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Digital Graphic Narrative

Development

Jamie Kessel

Shape Task

EvaluationWhat did you like about your image?

I particularly liked how the image managed to look despite being very much in a cartoon style. Despite using minimal amounts of shapes I managed to create and image which really captured a cartoon version of a goat. Another thing which really appealed to me was the fact that I was able to add texture to my image by layering shapes, for example in the wood. To add to this, I used the gradient overlay tool to give texture to the legs and stomach of the goat, which really appealed to me and helped me to bring the image to life.

What would you improve if you did it again?

Using the stroke tool to add a solid black line around that goat would’ve been something I would consider if making the image again. I think that this would add to the cartoon style of the image, but also help to accentuate and define the shape of the goat. Another thing I would’ve improved was the level of detail in the background of the image. Possibly adding clouds or some shrubbery in would help to create atmosphere within the image. To add to all this, I would’ve possibly considered slightly changing the shape of the belly patch if given the chance to create the piece again, as I now have a higher level of skill in creating nice looking highlights which don’t look glued on.

Rotoscope

Rotoscope 2

Rotoscope 3


I liked the sort of quirky and individual effect that the first image has, and despite not being the most accurate representation of Liam Gallagher, it manages to accentuate and exaggerate some of his prominent features in an eccentric fashion, sort of like a caricature styled rotoscope. My usage of the standard lasso and magnetic lasso tool rather than the polygonic lasso tool when selecting shapes, helped to give me this quirky and artistic look. So to conclude, what I really liked about the image was it’s individuality, It differs from your average straight edge rotoscope. With my second Rotoscope, I went for the classic lines rotoscope by adopting the polygonic lasso tool to select shapes rather than the magnetic lasso tool. I particularly liked with this image how I managed to display key features within Ronalinho without actually using hard edges, but instead using highlights and lowlights to indicate the change in depth. I also like how the straight lines give the image a very contemporary and digital feeling, and achieve an image which couldn’t be replicated by hand.

What would you improve if you did it again

Although I did really like the first image in terms of it’s uniqueness, I wanted to play around with the more traditional rotoscoping style in order to benefit my set of skills when making my book in the future. I did so in my second image, by using the harder edges and more jagged lines. Another element which given the chance to make the images again, I might have considering incorporating, would have been some form of rotoscope background. This I feel would have added depth to the image, and further diversify my skill set before creating the book.

Text Based


I enjoy the multitude of different text based tools within Photoshop which have been adopted in order for me to be able to achieve a large variation of different effects. Each of which with qualities different from the next. In this way, I like how I’ve been able to demonstrate such a multitude of skills. I particularly like the beer style text which I created within the image, in which I adopted the clipping mask tool in order to create an effect where it looks like the beer fills up the text. The reason that I feel that particular example within the image is outstanding from the rest is due to it’s ability to represent part of my personality through such a simple technique. I also liked how I was able to demonstrate the letter spacing tool within Photoshop in this image, by presenting a word in which the letters were pushed closer to one another, as well as one where the letters were pushed further apart from one another. The fact that I used my own name for all the text in this image added to the personalised feeling in my opinion, which was another element I enjoyed.


Although I really like the image, one thing I might have improved if given the chance to make it again would be the inclusion of more than one beer bottle cut-out on the piece of text furthest to the bottom. This would have been interesting in order to create a pattern effect, rather than just having one lone cut-out. Having said this, I also feel that the effect given through only using one cut-out is in some ways nicer than if it had been a patterned effect, due to it' simplicity and elegance. Another element I might want to consider could be changing the font of the ‘beer fill’ text. By doing so I could find a text which was thicker and more clumped together, which could help to accentuate the effect.

Comic Book

Comic Book


I particularly like with these images how I’ve managed to adopt such an abstract comic look using minimal shapes, colours and edges but at the same time still manage to accurately portray each of the film stills by capturing the key features. I managed to capture key features of the subjects within both the images by using 2 layers and blending them together with Photoshop’s merge tool, which allowed me to accentuate certain features. To add to this, I like how the complete blackness around ‘The Jigsaw’ creates a bordering for the image and adds to the high contrast look. These images might be good in a children’s book in terms of their artwork style due to their simple nature, and this is something I can take from these images in order to influence my future work.


There isn’t much which I would consider changing in these images, but possibly using even fewer edges may have been interesting and allowed for an even more surreal and abstract final image. In the pulp fiction image, I could’ve considered using the colourise tool in Photoshop and made the image red, in order to connote the violence associated with the film. This might have added further emotion, and helped to really portray the film and depict the violent nature of the scene. Obviously one other element which I would have to consider if using this style of imagery within the context of a children’s book, is the dark and violent nature of both the stills which I have edited to create the images. Having said this, I could achieve a very similar look to these images by using child friendly stills or images rather than explicit ones.

