A1 Assignment: Identity - Reflection

 Week Four - Day Nineteen

Finishing what I thought was the final product, I made and sent out a google form to the people in my classroom in order to gain peer feedback on my product as it stood. Here is my form:

My first question was set out to find the positives of my title sequence and, from what I gained, the addition of the voice over was something people liked. This was a great achievement as it was based on the iconic VoiceOvers of "Hey Hey!" from Modern Family and "Doh!" from The Simpsons. Because they both added these voiceovers, their own individual reviews explained how audiences of their show enjoyed the VoiceOver in the title sequence and had positive feedback and engaged the audience - this is why I added my own VoiceOver for audience enjoyment and engagement.

The way the title appeared seemed to be another positive of my title sequence. My title appearing from behind the bus was inspired by "The Simpsons" title appearing from beneath the clouds. It was a simple animation that added some energy and character to the title sequence and I am glad that The Simpsons gave me that inspiration to make my own title appear from behind an object considering it received positive feedback!

My next question was for the purpose of hopefully improving my title sequence to appease the audience even more so. 2/3 reviews mentioned the photo frames appearing in front of Steph instead of behind, meaning it was very noticeable and the audience would prefer it to be behind. As well as this, I moved the sound effect of the dog bark so it was in time just like the last review suggested.

Here is the before of that section:

And here is after of that section:

I will admit, I do think that after tweaking my title sequence guided by the review, it turned out much better. I definitely prefer the "after" version of my title sequence.

As the look of my title sequence was based off animated shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Rick And Morty etc, my third question was to try and see if I achieved that look. Reading the reviews, 2/3 said it reminded them of Horrid Henry, another animated show which, yes, I can see! It wasn't a show I was basing my drawings off but I can definitely see where they got this idea and am happy with the comparison. 

Here is a Horrid Henry photo for reference:

And here are a couple of my drawings for comparison:

But most importantly, one review specifically mentions how the general style reminded them of The Simpsons! Now I can confidently say I achieved the look I was going for thanks to the peer feedback.

My last question was for my peers to express their curiosities to me and here are my answers:

"Why did you choose that specific soundtrack?"

I chose that specific soundtrack as it was upbeat. Many examples of title sequences for animated, family shows I looked at had upbeat soundtracks that laid the groundwork of energy, positivity and a little chaos. As many of these animated shows had fast paced soundtracks, which personally lightened my mood when listening to them, I thought it was appropriate to pick a soundtrack that also had that spark of energy to it. This was all to engage the audience. When listening to this soundtrack, I also found it had a beginning, middle and end that suited my title sequence well.

"Would you choose any other and why?"

I don't think I would pick any other soundtrack however, if I did, it would be something upbeat again. It would always be something upbeat to set the positive and comforting show I was aiming for. But as I said, I don't think I would choose another based on the beginning, middle and end my already chosen soundtrack offered for my title sequence.

"What primarily did you use for the animation?"

I primarily used After Effects, using the Puppet Pin Tool a significant amount of times for dynamic movement in my animation.

"Do you think you will do more projects like this in the future?"

Definitely. I am more interested in animation than I am physically filming. I feel as though I am more drawn toward animation, feeling more passionate as it allows me to be creative and draw whatever I choose - the options with drawing are infinite.

Reflection

How did I find this task?

At the beginning of this task, it was difficult to come up with ideas for the advertisement so I was primarily focused on the music video and title sequence. As I developed my ideas, the peer feedback throughout this project gave me more confidence in decision making. The drawing of the assets and backgrounds was extremely time consuming and I was worried I was behind other people in my class, however editing was shorter than I thought it was going to be. Overall, trying to come up with ideas linked to identity were a tad difficult but taking my time and receiving constant feedback definitely made the process easier.

What did I find out/learn by undertaking this task?

I found the usage of the Puppet Pin Tool essential in animations and I am very glad to have learnt how to use such a crucial tool. I also learnt that making your drawings a PNG is important as to minimise pixelisation when zooming your assets in - a step not to forget. As well as this, taking the time to dive deep into professional examples and expand research was imperative to find a clear and structured idea - the research is just as important as the production itself.

What would I do differently next time?

Next time, I would make sure my timings are correct or plan out the timings of each asset before editing/animating to make sure they are equal in their speed. It might be interesting to change the whole style and look of the animation as well and maybe try to achieve the look of a different collection of shows. I would also make sure to separate each asset as best as I can as to avoid any problems with the Puppet Pin tool.

Have I answered the brief?

In my opinion, I feel I have. My title sequence shows the characters and backgrounds of this show expressed in her memories on the wall. I believe your identity is built up from the people around you as well as your memories and I think this title sequence shows a creative way in expressing this opinion. With Steph also being 17, I think I have achieved the age range of this assignment of 15-25 and, hopefully, people of around this age will be able to relate and find comfort in Stephs character.

Have I achieved what I set out to do?

In my pitch, I mentioned the animation style was based off shows such as The Simpsons and Family guy and, based off the reviews, I believe I have achieved what I set out to do. The reviews consistently explain how it reminds them primarily of Horrid Henry, a comparison which I am satisfied with, with a slight mention of the general style reminding them of The Simpsons.

The Final Product