Learning outcomes for this semesters digital media project
- Produce original and creative work, which is audience specific and demonstrates advanced technical skills & knowledge.
- Undertake relevant research and development to aid in the production of their chosen media project.
- Apply professional practices in their production work in relation to professional contexts, codes, clearances, ownership, copyright and commissioning.
- Evaluate their work and apply critical and independent analysis to inform practical production.
- Understand methods of exhibition & the importance of self-initiated promotion
Ideation
Below are three ideas of potential projects which I could undertake this semester. My aim is to research in detail these different ideas and by the end have three fully informed project ideas. This will then make it easier for me to pick which of the three projects I will then take forward and complete for my final semester project.
Initial ideas for my final third year digital media project
- Collection of animations within Blender (Blender skills showcase)
- Series of character animations
Blender skills showcase
My idea for this project would be that I will create a collection of videos that will demonstrate my skills within Blender. This will consist of animations that demonstrate my ability in;
- modelling
- rigging
- soft body physics
- rigid body physics
- Particle Simulation
- water/liquid effect simulations
Some good resources for tutorial videos on YouTube include videos by Ducky3D, Aria Faith Jones, PIXXO 3D, Olav3D Tutorials, 3D Tinkerer and Derek Elliott.
Soft body physics
How To Use Soft Body Physics In Blender (Blender 2.8)
[2.8] Blender Tutorial, Easy Soft Body Simulation, EEVEE
Particle Simulation
Blender | How to make a Sci-fi Particle Ring Simulation in EEVEE + Wave Modifier | 4K TUTORIAL.
Blender | Sci-fi Particle Advection Simulation | Fluid / Smoke Flow | EEVEE – 4K PREVIEW.
Blender | How to make a Sci-Fi Magic Ball / Orb – Particle Simulation | 4K TUTORIAL.
Water/liquid effect simulations
Blender | Easy Liquid / Fluid Effects – Dynamic Paint Simulation + Eevee SSGI addon | 4K PREVIEW
Learn Blender’s Water Physics in 10 Minutes! (Blender 2.8)
Satisfying looping animations
So Satisfying | Animation Tutorial | Blender 2.91
Blender Animation and Modeling in 2.8: Escalator
Cube wave Animation loop_ Blender 2.81
MoGraph_Simple Animation [Blender 2.83]
MoGraph_Satisfying Button Anim [Blender 2.83 Tutorial]
Character animation
My idea for this project will be to create a character that resonates with primary school children, (most likely year 5 and year 6 age) and the collection of videos that will promote positive mental health as well as raise awareness of mental health illness in a child friendly manor. This will hopefully help reduce the stigma around mental health and help children understand what they are feeling and the best ways in which to create positive mental health for themselves.
- create child friendly guidance videos about mental health
- talk about positive mental health and how to achieve this
- possibly go into discussion about different mental health illnesses
Some key resources for this project will come from tutorial videos on YouTube by the content creator Okay Samurai. He has created many videos on his channel which explain the process and workflow of creating a character and animating it to walk and perform different tricks.
Character Animator tutorials
Mixing Animation and Reality (Adobe Character Animator Tutorial)
Getting Started in Adobe Character Animator
Child friendly video on mental health
Lucy’s Blue Day – A Children’s Mental Health Animated Short
Fight Flight Freeze – A Guide to Anxiety for Kids
Break the Stigma
What is depression? – Helen M. Farrell
Reflection
After exploring both of these project, I have decided to continue on with my second idea of creating a few animations that talk about mental health in a child appropriate way. Although I really enjoy using the Blender software, I think it will be good to explore a new skills and applications and further my knowledge as a media practitioner.
Bibliography
Anxiety Canada (2019) Fight Flight Freeze – A Guide to Anxiety for Kids. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfSbWc3O_5M&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Aria Faith Jones (2020) Blender | Easy Liquid / Fluid Effects – Dynamic Paint Simulation + Eevee SSGI addon | 4K PREVIEW. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE_gmVErMZI&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Aria Faith Jones (2021) Blender | How to make a Sci-Fi Magic Ball / Orb – Particle Simulation | 4K TUTORIAL. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apMpa4gKt9k&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Aria Faith Jones (2021) Blender | How to make a Sci-fi Particle Ring Simulation in EEVEE + Wave Modifier | 4K TUTORIAL. Available from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jelwT2uD_c&feature=emb_title [Accessed 15 February]
Aria Faith Jones (2020) Blender | Sci-fi Particle Advection Simulation | Fluid / Smoke Flow | EEVEE – 4K PREVIEW. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOIIrwykQck&feature=emb_title [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Children’s Hospital Colorado (2017) Break the Stigma. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49mfPFTZsHs&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Derek Elliott (2019) Blender Animation and Modeling in 2.8: Escalator. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNysFFRpiW8&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Lucy’s Blue Day (2019) Lucy’s Blue Day – A Children’s Mental Health Animated Short. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmrUV8v-KQg&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Olav3D Tutorials (2019) [2.8] Blender Tutorial, Easy Soft Body Simulation, EEVEE. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeO5eOunzeQ&feature=emb_title [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Okay Samurai (2020) Mixing Animation and Reality (Adobe Character Animator Tutorial). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLq4LynfF_r14PtElO7kcHY_SJS57Iipfb&v=1mTSNfMSFck&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
Okay Samurai (2020) Getting Started in Adobe Character Animator. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLq4LynfF_r14w2SwicfetcReq8Y0f_lg_&v=7GKCw4f1UrI&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
PIXXO 3D (2020) Cube wave Animation loop_ Blender 2.81. HD. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLkoR6rvf_v0KMfdls1dr3-gWa8C3GCPCw&v=QurQd6zJePE&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
PIXXO 3D (2020) MoGraph_Simple Animation [Blender 2.83]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLkoR6rvf_v0KMfdls1dr3-gWa8C3GCPCw&v=d0satBRUvxE&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
PIXXO 3D (2020) MoGraph_Satisfying Button Anim [Blender 2.83 Tutorial]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLkoR6rvf_v0KMfdls1dr3-gWa8C3GCPCw&v=tiRIrGT5kgA&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
PIXXO 3D (2021) So Satisfying | Animation Tutorial | Blender 2.91. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa_jqmNB5NQ&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]
3D Tinkerer (2019) How To Use Soft Body Physics In Blender (Blender 2.8). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1deuLC0QDc&feature=emb_title [Accessed 15 February 2021]
3D Tinkerer (2019) Learn Blender’s Water Physics in 10 Minutes! (Blender 2.8) Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVuoKJRsJTY&feature=emb_title. [Accessed 15 February 2021]