Photography

‘Surprised’ ‘Content’

‘Curious ’ ‘Solemn’


I liked how the images managed to portray a range of different emotions through facial expressions and body language. Another element of the images which I really liked is the fact that they capture the young man in great detail, so all his details, features and blemishes are made apparent, which couldn’t be achieved through digitally creating the image or through hand illustration. Finally, I enjoy the comical value of this set of images, which if I was to apply to the context of a children’s book, would be appealing to young children and provide them with entertainment.


If I had the option to produce these images again, there would be a few things which I might consider. One of which would be the possibility of using some different lighting to achieve either more vibrant well lit images or more dark and solemn looking images depending on the emotion I was trying to display with the particular image. I could’ve also possibly incorporated some post production into the images to do this, by playing around with various settings in Photoshop. Another option I might have explored could’ve been to play around with the depth of field and shutter speed in order to achieve surreal looking images. The ‘solemn’ image is slightly blurred, which might have been a result of not using a tripod. By using a tripod if taking the photo again, I could eliminate this issue.

Illustration

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?

I liked the artistic flair which I was able to demonstrate through hand illustrations rather than digitally produced images, and the way that I was able to incorporate my own style into the illustrations. To add to this, the fact that that the drawings are all original content unlike a rotoscope of an internet image means that I can take complete ownership over the images and not have to worry about being criticised for copying the work of others.


If I could do the work again, I might have considered incorporating more colours into the alien artwork. This might have added more character to the image, which is something often considered important in illustrations, especially children’s illustrations.

Initial Ideas

First Ideas for Story: exploring traditional literature

Folktales (Common folk, often have morals, talking animals):

Pyramus and Thisbe

How the Cowherd found a wife

The Greedy Youngster

Why Brother Bear Has No Tail

Fairytales (Magic orientated, ‘Disnified’, also often have morals, happily ever after style ending):Beauty and The BeastThe Frog PrinceThe Three Little PigsPeter Pan

Myths/Legends (Exaggerated historical facts, often set in Classical History, often contain themes of Gods and their relationships with humansThesues and The MinotaurPersueus and MedusaHerculesPandora’s Box

Idea Generation

Mood board of inspiration

ProposalDimensions

Amount of pages: 12 Page dimensions: 26.5x26 cm

Story OverviewA lonely young space princess lives on a desolate planet far far away, in a cyber palace with her cyber king father. She is very bored all the time, and there isn’t much to do in space, but one day her father gives her a sacred space ball which has the gravitational properties of an object from earth. She can finally play with something without it flying away into space. This makes very happy, so she goes and plays with it every day. One day the ball gets stuck in one of the planet’s craters, and she can’t get it out. Just as she walks home to tell her father, a small alien appears and offers to retrieve the ball for her if she promises to live and play with him forever. He retrieves the ball from the crater for her, and the next day he turns up at the cyber palace and reminds her of the promise. She kicks up a fuss and runs to her father, who reminds her that a promise is a promise, so she is forced to play and live with the alien. At first she hates the alien’s company and wishes she hadn’t agreed to the promise, but after a while she begins yo like him for his personality despite his ugly appearance. This then breaks the spell cast upon the alien and he returns to his space prince form. They have a space marriage and live happily ever after.

Export Format

JPEGAdvantages: JPEG files have the advantage of being raster images, so they can be compressed to an appropriate size before the exporting process. This will mean that I can make sure export times are kept to a minimal amount of time. This will also help to ensure that my computer isn’t slowed down by large files. Jpeg files are also universally compatible across multiple platforms and operating systems, which gives me the advantage of not having to worry about compatibility issues if using more than one operating system throughout the production process.

Disadvantages: The main disadvantage I will be faced with when using Jpeg files as my export format is the fact that raster images can lose quality when expanded, so I’ll have to aim to compromise between quality loss and file size when exporting. Additionally, after converting my files to JPEG and exporting, the image’s layers will become merged into one, which will mean I can’t change the layers unless I go back to the original Photoshop document and change them. This shouldn’t come as a problem, but even if it does, I can go back to the original document.

Deadline

15/5/15

Audience

My book will be aimed at children from the ages of 3-6. The younger part of this audience can have the book read to them by a parent, and the older half can use the book to progress their basic reading skills. My book is aimed at both males and females, however I estimate that more boys will choose to read my book than girls, due to the space theme. There isn’t really a certain class or geodemographic which I have targeted as such, but generally I believe my book will be more popular amongst middle class families in the UK, who have enough money to buy their children books to read, and can speak English (hence the UK geodemographic).

