from the session we did on the brief concerning our primal ideas
Thursday 9 May 2013
OUGD406. Design Practice. Speaking From Experience.
having been introduced to the new module brief - speaking from experience i made an initial reaction to the brief. it is basically asking us to consider our main difficulties at the start of this year and, in relation, produce a helpful/advising/interesting/entertaining graphic response to that problem for next years 1st years.
from the session we did on the brief concerning our primal ideas
from the session we did on the brief concerning our primal ideas
OUGD406. Design Practice 1. Communication Is A Virus. Research and Context.
from the group meeting we were given the project theme of 10,000 steps. the understanding, decided meaning and method of communication surrounding this topic were up to us as a group and depended on the research we gathered and how we were to interpret it.
we began by thinking about what 10,000 steps could mean prior to gathering any information.
- literally 10,000 steps: taking 10,000 steps with your feet, stepping 10,000 times - i thought that it might have something to do with a healthy lifestyle before we researched it, something like getting 5 fruit and vegetables a day.
- 10,000 stairs: places or buildings with 10,000 stairs in them.
- 10,000 steps as tasks: steps as in guides/methods to achieving something. step 1 - do something, step 2 - do something else etc.
- 10,000 steps as a route: walks or routes that took 10,000 steps to do.
from these intuitive pre-conceptions we went online to gather secondary research that would help us to understand the theme and in turn our concept.
according to research i found online, and as advised by the nhs, people should aim to get around 10000 steps a day to maintain basic fitness and health. 10000 steps can help improve your cardiovascular, lower your colesterol and weight, produce positive endorphines and improve your overall health. by walking an average of 10,000 steps a day you can exercise a range of muscles that you can neglect if driving or taking the bus etc.
The average person walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day, and 1,000 steps is the equivalent of around 10 minutes of brisk walking.
A person weighing 70kg (about 11 stone) can burn about 440 calories by walking 10,000 steps briskly (3.5mph).
The amount of exercise that is recommended depends on your age. Adults between 19 and 64 should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity – such as fast walking or cycling – per week.
so the nhs advises that 10,000 steps a day should maintain your basic healthy lifestyle in terms of physical activity. i found this an interesting concept as most people know and understand the recommendation of eating 5 fruit and vegetables a day as part of a basic healthy diet but it isn't nearly as well known about the physical activity side of it. i found it surprising that the nhs hadn't done more to promote this as a campaign like you see with other campaigns on tv. if people were to make an effort to include 10,000 steps into their daily routine the country may see a rise in health and fitness.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) can give you a healthy heart and reduce body fat.
"If pedometers stimulate people to walk more frequently, that would be fantastic and could make a real difference to the nation's health."
An average walking speed is about 5 to 6 km/h (3 to 4 mph). It would take about an hour and 20 minutes to walk 5 miles.
Step Length: The distance from the heel print of one foot to the heel print of the other foot. This is the distance traveled forward by a single leg. An average that you will see listed in many places is 2.2 feet (0.67 meters) for women and 2.5 feet (0.762 meters) for men, but it depends very much on height.
You are not likely to get a useful value, based only on the person's height.
Surprisingly, height is one of the least relevant factors affecting step
size.
Step size (p - pace length) is determined by walking speed (v - velocity)
and pace frequency (c - cadence):
p = v / c
i.e. pace length equals walking speed divided by cadence.
Observe a column of soldiers marching - regardless of their height they will
be "in step". Thus they will be moving at the same speed, cadence and pace
length - regardless of their different individual heights.
i think the above information is really useful and intelligently presented. it is true that height does not really come into play when considering the length of a step. so i decided to test the equation.
it takes me approx 25 seconds to walk 100 metres so my average walking speed is 100m/25secs = 4m/s or 4 metres per second.
i take 48 steps in 100 metres so my average pace frequency is 100m/48stps = 2.08stps/m or 2.08 steps per metre.
so my pace length would be 4/2.08 = 1.92ft.
i think this size might be about right but im not sure that i used the equation correctly or did the maths right so i dont really know if this is correct but i measured by stride from standing a few times and it came out at 1.3ft, 1.5ft, 1.3ft, 1.4ft, 1.4ft. so from this i decided that my maths was out but it was still interesting and useful and theory and to find my average step distance which id say is around 1.5-1.6 feet.
The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.
the average step length is 2.6 feet or about 31 inches
am currently a 21 yr. old Male at 5'11" with a stride of 34.42 +/- .42 inches
Each 2,000-2,500 steps is about a mile. Walking a mile burns about 80 calories for a 150-pound person. Depending on your weight, 10,000 steps burns between 250 and 600 calories. Most weight loss programs recommend burning 200-300 calories per day in moderate to vigorous exercise.
having gathered some information about steps and distances i felt it was important to understand a bit about how a step occurs biologically, so the muscle movements, the way the leg works etc.
