Basic principles of sound design

Sound is a vital aspect of motion graphics design. It’s been said that the visuals in a motion graphics project are only half the final product; that it isn’t truly complete until it's been fitted with sound. Recently, I read one book called " Audio Vision-sound on screen" by Michel Chion, which introduce the relationship between sound design and image in film.This is the best book I have seen so far on theories for sound design. I applied these theories into my Motion Graphics works.

I concluded five basic principles of sound design  in this book.

1. Synchresis: This is come from the two words " synchronism” and “synthesis”, it is a mental fusion between a sound and a visual when these occur at exactly the same time. 

2.Acousmatic: Acousmatic sound is sound one hears without seeing their originating cause - a invisible sound source.

3.Extension (of sound space):  Build the image an environment, it happened beyond the borders of the visual field or within the visual filed around the characters.

4. Empathetic: Music or sound effects whose mood matches the mood of the action,  

the ability to feel the feeling of others, like sadness, happiness, and movement.

5.Anempathetic sound: Anempathetic sound usually diegetic music - that seems to exhibit conspicuous indifference to what is going on in the film's plot, creating a strong sense of the tragic. 

  

Screening 2011- news relate to MG

Screening 2011

Submissions to a unique open exhibition are to be displayed for free from 2 February to 27 March.
SCREENING 2011, an open exhibition for artists working in film and video, received entries from across the world after a recent call for submissions.
In total, The Public will be displaying work from around 20 upcoming and established artists, based regional, national and internationally, having received entries from across the Black Country as well as a far a field as Bulgaria, USA, Albania and Peru.

SCREENING 2011 features a diverse selection of moving-image works including a beautifully executed animation created using the eighties electronic game Sky Attack by Birmingham based Chris Stokes and a consideration of excluded histories in archival news footage by South Korean artist Hyewon Kwon.

The West Bromwich arts centre, famed for its commitment to digital arts features a number of fixed interactive artworks including work by Blast Theory and Utani, together with a changing programme of work by internationally renowned artists.
The open exhibitions will prove a rare opportunity for early career and professional film and video artists to showcase their work alongside such distinguished artists.

Find out more about TOUCHInteractive, the UK's first open exhibition for interactive artists.

Experimental Filming Section

Live-action can be a very important tool to Motion Graphics learning. So in this section, just think about the range of props that can be used including physical materials to demonstrate a range of textures, materials, shapes, patterns, rigid to flexible etc, glass and mirrors / reflections, liquids that can include colours (inks and dyes) plus objects in liquid, motion, flow etc, gases such as smoke and even air / wind, lights including different lenses, colour gels, positioning. All of these elements can be filmed in almost infinite ways.

Title: Experimental film- ink
Designer: Qiuhong Xu

This work is an ink experimental video combined with graphic elements like typography, which using to express the meaning of life. Making the typography interactive with the ink to show the idea: life is beautiful but short just like somke, flower, blood etc.

The soundtrack utilized in this video also emphasis the emotion of this work. 

Ireland MTV Identity

MTV identity more focus on different feature, texture and more special compare with other TV identity.



Title:  Ireland MTV Identity
Designer:  Qiuhong Xu

Title
'MTV Sheep'

Overview / Summary of the Brief
Create a piece of motion graphics work about TV Identity for MTV Ireland Channel.

Objective
In order to further regionalize its UK & Ireland feed to include a separate version for Ireland under the branding MTV Ireland. Making the channel features localized advertising and sponsorship for the Irish market.
Target Audience
Young person, and who like music.

Background

MTV Ireland is a 24- hour entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks Europe. The channel launched on February 22, 2004.

The channel features localized advertising and sponsorship for the Irish market. The channel also hosted a local show 'MTV News' and 'MTV the Festival Show'. The channel, which is based at the MTV Networks Europe headquarters in London, also hosts a local office in Dublin. The channels identity was created by Image Now (previously Chemistry) supported by the 'MTV Sheep' campaign.

As of July 1, 2009, MTV Ireland shares the same on-air identity and content as other global MTV channels.

