. (If you are against using after effects for some reason, one of the other animation methods we’ve discussed may also be used -- stop motion, animated gifs, actual video, or something of your own devising).
There isn’t a duration requirement. Just use a single action verb, and do a good job of animating your word so that the class can figure out the definition you’ve chosen. Use a minimal palette (2 colors), type, and basic graphic forms only. Focus your energies on making sure your animation is well crafted and truly embodies your definition.
THE BOOKLET
Using the same verb and definition from the booklet make a 32 page booklet that helps us to understand your action verb and its definition through typographic exercise and other graphic means. Treat this as a design piece of its own, but also a tool to help test and experiment with graphic means of conveying motion and emotion. Tie the aesthetic of your animation and your book together in some way. The booklet may have the text of the definition, as well as additional content that you think helps describe your word and support your concept.
Think about the various things we’ve talked about thusfar this term and how time and motion can be used in a static, printed context to support and enhance your motion piece.
CHOOSING ACTION VERBS
Action verbs are something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. They are mainly used alone as the main verb of a sentence e.g. run, jump, reach, swim, walk, fell etc. Action verbs can also be actions you can’t see such as “thought” or “want.” Please choose one action verb from the following list, and find a definition for it.
Some of these words are not just verbs. Take “Spell” for example: you can cast a spell, you can vacation for a spell, or you can spell a word. The first two uses are nouns, not verbs, so when you are looking for a word’s definition, make sure you pick the definition for spell as a verb -- e.g.: to name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of a word NOT a word, phrase, or form of words supposed to have magic power NOR a continuous course or period of work or other activity … make sense?
The List
- animate
- assault
- beat
- blast
- chase
- climb
- construct
- cut
- dance
- detect
- develop
- dig
- drag
- duel
- edit
- exhale
- explode
- fade
- fill
- flatten
- flip
- generate
- grow
- hammer
- hang
- hover
- inject
- inspect
- jolt
- kick
- launch
- leap
- level
- mangle
- march
- measure
- nail
- organize
- paralyze
- peel
- reduce
- repel
- resist
- sever
- shiver
- smack
- split
- submerge
- transfer
- tumble
- uncover
- vanish
- wiggle
- yank
- yield
- zip