Walks are very complex. Not only do the feet have to move across the ground, but the hips, spine, arms, shoulders and head all move in sync to maintain balance in the system.
a step is dependant on all the necessary muscles in the body working together. as the first step is taken the muscles in the leading leg (the one in the air taking the step) contract to pull the leg up into a bent position. at this point all the bodys weight is on the standing leg which is tensed and at the flattest point that entire foot (ball and heel) is touching the ground. as the body moves forward its weight is shifted to the balls and toes of the standing foot and the calfs of that leg tense to move the body up and forward in order to carry the weight to the other leg. as the leading leg comes down towards the ground the calf muscles relax and the thigh tenses to take the impact of that leg hitting the ground. the knee bends slightly to take the impact and the foot hits the floor usually heel first. the muscles surrounding the knee of the standing leg then contract as the wight is lifted off it and the leg is bent up into a near right angled position and then the process occurs the other way round.
the body's centre of gravity lies in the hips, so all motion must be equalled throughout the body via the hips in order to maintain balance. as the hips are connected to the spine the same movements the hips make are mirrored through the spine by the shoulders but in the opposite way. so if the right leg was the forward leg taking the step the right hip would rotate forward to carry the movement of the leg. to balance this out the right shoulder would rotate backwards to allow balance and the forward movement of the right leg.
gaining an understanding or how we walk and what occurs, biologically, when we take a step helped me understand the physics and practical application of walking, especially in order to get healthy. in understanding the process of the theme of our project i was more informed and focussed in working on our project.
from the idea of promoting 10,000 steps a day in a dictatorship/propaganda style format i did some research into dictatorships and existing propaganda to inform my understanding of the styles and tactics used.
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual: a dictator. For some scholars, a dictatorship is a form of government that has the power to govern without consent of those being governed (similar to authoritarianism), while totalitarianism describes a state that regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior of the people. In other words, dictatorship concerns the source of the governing power and totalitarianism concerns the scope of the governing power.
The most general term is despotism, a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group,[5] as in anoligarchy. Despotism can mean tyranny (dominance through threat of punishment and violence), or absolutism; or dictatorship (a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator, not restricted by a constitution, laws or opposition, etc.).[6] Dictatorship may take the form of authoritarianism or totalitarianism.
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed towards influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument. Propaganda is usually repeated and dispersed over a wide variety of media in order to create the chosen result in audience attitudes.
propaganda is defined as; the systematic propagation of official government policies through manipulative communications to the public. The propaganda may provide true or false information, but the information is selectively presented in a provoking style to have its maximum emotional effect.
this example of american tobacco propaganda is great in visualising the methodology of connective points. in this poster doctors are the main focus. everyone accepts doctors as professionals who know about health and well being. you go to a doctor when you have something wrong with you and expect them to understand the problem and be able to help cure it. the poster then makes the point that in a survey it was found that camel cigarettes were the most smoked brand amongst doctors. the image of the doctor smoking makes this statement more believable and leads one to accept it more as truth. from these two separate points made (doctors being informed about health and doctors smoking camel most) the brain is lead to make its own informed connection and conclude that camel cigarettes are healthy because doctors smoke them (even though nearly eveyone smoked in those days smoked) and even though it is never actually stated this it what people are lead to believe.
this comic book poster is a more obvious example of how propaganda aims to strike fear into its audience in order to persuade a certain view of thought or a certain outlook on a topic. the fire and clear evil depicted in the poster is not an attractive sight, nor is it a desirable way of life. the poster, similarly to the previous example, makes two points and leaves the audience to 'connect the dots'. it shows an awful way of living and then introduces the idea that communism would be to blame if not for the allied war effort. an audience will instantly link the image and communism together to result in a dislike or even hatred of communism and communist states.
this anti capitalist propaganda poster shows the blunt format of capitalist society but mostly aims to appeal to the lower classes who would be most affected by capitalism and shows how they are the ones at the bottom being exploited. it communicates appropriately to its intended audience by visualising the struggle of the working class in relation to weight. they carry the heaviest load while the upper echelons of society live in ease. an unfair concept which is then exaggerated by the relation between size (few at the top - lots at the bottom) and weight (heavy load at the bottom - light at the top)
the classic propaganda poster to study is george orwell's famous 1984 'BB is watching you' poster. such an iconic use of block sans serif font and brooding imagery works because it is so simple visually and in terms of its message. another tactic of propaganda was to present the intended message so simply and bluntly to an audience that it was irrelevant their reaction because the point stood whatever. this overly confident and highly authoritative method worked in being so sincere that people had no choice but to believe and accept it. in this example people could be sceptical about whether the state could watch everyone always but the way the poster is presented and the tone of voice hint that the state doesnt care if you believe it or not, its simply informing you of that fact.
i felt it would be interesting and useful to gain some understanding of the actual length that is 10,000 steps and be able to picture it comparatively with some known routes, sights, places so its relative and not just a number.
the walk up to this buddah is 240 steps but constantly rising so your doin more exercise than if you just walked 240 steps flat. by walking it 41.6 times you would have done 10,000 steps but would have burned way more calories from the incline.
length of golden gate bridge is 2737 metres = 1.700693 miles. walking the length 2.9 times would equate to around 10000 steps.
oxford street in london is 1.5 miles long and so if you walked it 3.3 times that would equate to 10000 steps.
the height of mount everest is 8,848 m so walking its height once would get you more than 10,000 steps.
the height of the eiffel tower if 324 metres = 0.20132427 miles so walking the length of its height 25 times would equate to 10000 steps
the great wall of china is 13,171 miles long and walking its entire length would equate to around 26342000 steps meaning you would have walked 10000 steps 2634.2 times!
the circumference of the earth is 40,075 km or 24901.45 Miles so walking round the earth once would equate to 49802000 steps.
this website proved very useful as a motivational guidance tool for gettin 10,000 steps a day. http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-10,000-Steps-a-Day
having considered some initial reseach from different sites and publications it was now time for me to conduct my own research into my topic for the infographic along with general research for the project. since our project was on getting 10000 steps a day we thought it necessary to get pedometers to record the different distances we travelled inn a day and the relative steps that took.