Production Methods

I will use predominantly Photoshop’s shape morphing tool in order to for them illustrations for my pages, with possibly some rotoscoping incorporated into it. The reason for choosing shape morphing is because it has the advantage of producing basic and child friendly images which are suitable for my young audience. They give a cartoon style, and also require more individual creativity than other techniques such as ‘cartoon filter’, so in my eyes comes at an advantage and allows me to incorporate my own artistic flair within the book. Rotoscopes might prove useful if I feel they are necessary, as they produce more detailed and accurate looking images, but preferably I will stick to purely shape morphed images. Some text morphing techniques on Photoshop such as widening the gaps between letters might help me to make sure my text is aesthetically pleasing and easy for the child to read. Within my page structure, the images will take up most of the space, with text fitted around the image. I’ve chosen to use this idea due to the fact that many young children like have to large narrations and pictures, and it helps them to build a clearer picture of what’s going on. I also plan to incorporate some text within the actual environment of the narration, so some text will be placed directly onto my images in order to create a more interactive experience for my audience.

What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?

The proposal is very in-depth. There is a lot of knowledge and understand put into it. The proposal shows that all aspects of the idea generation have been thought through.

1. A disadvantage is needed for the export format box

2. The story outline could be clearer3. The top dimensions box has mistakes and

doesn’t make full sense

What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been further developed?

The mindmap and mood board show that the story line has been though through and how it would be displayed in the book has also been thought about. The mood board gives an exact description of what the characters and setting will be like. The clarity of the mood map give a good reference point when writing about different aspects of the book such as target audience, fonts and morals.


The proposal contains a lot of detail and in depth analysis of most of the sections that are required, especially within the production methods, you clearly understand how you will create the different pages for your book. Very detailed explanation about your target audience which will come in handy when creating your book as you know exactly who you are targeting your book at and so will be able to make decisions about whether they’ll like a certain font etc.

Some disadvantages will be needed for the exports box, and to show you understand the file format more you could also add a couple more advantages. You could add the size of the book or pages within the dimensions box so we can get a rough idea of how big the book will be.


Covered a lot of general themes and ideas for your book, so you know what the general theme of the planet will look like where the story is based as well as what the different characters will look like. The pictures that accompany the mood boards will help people to understand how you want your book to look. The storyline for the book you are planning on creating has also been thought about thoroughly so you will be able to storyboard the key points from the story effectively.

You could have added a general mind map which shows how you have looked at different existing fairytale books for children and the different styles of creating these books, so we understand how you came up with the final idea of putting a twist onto an existing fairy tale. This could be used to put your original thoughts and ideas onto a page when you were first coming up with an idea for a children’s book. What books did you use as inspiration? What styles stood out to you of existing books? What size of book would you think appeals to younger children?


One strength of the proposal is the high level of detail in the storyline adaptation. This will not only be appealing to new readers, it may also entice adults that remember the original story.Another strength is how the production process is explained. It is very thorough and helps to portray how the book is going to look.

One area for improvement would be to consider the file format for exporting. Using JPEG may create some quality issues if compression is used to keep the file size down. PDF may be a better option for a page with both images and texts.Another area to consider is the layout and design of your pages. I’m unsure on how you’re going to position your texts and images.


One strength is the mood board’s detail and written explanations. This allowed me to have a clear understanding of the thought process when you chose your book and it’s contents.Another strength is the font choices outlined for the title and body. Using the correct terminology with sans and sans serif gave me a clear impression on how each font would benefit the reader.

One area could be the inclusion of what stories and plots were thought of within the mindmap. Although it is highly detailed, including some references on existing books and stories could help to increase it’s clarity.

Feedback Summary

Sum up your feedback.

The feedback I have received has proved very useful, and highlighted issues and areas which could be improved within both my ideas generation and my proposal. All three people have provided a heavy level of feedback, each using explanations in order to help me to understand why I should improve certain elements and how improving them will benefit my work. Although I don’t agree with some of what has been said, almost all of it I agree with. The positive feedback has given me confidence in my work, and the negative feedback has been constructive rather than destructive, which means I can benefit from it rather than feeling bad about my work.

Which parts of your feedback do you agree with and why?I agree that within the ideas generation I could've explored and researched more into the possible different children’s book types and styles of literature, which is something all three people mentioned within their feedback. I can easily go back and add more.I also agree with the positive feedback I received which described my attention to detail in terms of backing up my decisions, and being able to structure my work well with analysing techniques and arguments used.I am fully aware that I hadn’t fully completed the file format section of my proposal, which all of the feedback slides mentioned. I agree with this, and plan to go back and add greater detail in regards to the positives and negatives of using a certain file type.