Tone of Voice

-      Be clear (straight to the point)

-      Be positive

-      Be creative

Mandatory Inclusions

-      The content of the work must related to the title “ MTV Sheep”.

-      The visual work must include a closing screen at the end which should include the MTV Ireland channel logo.

-       Making sure the identity related to the channel features.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Analysis of this berif

Restate the question:

1: How to make connection with MTV channel?

2: How to express the theme (MTV sheep) using motion work?

3: How to make the channel features localized advertising and sponsorship for the Irish market?

4: what's the creative idea?

Key criteria of this Brief

1. Make reference to the MTV Ireland Channel and the title "MTV sheep".

2. Has to base on the channel feature (24-hour entertainment channel)/ central theme("MTV sheep").

3. Make sure establish the tone of the channel and affect how the audience perceives and sustains the believability of the message.

4. Has to attractive and recognizable.

Visual development

1.visual concept

 2.visual concept

TV Channel Identity is a complicated section for motion graphics designer to research. Because it not only included basic paradigms like sound, typography etc, but also require clear communication goals and specific audience. In this stage, I need to know how to deal with multiple elements to create a piece of professional level Motion Graphic work. So I will try to work on this TV identity design, getting me to be a specialist of MG.

Analysis of Advertising

I have select three pieces of advertising media that bear some relationship to motion graphics to  analysis.  Analytical skills play a key role in Motion Graphics learning, getting me more familar with the paradigms of MG, and communication objective as well as learning how to  deal with audience and communication goals when I design MG visual work.
There have 5 steps when doing analysis: Describe, Identify, Interpret, Evaluate, Reflect.
I always ask some questions when I analysis these media, like  what's the communication goal? why design like that? why use these elements? How to design it? What's the narrative?
Who is the audience? What's the principles?

1. Bright House Network Bundles Campaign
Agency: Fry Hammond Barr
Director: Tomkoh
Production Company: Blind. Inc



Communication Objective:
The campaign was designed to promote the Bright House  Bundles services of HD digital cable, high-speed internet and digital phone. The challenge of  the advertising was to depict these bundles in a unique and visually engaging way. This work communicated through pop-up books and paper constructed models, the designers imagined scenes which sprung to life as a TV or laptop powered up.
Paradigms:

• Typography: utilized 3D type to express important imformation of this media, which can give a sense of high technology, close relate to the products(mobile, TV, Internet).
•  Color Palette: main color, green, blue, white, orange( all of these bulid the tone of the meida)
• Signification: laptop, type, TV, rocket, sea, ships etc (all these signify speed and high technology, convey the theme and communication objective)
• Style: a dynamic combination of custom graphics, video and 3D artwork to creat the motion work to keep auience's attention throughout the commeicial.
• Pace/Rhythm: fast, making a close connnection to the theme-high speed internet, low price, free HD, digital phone.
• Sound: music( utilize happy melody and fast pace), combined with introduction by human voice, which to send message more clearly.
• Audience: most people
• Function:  this advertising used for grab attention
• Narrative: introduce the high- speed internet, low price, and free HD TV.

2. GM/CHEVROLET Carbon credit web video
     Director: yU+co


Communication Objective:
This social media video to illustrate Chevrolet's commitment toward community projects to reduce CO2 emissions, also intend to utilize graphic elements into motion to show Chevrolet's
program of investing in clean fuel technology, renewable energy ang planting trees as a way to offset the emissions of their cars.Paradigms:

• Typography: not very important in this media
• Color Palette:  main use green, yellow, orange( all these connect to eco-envrionment, making connection with the objective/ theme.
• Signification: circle point, symblize Molecules of carbon dioxide. The Molecules of carbon dioxide lead us through the piece in a dynamic, continuous move. Also that use for transitions take us from minute details to large scale views and back again, emphasizing the interconnection between carbon dioxide, people and the enviroment, all while showing the communication objective/content.
• Pace/Rhythm: normal/ slow
• Style:  just utilize graphic elements combined with motion forms
• Sound: utilize postive, happy melody(music) to convey a sense of nature, casural and introduced by human voice.
• Narrative: introduce the reason and benefits of Chevrolet's program of investing in clean fuel technology, renewable energy ang planting trees as a way to offset the emissions of their cars.
• Audience: middle ages/ adults who can afford to buy chevrolet.