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i was suprised to find out that after using the pedometer for a couple of days i was averaging near 10000 steps a day already and this was without even trying so we had found out that it wasnt that hard to achieve.
i recorded some known routes to find out the relative steps to distances that i know:
accomodation door to my room - 116 steps
accomodation to college - 743
college doors to studio doors - 109
accomodation to local supermarket - 442
i then went on to find some routes around leeds that eqauted to 10000 steps.
the otley run in leeds is a well known walk that is 2 miles and isnt even that far. doing this walk 2.5 times would equate to 10000 steps easily and if you do it fast (brisk walk) then it takes less than the 40 min average.
i went on to try and contrust my own route around leeds that went past some places of interest and provided a distance of 10000 steps
Tuesday 7 May 2013
OUGD401. Context of Practice. From Theory into Practice. 'A Brief History of...'
having considered the brief and the requirements it outlined i first thought about what i had studied and what i had learned in the context of practice sessions. because the brief is related to 'the contexts introduced within the first part of this module and the material posted to your blogs' i thought it necessary and informing to go over what i had done so far, what this taught me about design practice and methods, and how i had reacted to and taken in the sessions.
i went onto estudio and read over all the briefs and sessions to re-familiarise myself with what we'd done. i also looked over the different powerpoints and handouts we'd had and went over all my lecture notes so i was refreshed.
having considered a variety of potential topics to go forth with i then re-read the brief.
from these ideas i went on to consider the ones that appealed to me the most in more depth. i was excited by all of my ideas but felt that i would benefit from a more focussed consideration of each and so i chose the ones that stood out to me the most and that i felt would have the most successful and practical application to the brief.
CRIME AND CRIME CINEMA AROUND THE WORLD.
i have decided to split my history and investigation of crime cinema from around the world by continents but i wont be including cinema from every continent as some either dont have any films about crime and gangs or cinema is limited and or in its early years and so does not have a founded or recognisable style.
i am going to look at films from North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia.
North America - i intend to base the north american study around films from the USA, in particular gang life linked to poverty and organised crime. the USA, being a massive and developed country, has a long standing history of crime that, over history, has tailored itself to the american lifestyle.
Casino - a film set in the 70's/80's that depicts the involvement of organised crime in the casino business in las vegas. a fantastic film that looks at the corruption and greed of organised criminals and how entrenched into politics and society it became.
South America - i want to look at how extreme poverty, along with the mass drug production and global distribution, across south america has caused very violent and relentless criminal activity and how films from the region attempt to portray this with sometimes harrowing truth.
City of God - a film set in the 60's/70's/80's in Rio de Janeiro that follows the life of two kids who take different paths but are both still surrounded by/involved in drug gangs. the film looks deep into how absolute poverty can cause people to stray towards gang life and how long standing and 'accepted' violence results in murder and torture and widespread drug use.
Africa
Tsotsi -Based in present day South Africa, Tsotsi tells the story of life with in the shantytowns and, in particular the life of a young criminal and his unexpected grouping with a new born baby. His morals and judgements are tested to breaking point as he battles with his familiarity with crime and gangs to try and save the baby. A harrowing look at the difficulty in surviving living in the slums, the film motivates the audience to consider their own lives and liberties.
Australia
Candy - an Australian film set mid 2000’s tells the lives of two young lovers and their addiction to heroine. It follows their lives and battles to get off it, along with their ways of finding funding for their drug habits. As the addiction grows their lives, and the lives of those around them, are tested and jeopardised. A harrowing look at the destructive effects of heroine use and how addiction fuels and requires further crime.
Animal Kingdom - The film, set in Melbourne, follows a mother and her 5 sons and their varying levels of involvement in crime. The youngest son is torn between his morality and his family when asked to testify against his brother who is highly involved in gang crime. Conflict with rival gangs occurs, only to make matters worse, and with police corruption only violence and hurt can ensue.
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13476
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_in_the_United_States
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/10-facts-about-crime-in-the-united-states-that-will-blow-your-mind
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13527
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Brazil
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13527
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Organized_crime_groups_in_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:French_criminals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa
http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-indonesia-crime-safety
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2052.html#crime
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_specific_crimes_in_Sydney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Melbourne
PUBLISHING/PRINTING PROCESSES.
https://wiki.oulu.fi/display/tor/Publication+types this website helped explain the most common forms that a publication could take and from this i began to consider how my publication might exist.
i went onto estudio and read over all the briefs and sessions to re-familiarise myself with what we'd done. i also looked over the different powerpoints and handouts we'd had and went over all my lecture notes so i was refreshed.
having done this i proceeded to make a generalised list, split topically, of this different things that i had learned about in context of practice. i thought about our sessions with richard, the essay i had done, the different blog work we'd been asked to complete. i wanted to think about the work id done in line with how it could be applied to the brief. so, while recording the different topics i thought about how they could each be researched and presented as a brief history and how information might be presented about a topic. i then re-read the brief and tried to relate it to what i had done so far. one thing that stood out was
"It is important to remember that, at this stage, your contextual references do not have to be all design related - you will find it more useful if they are not."
