DSDN 142 Project 3 (27/5/2011)

This is my final video for project 3. I feel that there are still certain areas that could of been improved on such as having the camera not shake as much, however I stil feel that the end result of my video is still a pleasing result and succsesfully displaying a loop function.

DSDN 142 Project 3 (26/5/2011)

This is my storyboard for my final film for project 3.

References-
Song reference- Examslam- Rushjet
website reference- 8bc.org

DSDN Project 3 (24/5/2011)

After talking to my tutors and showing my video, we decided some changes were in order. The first change was the music. The mario theme song wasn't really fitting into the video so I searched for a sound I felt had that that poppy element and fitted into the video. In the end I found a song called "Examslam" by Rushjet 1 on a website called "8bc.org". I felt that this particular song was working well with my video because it had a good build up feeling that matches the build up the lego men do to the robot.

The second change was to my use of text "Boom!!" This had to change because words were not allowed to be used for this particular project. I searched up some symbols that would be suitable to represent the death of the alien. In the end I decided that a skull head would accurately represent the death of my alien character because a skull is commonly used to show the death of many living life forms such as people and animals.

Song used off 8bc.org- "Examslam" by Rushjet 1


Image used to show the death of my alien.-

DSDN project 3 (23/5/2011)

I started doing my description on how my stop motion video relates to a loop function. Areas I talked about with my description included what my video is about, how it relates to a loop function and how the lego men are a successful metaphor for my video. This is what I will be explaining in my description before the hand in date (27/5/2011).

DSDN project 3 (21/5/2011)-

After a full day of taking photos, I ended up with a total of 600 photos and a video length of 55 seconds. The video has what I discussed earlier and has two lego men looping the same actions as each other again and again to show a loop function. The main objective they’re trying to achieve is to build a robot that will fight the alien that threatens to invade the lego world.

DSDN project 3 (20/5/2011)-

During this tutorial, I went down to take photos for my final stop motion video. I ended up deciding that the background scenery was lacking for the film so I decided to make some lego towers. I felt this would help to make the background look like it suited the scene more than just a plain white background.

Below are some photos to show what the scene will look like and what view the final video will show.

DSDN project 3 (18/5/2011)-

After looking at my draft video, I decided that I should play and record my own music rather than using another artists song, because of copyright issues. I began to do some research into a song that I thought would suit this video. In the end I found one on YouTube that I felt matches my video. The song is the Super Mario Bro theme song and I found a way to be able to play it on guitar. I began to practice a part of the song I found would suit the video and began to record it once I felt I had the part good enough to play long enough for a successful stop motion video. Below is a link I found on Youtube that gave me the idea on how to play the song on guitar and the video on how to play it is also attached.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq8y5NlxJjw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPHKBSjgHek&feature=related

“Artist: Nintendo. Song: Super Mario Bros Theme Song.”

DSDN project 3 (15/5/2011)-

I took some practice shots for a sample film for my tutors to see where I am taking my stop motion idea and whether it is heading along the right track. The film is only 18 seconds, but I am hoping that the final film will be a lot longer if possible. The sample film is displaying my two lego men repeating the same looping action again and again to show the repetition of a looping action and how its slowly building up to its end climax with the same action again and again.

DSDN project 3 (14/5/2011)-

I started to take some test shots of where I wanted everything to be set out (lighting, camera angles etc) and have attached some photos on where I want the lights to sit so that the shadows can be seen and what kind of view I will take the photos at for the stop motion film. 

DSDN project 3 (8/5/2011)-

Cost/Equipment plan-

The cost of my materials was not too expensive. I had most of my materials already such as the lego pieces and the digital camera. When doing my test shots the camera was sitting stable on the foam pad I brought (this was my only cost).

Materials used for project 3-

—  Digital Camera- have.

—  Foam board for the film (will be where the camera sits and where the lego men do all the actions)

—  Lego pieces- Obtain at home and possibly buy more pieces if need be.

DSDN project 3 Timeline(8/5/2011)-

I sketched out a time plan that I will be following when doing my stop motion video. The video itself is not hard to create but is a little time consuming. However it is still achievable to do in the time frame given for this project, as long as I actually do stick to the plan and take photos.

—  14/5/2011- Begin test shots with lego peices at te aro and gathering the bits needed to start the film and what the layout will look like.

—  15/5/2011- Begin to start photo shooting and starting with them on nero-vision.

—  17/5/2011- prepare if asked to present progress and continue with photos for the film.

—   20/5/2011- Continue with photos for film (including 21^st and 22^nd)

—  23/5/2011- Begin to write up the 200-300 word description on my film (due 27^th May).

—  24/5/2011- Aim to have most of the photos completed and just touching up on the film.

—  26/5/2011- have description ready to hand in.

—  28/5/2011- touch up on film if need be and check everything is in order to present my film.

   —  31/5/2011- final presentation and exhibition start.

My top 3 ideas for DSDN project 3 (7/5/2011)-

After discussing my ideas for project 3 with my tutors, we came to the conclusion that a stop motion would have the best overall effect and would stand out well.

I began to focus on looking at my top 3 ideas for stop motion and decided that my best idea for the stop motion film is the idea of having lego men performing the same action of building a robot again and again until the robot is completely built and ready to fight an alien. This is because a loop function is when a particular action is repeated again and again until it has reached its goal and having lego men repeating the same action of building a robot again and again until the robot is built represents the repeating cycle of a loop function. I went with this idea over the other two because it’s a lot more fun to make than a house or bridge and is something that you wouldn’t mind watching again and again because it’s fun to watch and is interesting.

I have attached a YouTube link that helped give me the idea on using lego people to display a loop and how this piece of coding language operates. For example there’s a scene on the video where a lego worm comes out of the ground (at 16 seconds) and continuously repeats the same diving action again and again to create numbers. This is displaying the loop function because it’s constantly repeating the same action to achieve its purpose- To dive to the ground to create numbers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qsWFFuYZYI

Below is a final diagram of my final 3 ideas on doing a Stop motion film for Project 3.

DSDN Project 3 (6/5/2011)

To make sure that my idea on the loop function was correct, I researched some coding examples on open processing and tried to alter them to see if my idea on a loop function is correct.

Below are a couple of links that relate to my research into loop functions. The first link is to the original piece of code showing a loop function which I tried to alter. The second link is my alteration to the loop exemplar I found in the first link. I altered it by having it still looping around and around again, but changed it so that when one of these functions is clicked on it stops. However it’s not just that one loop clicked that stops. All the loops stop as well. This is so that when one loop is clicked on, then all the loop functions are affected as well. This is to display that when you affect one of these clones, then you affect all of them. 

http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=10592

http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=29181

DSDN project 3 (4/5/2011)-

After some thinking, I decided that I was going to use a "Loop" function as my programming language for project 3.

To me a loop function is a clone of a piece of program when one of these clones is affected, then all of them are affected. The loop function continues to operate the same action again and again until it has reached its goal it is trying to achieve.

DSDN project 3 (3/5/2011)-

After getting the brief for our third project "The exhibition" I began to review some of my coding in the last project for and see what programming language I know the best and can describe well.

Coding language I chose as an option for project 3- 


If/else- states that if it is not that particular option, then it is the other choice that is selected.

Loop- A clone of a programming language and if one of these clones is affected, then all the clones are effected.

Variable-  An area where all the information is stored.

Brainstorm on possible ideas for Project 3-


Below is a brainstorm on some of the possible ideas I have on what I could use to present my
choice of coding language. Ideas included Stop motion film and Photography.