Reflect:
This work is rather different compared with the last advertising work (Bright House Network Bundles Campaign)
Fistly, the style is completely different, this one use graphic elements and 2D effect can send a sense of "nature"(eco- friendly).
Secondly, the pace also different, the last one need to convey the sense of  high technology, but this one need to give viewers more nature sense.
The transition forms can apply in my own work and also the idea of using cirle point to connect all the sence and narrative.
Aesthetic Code
Motion graphics work not just representation of technologies but also should follow some principles of graphic design and animation principels, as well as some composition rules of graphic design.

3. Advertising for Leonard Cheshire Disability



Communication Objective:
This work utilize symoble into motion to demonstrate the idea: it's no problem with the disablity people to lead normal life as ordinary people. This work try to attracte society to put more attention on these disability people and be equal to these people.
Paradigms:

• Typography: use formal type- making it more serious to the theme.
• Color Palette:  just use simple color- black and white, making it more focus on graphic style.
• Signification: this work has a clever idea: just use the symbole/sign of disability(clear message), and some graphic pictures like desk, blasketball, dog, car, boat, fishing, love, children to convey message, showing the normal life.
• Pace/Rhythm: normal/ slow
• Style:  just utilize graphic elements combined with motion forms-this can send message more clearly, specificlly.
• Sound: sound FX, more reality of life
• Narrative: demostrate some sence of ordinary life, like working, cleaning, sporting, entertainment, driving, boating, fishing and making love.
• Audience: disability people and the whole society.

Reflect:From analysing this media I have learnt:

• how to communicate just by simple graphic, making the work more effective to send message.
• take consideration about symbole used in motion graphics design.  

Analysis of Music Video

1.     GAP: <Sound of Color>

What do black and white sound like?

To promote their colorful spring and summer collections, Gap enlisted Chris Do and the Blind team to create a video for Danish post-punk duo Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, better known as The Raveonettes. With only three weeks to conceive and complete the project, the team executed an edgy and elegant exploration of the contradictory forces that black and white represent.

‘Black and White’ utilizes light and shadow to convey the opposing themes of the piece, including love/hate, life/death, young/old, daydream/nightmare, and ugliness/beauty. The narrative unfolds through an innovative mix of shadow puppetry and animation, as two-dimensional characters come alive in a colorless world, underscored by The Raveonettes’ haunting vocals. A majority of the elements used in the video were shot in-camera, and puppeteers’ hands and rigging are often left in the shots to create a more spontaneous and organic aesthetic. The piece retains its whimsy through unexpected visuals, references to the beloved Danish fairy tales of Sune’s youth, and a richly textured physical and emotional landscape that can only be fully experienced after multiple viewings.

2. Gnarls Barkley      <Crazy>

The video opens on a white sheet of paper. In complement to the hypnotic, rolling beat, black ink blooms into expressive, dynamic forms. The ink shifts and re-pours into symmetrical ‘€œtests’€, subtle hints of the lyrics buried within each. The duo that make up Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, recur throughout: the side of a face, a crooning mouth. We slide from one to the next, the barrier between each vignette indistinct, in a firm, accelerating ride through the narrative. The forms evolve, and new ideas are introduced: hints of color add an emotional subtlety, a shock of scattering insects burst from a splattered drop.

3.<Good life> Kanye West
This Music Video use various graphic elements compined with the black and white Live-Action. The graphic elements are  colourful which express the theme- good life. Also, typography is most important elements in this music video. The motion of typography perfectly fit into the music and video pace.

Reflective Statement

Objective:

In order to have a broad understanding of the scope of my AOP- Motion Graphics, I explore different areas in Motion Graphics. Firstly, I focus on music video area, because these music videos have different media approaches and help me to have an appreciation of the technologies.