i realised that in order to design and create a successful publication that presented a brief history of a topic it might be more beneficial to try and work with a topic that was less design related. therefore, i would have some premis that was not design theory or history as this might affect my decisions and design ideas because of the potential to pull too much of the theory or history from my topic into my resolution. this is not to say that i dont want to take heed of the theories, practices, methods, histories that we learned about, and be influenced/educated by them in line with my publication. i do, however, feel that being able to use them in a freer way (i.e separately to the actual topic of my publication) will cause less cross topic confusion and a more informed and rounded resolution.
the black biro is my initial splitting of the main topics wee learned about in context of practice so far. the violet notations relate to the topics i decided not to forth with and the blue notations to the topics i was interested in pursuing.
- modernism; as a movement and in relation to modernist graphic design. learning about the ethos and beliefs within modernism, the attitude of a modernist, and the styles and aesthetics of the design aspect. i think modernism is an interesting and relevant subject to any graphic designer as it did bring about massive change in the 20th century to way people thought about design and how designers conducted themselves in a more liberated way and how the movement encouraged practitioners to seek purpose and use in their work to help better society. i also really like the straight, gridded and minimal aesthetics within modernist design.
- rules of aesthetics: what do we mean by aesthetics, recognising an aesthetic, the importance of it in art and design, and how it affects our judgement of/reactions to design. i find the concept of an aesthetic quite an engaging topic and enjoy looking at/trying to recognise different aesthetic traits within art and design and of artists and designers. looking at how a perceived aesthetic can alter ones opinion on a design and why this may occur is, i think, an important part of understanding graphic design.
- constructivism; (within modernism) did a project on the constructivist movement and the constructivist learning theory and how it could be applied to education and graphic design. support some of the arguments and theories considered strongly and feel they hold a lot of scope in modern society. i thought the particular of the aesthetics of constructivism were also interesting and influencing and feel there is potential to relate this to a publication. i really like how shape and composition are considered in line with the purpose of the design and how the design can best function within its constraints and how design should be considered as a tool to assist and improve society and that one should always have this in mind.
- the avant-garde/high and low culture; how class affected art and design and how art and design attempted to help people. ive always found the idea of a class society interesting especially when relating it to todays 'class' structure. considering the monetary constraints on aspiring and practicing artists and designers and how this may affect the outcome/quality/ability of the design/designer or not.
- the value of art and design; the monetary value of each particular practice (fine art, fashion design, graphic design) and how each realtes to each other. our views on the 'deserved' monetary value of each practice and how they relate to each other. why some practices generate a higher profit margin and how much money has to do with art and design and whether it should have to do with art and design. i found these sessions really engaging as ive always considered how money does and should influence and effect design and how i (as an individual and as a designer) consider money.
- massimo vignelli and his design theories; in particular 'long live modernism' which i found profound and eye opening. surprisingly (to me) the text adressed a lot of issues and points to which i had already considered and agreed with, in particular the purpose of design within and for society along with the constraints and effects of global media. i gained some influence, as well, from his theories on how to approach a design problem and consider solutions that result from an intellectual study of the problem.
- critical analysis; of graphic design, art and design in general and how to apply the basics of critical analysis to any topic. this helped me a lot to understand how to view something critically and constructively at the same time and do so from an informed standpoint.
- photography and documentary photography; photography as art, photography as historical documentation, the methods of photographing, and some theories about photography. i like and am interested in photography and have done some amateur photography myself yet i still know little about the process and theory behind photography.
- cinema and film theory; how and why films exist and their relative popularity, the different genres apparent in cinema across the world, and the processes and practices involved in the production of a film. i have always been interested in cinema and regularly watch films. the lecture was an interesting insight into how directors make films, how they generate certain attributes or styles that are recognisable in the industry and how different practices are used and represented in the making of a film.
- creative advertising and new media; how brands/products/events/causes are promoted to an audience with the aim of 'selling', how advertisers use different techniques to persuade, manipulate, and influence an audience, and how these techniques have changed and been re-invented over time and in line with societal progression. while i disagree with a lot of techniques and practices employed within advertising i find it fascinating how people can be manipulated to astonishing extents and how the arrangement of words and images can influence entire cultures or movements. im also interested in how western society (in particular) puts so much emphasis and importance on consumerism and the power of money and buying.
having thought about the things we had learned and from specifying the topics i then tried to narrow my choices down by considering each topic as 'a short history of' and how i could achieve this for each one, the success/failure of each one, and what topic id be most interested in/have most fun with.
rejections:
- modernism: potential resolutions: a brief history of modernism as a movement, a brief history of modernist graphic design and the techniques associated, a brief history of modernist aesthetic and its influences on 21st century graphic design. although i am interested in modernism and feel as though it is an important movement to know about it is a very broad topic and one that we have done a lot on this year. i want to study a topic that i havent considered within graphic design before and (in line with the brief) something slightly less design focussed.
- constructivism: potential resolutions: a brief history of constructivist learning theory, a brief history of how constructivism changed graphic design. having already done a project this year on constructivism i feel as though i have slightly exhausted it. my ideas for a resolution were few and limited and for those reasons i feel as though i would have trouble committing to and enjoying another project based on this topic.
