DESIGN I LIKE

One design I like is the DC Comics website. It mixes simplicity and functionality while still embracing the colorful products which it’s used to promote. Other publisher sites tend to go overboard, jamming up the screen with their characters while DC went with the minimalist approach; settling for their logo, a promo image for the big event of the week, and a scrolling gallery of the current week’s covers for easy clickable access to those books as well as having their title appear on a rollover.

The other areas of the site are access via text menus down the side for news and other content and across the top for all of the publisher’s imprints. Each subsequent page on the site continues the minimalist approach, using a clean san serif font combined with an image or two. This allows a majority of the viewer’s focus to go towards the important information at the center of the screen, relying on the images to just keep the page from being boring. Everything is very clearly and plainly laid out to maintain that central balance, so the appropriate topics can be found and easily clicked to go to a desired section of the site. The best part is, their information is organized in such a way that you can access it with only one click, rather than being taken to a page of additional sub-sections.

I like this because many publishers try to go all out with the comicbook-themed design, sacrificing functionality and clarity for fanfare. You make comics, we get it; don’t shove it down our throat. The most important thing the websites should convey is who they are, what they make, and where to find them. All of that is exactly what the DC site does. It lets their books speak for their creativity, making the website just a gateway to them for the consumers.

THAT SINKING FEELING

In James Cameron's "Titanic," one of the major features was the Titanic itself. Since it was where most of the action took place, the ship not only had to look realistic but its grandeur expressed adequately on film. This was not an easy task to accomplish when the actual ship used for filming was a 60 foot model and a few physical sets where some action took place. A lot of wide, sweeping crane shots were used during the first part of the film; going from close-ups of the hull and rising up above the bow to accentuate the majesty and size. By surrounding the model and sets with extra space around the frame, and combined with the actual and digital actors to add perspective, the illusion was created that the audience was looking at the real, life-sized ship. The camera movements also added to convey the speed of the ship as it hit the open water. This contrasted with the shots later in the film which were mostly stationary, adding to Titanic sitting dead in the water as it sank.

Lighting, set design, and camera work also played a bit of a role in helping to contrast the different aspects of Titanic; specifically the divide between the classes. Near the middle of the movie when Jack has dinner with Rose and her family, he later takes her to a party in the 3rd class area. Aside from the more reserved mannerisms of the upper class people in comparison to the rowdy lower classes, as well as the grand design of their dining area as compared to the industrial plainness of steerage, the upper class dinner was presented with muted colors. It was very sterile, very clean, and cool. The lower class had a warmer hue, adding vibrancy and life to the action. This also added an accentuation on the "grime" and sweat of the poor passengers, as opposed to the neat and tidy upper class. There was also many tight and close-up shots in the lower class scenes, helping to convey the tightness of their cramped quarters. The upper class shots had a little more space around the actors, a little more breathing room helping the audience feel that the accomodations were infinitely greater. With these two scenes together, the drastic differences in personality of the same ship are conveyed.

MUSEUM TRIP

Today was the trip to the Museum of the Moving Image. Although my group's tour guide didn't really stop at many of the demos before the museum had to close, I did get to take part in their animation station. Basically, it showed how animated movies used to be made before computers. It involved taking a couple of shapes and moving them along a background bit by bit to photograph them in each position. Once you achieved 100 shots, you would have a 10 second movie once all the shots play together. I only managed to do 44 shots but got a pretty decent short out of the deal. Since I have a background in creative fields, the concept as a whole wasn't really new to me, but something I did learn was that for each position you had to take two shots. Which makes sense as you want the image to have some exposure so it can be seen by the eye and not have it go too quickly and be completely missed.

YO

This here blog's for my class this semester. So enjoy all the fun as I have no idea what's gonna be put here. It's a surprise for everyone!