Reflection of Assignments 1 & 2

For Assignment 1 I extracted, from the theme of fence, the concept of freedom by breaking through boundaries. As a follow-on from this, Assignment 2 concentrated on a more architecturally oriented concept of crossing thresholds with an emphasis on the human spatial experience from one space across a threshold to another. The modeling techniques used for Assignments 1 & 2 were aimed at creating a sense of realism and context to the scene by creating a life-like environment with human characters/ buildings/automobiles etc. Both assignments focused on the literal representation of the concepts rather than an abstract representation. In both assignments I was able to create an engaging sense of movement and rhythm by incorporating musical soundtracks that in themselves evoke themes of danger, release, and exploration. To make Assignment 2 more interesting and evocative, I took the concept of crossing thresholds and implemented it into the transitions between the scenes of the animation.

Specific modeling techniques I experimented with include adding noise modifiers to cameras in order to produce camera shake. The use of reflections, low light, and slow moving camera techniques coupled with a matching soundtrack allowed me to produce a particular feeling of suspense. In the second assignment I used Resolume to add more drama to the animation by creating fragmented yet cohesive transitions between scenes as well as applying colour filters, slow motion effects, reverse effects, and alpha delay effects to help define the pace of the animation. Realism was further explored in 3DS Max through the use of hair/fur modifiers, Raytrace mirror materials, and background photographs of skies and urban environments.