- avant-garde: potential resolutions: a brief history of how the avant-garde set out to push existing boundaries and discover new routes within graphic design, a brief history of how class affected design and vice-versa, a brief history of how non-conformity created new design movements. i find the avant-garde an interesting topic but it is very broad and concerns many movements, theories and so i felt it wasnt really appropriate to the brief. also i didnt really want to study class and social structures as i fear my own socio-political opinions will be too apparent and influencing.
- massimo vignelli: potential resolutions: a brief history of long live modernism, a brief history of the design discoveries/theories of vignelli, a brief history of the aesthetic of massimo vignelli. i thought about doing something on vignelli for a while as he is a pioneering designer who has done a lot for the practice and im a fan. however, i thought that a publication on the history of an individual may be in danger of becoming some sort of biography and, while this could still be successful, i wanted to work with a theme or movement more so.
- critical analysis: potential resolutions: a brief history of the general public's changing opinions on graphic design, a brief history of how critiques have changed with social liberation, a brief history of what makes a critique credible. i decided to reject this topic mainly because my ideas were tenuously linked and i struggled when coming up with them. i also think critical analysis is less of a historical topic and more of a subjective topic.
- photography: potential resolutions: a brief history of how technology has changed the practice of photography, a brief history of how commercialisation has made photography more accessible, a brief history of the changes in opinions on what makes a good photograph. although i am interested in photography and feel it would suit a publication very well photography is a subject that i want to explore practically and not in theory or studied writing.
potential topics:
- monetary value of art and design: potential resolutions: a brief history of how money is considered within art and design, a brief history of the value of art and design practices, a brief history of how wealth in art and design has changed the practice. i thought about rejecting this idea as i was afraid of the potential for me to go too much into class systems and politics. the publication could easily just become a rant that only concerned my opinions and this wouldnt be in line with the brief. however, i do find the topic very interesting and would like to explore the relationship between wealth and monetary value and different art and design practices, making a judgement on how much true creativity might be 'spoiled' or changed with the introduction of money to the equation.
- aesthetics: potential resolutions: a brief history of popular aesthetics in 1960's design, a brief history of the publics understanding of aesthetics, a brief history of aesthetics in the new millenium. i think this could be a promising resolution if the focus wasnt so broad but as it stands my ideas are.
- film theory: potential resolutions: a brief history of how a genre has changed due to technological advances, a brief history of the changes in theme in disaster movies with the changes in public scares, a brief history of the impact of cinema on the public, a brief history of the rise in popularity of cgi. i think this topic has a lot of potential and i feel as though it could yield strong outcomes. its something that i havent really touched on in design terms and it is a topic detached enough from graphic design while still maintaining a link that it would suit the brief well.
- creative advertising: potential resolutions: a brief history of the changes in tactics used to persuade an audience, a brief history of subliminal messages in advertising, a brief history of the impact of advertising on product sales, a brief history of popular 21st century advertisements. i havent really considered advertising much in design either and am interested in how and why advertisers can generate sales or awareness. the visuals of advertising would work well within a publication and the topic has a lot to offer as a study so there is definite potential there.
"The development, practical investigation and documentation should demonstrate an awareness of an integrated relationship between the theoretical, contextual and practical aspects of creative practices."
i interpreted this extract as a requirement for me to make links between me as a designer (my tastes, styles, methods) and the context of practice sessions. for me to combine my abilities and understandings as a graphic designer with the knowledge and information gained from the course so that i am well informed and can evidence my ability to connect the theoretical and practical aspects of graphic design. because of this my next step was to reflect on who i am as a designer; my interests, ideas, strengths/weaknesses, practices to then inform my resolution.
because we had done a lot about self evaluation and reflection with fred in the ppp sessions i already had some idea. i went back and re-read the work id done in those sessions and collated the main points i found to then achieve a more focussed evaluation of myself. i found this informative and eye opening and feel as though it will benefit me in my final resolution. at this point i felt as though i had a made a good start and provided myself with a variety of platforms to work with. i then proceeded to narrow my ideas into more focussed points and make decisions on what my topic for publication would be and how i might go about producing it/what styles i might employ. i began by picking the main aspects i felt communicated me as a designer which i then considered in line with the brief to give me some aims and ideas. i considered the most popular topics id looked at in more depth and thought about how they could each become a publicised 'brief history of'. this gave me more of a context for each topic in line with the brief which was useful for me in narrowing them down. next i considered a basic tone of voice for each topic in order to give each one form and relative value which i could then determine the most suited.
having narrowed by ideas down to these few it was then time to pick a topic to go forth with. i decided to choose film as my topic because i have always loved cinema and am really interested in what a film can do to someone, what it can represent or say, how it is made, how it can be viewed and why people decide to make films. film is not something that i have worked with from a graphics point of view so it will be interesting to see how i go about this and what influences i might gain from cinema. because it is a fresh theme i feel that i wont be clouded by any previous projects or swayed by what ive already done/am familiar with. this should allow me to be more original and maintain a better focus on the project. furthermore, film as a topic for this project is well suited as it is a practice outside of graphic design and with its own methods yet graphic design is always present in film and both practices feed of and inform each other.