Which parts of your feedback do you disagree with and why?

I disagree with one piece of negative feedback from the first feedback slide, which stated that they felt I hadn’t described the storyline of my book clearly enough. Personally I felt that my ability to summarise the narrative within a short paragraph was more than adequate. Despite disagreeing with this particular statement, I’ll go back and double check the story outline section to ensure I am happy that it is clear and easy to understand.

Story structure and breakdown into separate pages:

1. Lonely princess in space who lived with her space king father2. Very lonely and there wasn’t much to do in space3. Dad gives her magic gravity ball and she goes and plays4. Loved playing with ball, but one day drops ball in crater and cries

for help.5. Alien appears and makes offer to get the ball back6. Terms and conditions discussed and ball retrieved7. Happy princess runs off home8. Alien turns up in morning and reminds princess of deal9. Dad reminds her to keep promise and she agrees10.Many nights pass where the princess hates the alien’s company.11.Time passes and princess learns to like the alien despite

unattractive appearance.12.Alien’s curse is broken and he turns in to prince and they live

happily every after.

The Storyboard…

I’m so bored and lonely.

I have a gift for you!

Oh no!

I’ll get your ball back if you promise to…

Oh my, you actually did it!

Lonely princess in space who lived with king father.

Very lonely and there wasn’t much to do in space.

Dad gives her magic gravity ball and she goes and plays.

Loved playing with ball, but one day drops ball in crater and cries for help.

Alien appears and makes offer to get the ball back.

Terms and conditions discussed and ball retrieved.

You’ve broke my curse!

I’m starting to like you I guess!

This sucks, You’re so ugly…

At last I have my ball back… Remember

the promise you made me?

A promise is a promise, you should know that…

Happy princess runs off home.

Alien turns up in morning and reminds princess of deal.

Dad reminds her to keep promise and she agrees.

Many nights pass where the princess hates the alien’s company.

Time passes and princess learns to like the alien despite unattractive appearance.

Alien's curse is broken and he turns into prince, they live happily ever after.

Storyboards

Original Script

Narrator 1 Frog / PrinceThe Frog Prince, or Iron Henryby the Brothers GrimmNarrator 2Princess KingHenryOnce upon a time there was a princess who went out into a forest and sat next to a cool well. She took great pleasure in throwing a golden ball into the air and catching it, but once it went too high. She held out her hand with her fingers curved to catch it, but it fell to the ground and rolled and rolled right into the water.Horrified, the princess followed it with her eyes, but the well was so deep that she could not see its bottom. Then she began to cry bitterly.I'd give anything, if only I could get my ball back. I’d give up my clothes, my precious stones, my pearls-- anything in the world.At this a frog stuck his head out of the water Princess, why are you crying so bitterly?Oh, you ugly frog, how can you help me? My golden ball has fallen into the well.I do not want your pearls, your precious stones, and your clothes, but if you'll accept me as a companion and let me sit next to you and eat from your plate and sleep in your bed, and if you'll love and cherish me, then I'll bring your ball back to you.(Thinking to herself) What is this stupid frog trying to say? After all, he does have to stay here in the water. But still, maybe he can get my ball. I'll go ahead and say yes. (To the frog) Yes, to everything you’ve asked. Just bring me back my golden ball.The frog stuck his head under the water and dove to the bottom. He returned a short time later with the golden ball in his mouth and threw it onto the land.NarratorNarratorPrincess:Narrator Frog: Princess:Frog:Princess:Narrator1:2:1:2:-1-Narrator 1:Frog:Narrator 2: Narrator 1:Frog: Narrator 2:King: Princess:Frog:King: Narrator 1:Frog: Princess: King:When the princess saw her ball once again, she rushed toward it, picked it up, and was so happy to have it in her hand again, that she could think of nothing else than to run home with it. Wait, princess! I can’t run like you can! Take me with you like you promised! The princess paid no attention to to the frog. The next day the princess was sitting at her table when she heard something coming up the marble steps: plop, plop. Then there came a knock at the door. Princess, princess, open the door for me! She opened the door and saw it was the frog, whom she had put completely out of her mind. Frightened, she slammed the door shut and returned to the table.