Learning Outcome:

Although some of these Music videos do not belong to Motion Graphics area, the creative approaches they used really inspire me. Through to analyze different styles of music video, I realize various approaches can be used to express ideas or themes. I also can adapt these approaches to create a motion graphics sequence.

Like:

1.     GAP: <Sound of Color>  Designer utilize shadow puppet approach to convey the opposing themes of this video. Also the style and idea development have given me a lot inspirations when I create a motion graphics work.

2.    Gnarls Barkley: < Crazy>  Today, ink form is a common way to be used in video. But the designer turn the live-Action into ink form animation in this music video, making the style different from ink forms. This work inspire me that how to create a creative approach to express specific themes.   

3.     <Good Life>  This is a great video which utilize graphic elements combined with live-Action. Typography can be as graphic elements perfectly fit into the pace of the motion. Through research of this music video, I learn how to make the typography interactive with the motion appropriately.

Experimental work for the brief of ArjoWiggins Paper- Creative Paper Head

Designer: Qiuhong Xu
Name: Creative Paper Head


Summary of the Brief
•Create a Motion Graphics sequence that can launch OR contribute to a viral movement amongst designersthat unbreakably links ArjowigginsCreative Paperswith creativity and the creative design process.


Communication Goals: Creative Challenge
•motivates designers to use the creative paper when they are designing.
Target Audience
•Designers the world over
visual concepts
Idea: Just think about where will designers' creative ideas/process start with? The creative paper can bring some creative ideas if designers use it.

Visual development

How to evaluate ?

What I have learn from this ?

• Some motion graphics principles used in my final visual work like bird flying, fire balloon, etc utilized the 12 basic Animation principles- Arcs.
• Learn how to evaluate my work and improve it through self-defined criterias.
• Shouls do more tests before make the final-visual work. 

TV Identity- Entertainment Storm Channel

Name:  <Entertainment storm>
Designer: Qiuhong Xu


[Work Description]
This vedio is made for Entertainment  TV program.
The colorful  lines changed  constantly , outlining
the picture  and  title in the screen. After Effect was
the main medium which to make the vedio.

Start from your heart

The video, <Start from your heart> for the brief of Taiwan International Design Competition. The subject of the competiton is "reborn".

Designer: Qiuhong Xu

<Work description>
The so-called crisis，as one kind of psychology , which is always imposed by people of themselves.If everyone can overcome the pressure of their own hearts and open up their hearts, so that the crisis will do not exist,also people who will be reborn .The vedio uses the form of black-and-white stripes to flood the entire Screen,which to imply one kind of fetter.

SWEET-Animation

Name: <Sweet>
Designer: Qiuhong Xu

[Work Description]
All the cartoon characters  are come
from the shape of candy .  This anim
ation is  descriped a comic story which
happened in the world of sweets. 

Visual Development

Webpage Design-Animal Protection Website

Designer: Qiuhong Xu
Name: <Animal Protection Website>
[Work Description]
In order to better warn people that 
if we have do not protect  these
animals, they will disappear in the
future, the entire webpages was
designed in the form of black and
white. In other words, without the
animals,the world would become
a dull place to live in.


Layout of the web design

Index page

Content page

Web Design-Beijing Operal Website

Designer: Qiuhong Xu
Name: Beijing Operal Website
[Work Description]
The website was designed to introduce the
culture of Beijing Opera.  Some traditional
elements were applied in the pages.


Screen Shoot

Index page

 Content page

Web design-Coffee Website Design

[Work Description]
Name: <Sofa>
The website is designed for the coffee shop,
 which is called “sofa”.The most important
element in the pages is a  takeout coffee cup .
In the index page, you can turn around the
cup by your  mouse  and you will find navig
ation buttons,  and then you can link  the co
ntent pages. Also, there are some interesting
animations  if you point  the mouse to  the
pictures.      

<Srceen Shot>

                                                    

                                  Index page

About Us page

Coffee page

Contact page

Dessert page

Guaid page