having decided to base my project on film i then had to come up with a topical focus with which i could produce a brief history of. in order to come up with the most appropriate and engaging focus i had to think about how i could split 'film' up. the main way of splitting the entire concept of film, i thought, is by genre and this gave me some good ideas. i thought about the technology used in film making and the different processes that exist. i thought about how changes in society, politics, humanity, the world have fed new and different films and film concepts. it was also important for me to think about what i was trying to achieve in the publication and what i wanted the publication to do. who am i designing this for? what will they want to see/read? how could i present this to them? what pictures and text should i include?
what do i want to say? - i want to discuss and inform an audience about a genre of film and how for some reason it has changed or evolved, what the reason(s) are, and why they might exist/change that genre. i want to investigate and hopefully prove the changes and present my findings to the audience in an interesting way.
how do i want to say it? - i want to maintain a certain level of of understanding of film to appeal to a more specific audience that is likely to be familiar with the genre. i want to present my project in a simple way so that the audience can use the publication for quick reference. i also want to provide accurate and knowledgable information that provides a deeper insight into my theme to appeal to film buffs and people within the film industry.
what do i want to include? - facts and statistics relating to the theme in order to inform the audience in a credible way and provide a deeper insight into my points. i might employ info graphics as a visual explanation of any stats or difficult concepts but only if relevant. pictures, texts, quotes, and any other source material useful to the publication and its aims.
in providing a brief history of a genre, i want to include some form of comparison between a point that i am trying to make and its opposite. in order to show a true progression of the genre in whatever manor i think its important to use comparison as a tool for explanation and to depict how and why certain changes may have occurred.
http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html this website was really helpful in providing a list of the main film genres and also a quality explanation of each category. from this i went on to come up with some potential ideas that i would put forth to the group in the crit (see ppp for crit evaluation).
- horror: animatronics vs cgi - a brief history of the introduction of animatronics to the horror genre (look at the original 'the thing') and the technological improvements seen over the past 30 years. similarly, the introduction of cgi to the horror genre (look at 'cloverfield' or 'host') and its technological improvements. then go on to critically compare and contrast the two with consideration for the 'better' of the two.
- zombie: old vs new - a brief history of the increase in sophistication of zombie films (in aesthetic and plot) and analysis of the rise in popularity and quality of zombie comedy. consider 'night of the living dead', 'dawn of the dead', '28 days later', 'rec', 'zombie land', 'shaun of the dead'. comparison between the old and new and what aspects of each are most effective.
- doomsday: shifts in public scares - a brief history of how the changes in national and global scares have influenced doomsday films, altering the themes depicted. consider 'deep impact' and 'armageddon' as earlier films when space was less understood and with space exploration at the time was popular and a scare. compare to 'the day after tomorrow' and '2012' for more recent examples when global warming and climate are more current threats and are popular.
- crime and gang films: worldwide - a brief history of how crime and gang activity is depicted differently in different regions of the world. consider how crime is tolerated and punished in different places around the world and how social tradition and political/economic issues affect a country's crime levels and types. relate this to different films from different parts of the world and and look at how directors from different nationalities produce films to depict crime. look at 'snatch', 'oldboy', 'casino', 'city of god', 'la haine'.
CRIME AND CRIME CINEMA AROUND THE WORLD.
i have decided to split my history and investigation of crime cinema from around the world by continents but i wont be including cinema from every continent as some either dont have any films about crime and gangs or cinema is limited and or in its early years and so does not have a founded or recognisable style.
i am going to look at films from North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia.
i have decided that, in order to conduct a more in depth investigation into how crime is portrayed in films in different regions, i am going to limit each continent to 3 films. some continents may only include 1 or 2 but the maximum will be 3. i think this will allow me to go further into each one and avoids the danger of my publication becoming a long winded encyclopedia.
Casino - a film set in the 70's/80's that depicts the involvement of organised crime in the casino business in las vegas. a fantastic film that looks at the corruption and greed of organised criminals and how entrenched into politics and society it became.
Boyz N the Hood - a film set in the 80's following the life of a young black man in south central los angeles and his exposure to and struggles with gangsters, gang life, and criminal activity. a moving film that looks at poverty in the ghetto and how class structure in america can pull people into gang life.
Millers Crossing - a film set in the 1930's during the prohibition that looks at two rival gangs warring for control of the illegal alcohol trade and the authorities attempts to stop it. a great look at prohibition era crime syndicates and the pressure put on those involved. sheds light on the difference in criminal organisation and activity then compared to modern day.
South America - i want to look at how extreme poverty, along with the mass drug production and global distribution, across south america has caused very violent and relentless criminal activity and how films from the region attempt to portray this with sometimes harrowing truth.
City of God - a film set in the 60's/70's/80's in Rio de Janeiro that follows the life of two kids who take different paths but are both still surrounded by/involved in drug gangs. the film looks deep into how absolute poverty can cause people to stray towards gang life and how long standing and 'accepted' violence results in murder and torture and widespread drug use.
Rodents - a film set in 90's in Equador in which two thiefs set out to make some quick money and end up involved, with their lives in jeopardy, in some high level criminal activity. an insight into the dangers and risks of Ecuadorian criminal activity and how easily trapped people get.
Los Olvidados - a film set in the 50's in the slums of Mexico City in which a group of young convicts are followed in their violent and crime filled lifestyle. focusses on the ease of corruption of young kids involved in crime and the horros that usually incur.
