feedback [ barry jones ]

Swarm

Swarm is a two-part project: storyboarding and motion design

Swarm: (1) a large number of bees, with a queen, leaving a hive to start a new colony, (2) a colony of bees in a hive, (3) a moving mass, crowd, or throng. It also means: (4) to fly off in a swarm, (5) to move, be present, etc. in large numbers, (6) to be crowded.

Throng: (1) a crowd, (2) any great number of things considered together, (3) to gather together, (4) crowded into.

Storyboard. Begin by free writing what your swarm is composed of using any of the above definitions. You may certainly use bees, but it could be anything moving en masse. What is your mass and where, how and why is it moving? I want you to start seeing and visually communicating in terms of objects/forms moving in a mass. What is your swarm composed of? What is your swarm doing? Show us the motion of your swarm. After you have had a chance to start writing creatively, write at least three different simple scenarios about your swarm while simultaneously sketching out storyboard frames that will become the visuals for the final animation. What will your swarm look like? Is it a swarm of something we recognize, a swarm of fictional forms or entirely abstract elements? Finally, choose one scenario and start creating your frames in illustrator into one, nine-frame storyboard that shows the motion of your swarm. Use the space below your frames to describe the motion at that moment in time.

Since the storyboards will be used to generate ideas and as a guide for the final motion design animations, consider how you will incorporate the following in storyboard form: shape and motion tweening, motion paths, and an effective use of point of view as it relates to the viewing area, timing, speed / velocity, and a limited two-color palette. You may only use two colors: for our purposes, white and black are each considered a color if you choose to use them.

Motion Design. The second and final part of the project is a Flash animation. Using your research and storyboards as a guide, consider how to effectively design and animate your story to nine seconds exactly. Flash animations must effectively show the following: shape and motion tweening, motion paths, and use of layers, and an effective use of point of view as it relates to the viewing area, timing, speed/velocity, and a limited two color palette.
Consider how the use of scale, point of view, timing, velocity, color and transparency, illustration, multiple shape, and motion tweening will communicate your ideas clearly. How will the animation begin? How will you follow through with your idea to the end? Control the medium with continuity, consistency, and clarity.

Animation details. Final animations must be exactly nine seconds in duration.

Size: 640 pixels x 480 pixels

Speed: 12 fps
Final animation must be rendered out as a QuickTime movie.
Name the final .mov as: swarm_lastname.mov

Provide storyboard PDF as well as the final .mov animation on a single CD.
Label the CD as: Project 4: Swarm and include your first and last name.

Grading Out of 100
Storyboards: 20%. Ability to visualize an appropriate, clear, well-organized, and memorable solution to the given problem in storyboard form as outlined above. Level of finish and technical craft achieved.
Animation: 60%. Ability to visualize an appropriate, clear, well organized, and memorable solution to the given problem in regard to multiple shape and motion tweening, motion paths, and use of layers, and an effective point of view, timing, speed/velocity, and a limited two-color palette.
Animation Presentation/Technical Craft: 20% Level of technical finish achieved in final presentation of the animation as it relates to multiple shape and motion tweening, motion paths, and use of layers, and an effective use of point of view, timing, speed/velocity, and a limited two-color palette. Size of animations must be 640 x 480 pixels.