Source: http://sb.westfordk12.us/pages/specialed/rich/post1/03C3E937-011F7A25

Original ScriptDaughter, why are you afraid? There is a disgusting frog out there who got my golden ball out of the water. I promised him that he could be my companion, but I didn't think that he could leave his water. Now he is just outside the door and wants to come in. Youngest daughter of the king, Open up the door for me, Don't you know what yesterday, You said to me down by the well? Youngest daughter of the king, Open up the door for me. What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in. The princess obeyed, and the frog hopped in, then he followed the princess to her chair.Lift me up onto your chair and let me sit next to you. I will not! My daughter, you must!- :So the princess did as she was told and placed the frog on the table next to her. Now push your golden plate closer. I want to eat from it. I will not! Daughter, you must!So the princess did as she was told and moved the golden plate closer to the frog. The frog ate until he could eat no more. Now I am tired and want to sleep. Take me to your room, and make a place for me in your bed, so that I can sleep beside you. The princess was horrified when she heard that. She was afraid of the cold frog and could barely stand to touch him, and yet he was supposed to lie next to her in her bed. She began to cry.I will not!(Angrily) Daughter, you should not despise the one who helped you when you were in trouble! You must do as you promised. There was no helping it; she had to do what her father wanted, but in her heart she was bitterly upset. She picked up the frog with two fingers, carried him to her room, and placed him in a corner. Then she climbed into her bed.I am tired, Princess, and I want to sleep as much as you. Lift me into your bed, or I will tell your father. So filled with contempt, the princess picked up the frog. But instead of laying him next to herself, she threw him as hard as she could against the wall. Now you will leave me in peace, you ugly, odious frog!But when he fell down, he was no longer a frog, but a handsome young prince.-3-Prince: Narrator 2:Narrator 1: Narrator 2:Prince: Henry:Narrator 1:I was bewitched by a wicked witch, and only you could rescue me from the well. Tomorrow we will go together to my kingdom. And so they became dear companions and were wed the next morning. The prince's faithful servant, Henry, arrived in a splendid carriage drawn by eight horses and decorated with feathers and glistening with gold. Faithful Henry had been so saddened by the prince's enchantment that he had placed three iron bands around his heart to keep it from bursting in sorrow. The prince climbed into the carriage with the princess. His faithful servant stood ready to drive them to his kingdom. After they had gone a short distance, the prince heard a loud crack as if something had broken. Henry, the carriage is breaking apart. No, my lord, the carriage it's not breaking. That is a band that surrounds my heart, that suffered such great pain when you were sitting in the well, when you were a frog. Once again, and then once again the prince heard a cracking sound and thought that the carriage was breaking apart, but it was the bands springing from faithful Henry's heart because his master was now free and happy. The End

Final Script

p1. Once upon a time in the future, in a galaxy far far away, a space princess lived with her father, the Space King. They lived in a cyber palace together.p2. The Princess got very lonely in space, and there was no one she could be friends with apart from her father. On the planet they lived on, there wasn’t enough gravity to play with all her toys without them flying away!p3. One day, the king came home to the palace, and said “Look here, I have a magic cyber ball for you! You can play now!”. The princess was very exited, and went off to play with her new toy.p4. She played with her new ball all the time, but one day it fell into a space crater. She was very upset, and shouted ‘Help! I’ve dropped my ball!’. She then heard something in the distance.p5. Out of nowhere, an ugly alien jumped out and approached the princess. The alien said “I’ll get your ball princess, if you promise to stay by my side all the time and play with me”. p6. The princess smirked at the alien, and said “okay then alien, get my ball for me!”. With this, alien leapt into the crater and back out of it. He had got the ball!p7. “Here you go”, he said. The princess greedily grabbed the ball before running off home with the ball in her arms, shouting “yes! I have my ball back!”.p8. The next morning the princess got up and walked down her cyber stairs, only to be greeted by the alien from last night! “Hello”, he said. “Do you remember my promise?”.p9. The princess looked at the alien and chuckled to herself, but was shortly interrupted by the King who said, “A promise is a promise princess, you must always stick to a promise”. She then folded her arms in a strop and agreed reluctantly.p10. A few days went by, and the princess hated the alien’s company and couldn’t get past his ugly looks. But some time passed…p11. She started to like the alien’s personality despite him being so ugly, and started to learn to like him from the inside rather than judging him from the outside. “You know what”, she said. “You are a nice alien and I like you”.p12. As soon as the princess said this, the alien started magically turning into a prince. “You’ve broke my curse!”, he said. “Thank you!”. The princess looked shocked, but instantly fell in love with the handsome man. All it took was a some words of kindness to break the curse, and the princess learnt to never judge a book by it’s cover. They then had a space marriage, and lived happily ever after…

Digital Flat Plans

Second half of flat plan

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Education