Europe - i want to look at the differences in european culture from the rest of the world, focussing on the different methods of crime and the ways in which criminals conduct themselves in terms of drugs, gang warfare, and involvement with the public.
La Haine - a film noir set in 90's in the parisian slums following three young men involved, at various levels, in crime and their life and activities in the slums, encounters with the police, and rival gangs post an incident of police brutality on one of their friends. an accurate an truthful insight into the lifestyle common in the parisian ghetto and the general attitudes towards the establishment and crime.
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - a film set in london in late 90's about british organised crime and criminal activity that follows three young men involved with different gangs/forces who try and make raises from their different schemes. a british take on british crime in a british way in london - funny and entertaining while depicting typical london crime.
Gomorrah - a film set in naples italy in 2000's that follows an italian crime syndicate and the recruitment of two young boys and their violent lives in the italian slums. a dark and brutally honest look at italian ghettos and the poverty that helps cause such violent and relentless criminal activity.
Asia - i want to look at how long standing and entrenched tradition commands and shapes criminal activity and how differences in tradition promote different crimes and methods. i will focus on the plot and methods of filming and how these combine to make effective cinema.
Oldboy - Based in South Korea in present day, the film tells the
story of a normal man who is abducted for no apparent reason and help prisoner
for years within a single room. Upon his release he seeks revenge on whoever
imprisoned him but doesn’t know who that is and so goes on a violent murderous
rampage. A look at the violence and brutality man can cause and the criminal
operation that, in the case of the film, caused it.
The Raid - An Indonesian film set in present day that involves the
police raid of a tower block run by a notorious crime boss. The struggle of the
police force to infiltrate the tower to arrest the boss is long and dangerous
and is met my hardened criminals throughout. As the police ascend the block
they meet ever more experienced fighters and murderers. An interesting take on
how national martial arts and tradition have been re-routed to criminal
conspiracy and violence.
Tsotsi -Based in present day South Africa, Tsotsi tells the story of life with in the shantytowns and, in particular the life of a young criminal and his unexpected grouping with a new born baby. His morals and judgements are tested to breaking point as he battles with his familiarity with crime and gangs to try and save the baby. A harrowing look at the difficulty in surviving living in the slums, the film motivates the audience to consider their own lives and liberties.
Australia
Candy - an Australian film set mid 2000’s tells the lives of two young lovers and their addiction to heroine. It follows their lives and battles to get off it, along with their ways of finding funding for their drug habits. As the addiction grows their lives, and the lives of those around them, are tested and jeopardised. A harrowing look at the destructive effects of heroine use and how addiction fuels and requires further crime.
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Animal Kingdom - The film, set in Melbourne, follows a mother and her 5 sons and their varying levels of involvement in crime. The youngest son is torn between his morality and his family when asked to testify against his brother who is highly involved in gang crime. Conflict with rival gangs occurs, only to make matters worse, and with police corruption only violence and hurt can ensue.
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13476
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_in_the_United_States
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/10-facts-about-crime-in-the-united-states-that-will-blow-your-mind
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13527
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Brazil
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13527
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Organized_crime_groups_in_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:French_criminals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa
http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-indonesia-crime-safety
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2052.html#crime
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_specific_crimes_in_Sydney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Melbourne
PUBLISHING/PRINTING PROCESSES.
https://wiki.oulu.fi/display/tor/Publication+types this website helped explain the most common forms that a publication could take and from this i began to consider how my publication might exist.
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature, music, or information — the activity of making information available to the general public. In some cases, authors may be their own publishers, meaning: originators and developers of content also provide media to deliver and display the content for the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing
screen printing - images and text are exposed onto a screen to create a sort of stencil. the screen is then placed in apparatus and desired stock is placed under it. desired colour paint is applied to the top of the screen and then dragged across the screen by a squeegee pushing the paint through the holes in the screen and printing the image/text onto the stock. screen printing allows for great quality and complicated prints and looks really good but it is a long and argues process that is not well suited to publication printing.
letterpress printing - individual letters are arranged into sentences and then put into lines which are then put into a frame. the machine coats the embossed letter shapes with ink and then stock is attached to a roller. the roller is then mechanically rolled over the letters resulting in printed text on the stock. aesthetically fantastic and a more appropriate process for a publication but the arranging of letters takes a long time and has to be done by hand for every page of text and so this would make the process a long term one.
BINDING PROCESSES.
saddle wire stitching - works on the basis of multiples of four pages. double spreads are ordered in the desired way and then layered on top of each other in sets of four. the pages are secured together with a staple along the fold line (also known as saddle). this is repeated depending on how many pages there are.
Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works such as books (the "book trade") and newspapers. With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of publishing has expanded to include electronic resources, such as the electronic versions of books and periodicals, as well as micro-publishing, websites, blogs, video game publishers and the like.
Publishing includes the stages of the development, acquisition, copy-editing, graphic design, production – printing (and its electronic equivalents), and marketing and distribution of newspapers, magazines, books, literary works, musical works,software and other works dealing with information, including the electronic media.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing
screen printing - images and text are exposed onto a screen to create a sort of stencil. the screen is then placed in apparatus and desired stock is placed under it. desired colour paint is applied to the top of the screen and then dragged across the screen by a squeegee pushing the paint through the holes in the screen and printing the image/text onto the stock. screen printing allows for great quality and complicated prints and looks really good but it is a long and argues process that is not well suited to publication printing.
relief printing - images and text are cut or scraped or etched out of or into a plate or surface to which ink is then applied. the plate is then laid on top of the stock and pressure is applied to transfer the ink to the stock leaving the image or text printed onto the stock. used mainly for fine detail and effect based printing and would not be suitable for a publication due to time constraints.
digital printing - digital printing uses computer printers to recieve a computer aided design and print it onto a stock. it is quick and effective and still provides high quality results and can repeat a print exactly. for my project i think this is the most suitable method of printing.
BINDING PROCESSES.
saddle wire stitching - works on the basis of multiples of four pages. double spreads are ordered in the desired way and then layered on top of each other in sets of four. the pages are secured together with a staple along the fold line (also known as saddle). this is repeated depending on how many pages there are.
side wire stitching - usually employed when a publication has too many pages for saddle stitching to be effective. pages and covers are formatted with an extra space on the left and then composed with a further allowance on the left margin so text isnt obscured by the bind. the publication is then bound in a stub area on the left and secured using staples.
perfect binding - pages are printed individually and then all stacked together. they are then put into a machine which applies an adhesive to the left hand of the stack to secure them all together. the cover is then attached to the stack with the glued spine meeting the glued stack of pages securing everything together and housing the pages within the cover. the bind is most successful when the grain of the pages runs parallel to the spine.
loose leaf binding - employs ring binding or screw post binding. pages are hole punched along the margin and simply placed in the ring or in place for a screw. the screw is then tightened or the ring bind closed to secure all pages in place. this type of binding allows the addition or subtraction of pages post binding.
spiral binding - pages are punched with evenly spaced holes right the way down the left margin. a metal or plastic coil is the threaded in a spiral through each hole and secured at the end. spiral binding allows the publication to lie completely flat and pages to be folded over individually.
plastic comb binding - similar process to spiral binding and provides the same benefits and the adding/removing of pages post bind. rectangular holes are punched along the left margin and then the fingers of the comb are put through the holes and meet back at the main body.
sewn case binding (edition binding) -
sewn soft cover binding - pages of a book are organised as double spreads and attached to a cover using a strong thread. tiny holes are made along the fold line and the thread is then sewn in a certain way through the pages and cover. this method is the most durable and can withstand repeated use for a long time.
binding methods critical evaluation:
plastic comb binding
strong and durable and can withstand movement and repeat use. opens completely flat and no obscurity of pages at the margin. spine bends slightly so no danger of breaking or snapping the bind. good for quick reference as pages can be flicked through easily. because bind is usually made of plastic its durability decreases over time and sometimes the pages can come loose from the fingers or the fingers can break or bend. most used for journals, manuals, reference material and so might not be appropriate for my theme.
sewn case binding
provides great durability and strength and looks really nice and professional. good for protecting the inner pages and nice to hold. because all pages are glued at the margin the book doesnt fully open and doesnt stay completely flat when rested. pages bow out from the centre and sometimes flip to another page of their own accord when left open. also the margin can be somewhat obscured by the bind making legibility more difficult.
perfect binding
similar to sewn case binding. provides decent protection and durability. the thinner cover means the book can take some bending unlike the board stock cover of the sewn case book. i personally like the lack of space between the cover spine and the inner pages (as opposed to the sewn case book) as i feel its more professional and neat. looks good, everything formated straight and ordered nicely. similar problems to sewn case as well. pages dont lie completely flat (although more so than sewn case) and do sometimes flip over when left to rest. the margins are still somewhat obscured and sometimes you have to fold the page to keep it open which can be difficult/can ruin the book.
saddle wire stitch
i like the look and feel of this type of binding as it includes positives from all of the above bindings. the pages are secure and neatly aligned. the book lies flat with ease and pages can be turned quickly and easily. the single point of the bind means that margins arent obscured and the bind allows for some bending. covers are less likely featured with this bind and the publication is usually limited by size because the weight of too many pages would jeopardise the durability. the lack of a solid spine makes the book seem less important and is usually related to things like leaflets and info hand outs.
EXISTING PUBLICATIONS.
having considered some methods of production i decided to look into existing publications of similar themes or production methods.
encyclopedia -
An encyclopedia (also spelled encyclopaedia or encyclopædia)[1] is a type of reference work – a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.[2]Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries, which are usually accessed alphabetically by article name.
i think encyclopedias are fantastic sources of information, knowledge, research and provide such in great depth in detail. they are useful as information references. i intend the content of my publication to have some similarity, in use and form, to an encyclopaedia but with less information and delivered in a less formal manor.
coffee table books -
A coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for portability. Subject matter is generally confined to non-fiction, and is usually visually oriented (such as a photo-book). Pages consist mainly of photographs and illustrations, accompanied by captions and small blocks of text, as opposed to long prose.
i like the idea of coffee table books because they appeal to the intended audience but are also accessible by anyone with interest or some free time. because by publication is based on comparison and critical evaluation in a light hearted and simple format i think a coffee table book style would be appropriate. i want to accomodate for quick reference and dedicated reading both and from my understanding that is what a coffee table book is.
Existing crime cinema publication layouts:
crime wave -
british crime cinema -
criminology goes to the movies -
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