(26/04/20) The screenshot that can be seen below showcase the early mind maps and notes written out for the potential VR Film Title for the Graphic Design Module with added notes commenting on what I plan to do;
Rewritten out the notes highlighted in green as it is unreadable in the original photo taken above. ‘Look at two sites that provided translation for Tibetan and Latin words. I will incorporate the Tibetan words rather the Latin words as it links directly to the research produced for this module and the words look more elegant and pleasant to look at rather than the Latin translation’.
Further Screenshots highlighting the added the Video Effects applied to the experimental footage which is embedded in this blog post. A majority of the effects will be considered for the final VR Film although at the time this was written I hope to able to access the VR Immersion affects to polish up the final film as I currently aim unable to do this thus why I performed further experimentation with the other effects on Premiere pro;
First Experimental Video (25/04/20);
Second Experimental Video (26/04/20);
(28/04/20) The screenshots that can be seen below showcase the callout I created for potential voice actors who will contribute their vocals for the VR 360 film. Notes written in the sketchbook page planning out initial dialogue and where it fits in the film can also be seen below;
A Harvard Referenced link can be seen below showing the site which was used to influence some of the potential lines written out in the sketchbook page above;
The notes written below shows further discussion with Uttara via Messenger in relation to how the final tutorial on the final interactive piece will be structured;
The screenshots below demonstrate the early experimentation and setting up of account on the TinkerCAD site (as recommended by Emily Godden, tutor of Interactive Environments). This site was expanded upon as it proves to be a more straight forward and useful too to create the 3D structure for the Bluetooth Speaker being conceived by myself and Uttara rather than the site recommended by Andy Modowall (head of 3D department in University) which proved too complex and time consuming in nature for it to be considered for this module/project;
I overlooked the tutorials the site provides given me a better insight on how to produce the final 3D structure.
During Week 12 I also attempted to further looking into the ‘Processing’ program which will be implemented for the final piece via a unique music visualisation created by code. The Word Document below expands on the various sites and videos I looked upon while experimenting and research the topic of ‘Processing’ and how to operate the program as well as TinkerCAD (Flat Image transfer to TinkerCAD account etc). All sites/links are Harvard Referenced;
The screenshots below showcase the first issue that occurred while experimenting with the downloaded ‘Processing’ program which were later transferred to an email for Emily (Main Tutor of Module), asking her if there’s any solutions to problems encountered which I couldn’t find online;
Program Error-
File Layout (Added MP3’s etc via dragging file into an open ‘IDE’ i.e. main screen where coding is written out. The file should appear in ‘data’ file after being dragged to ‘IDE’)-
Extra screenshots showing adding ‘Minim’ and other features from ‘Library’ as well as displaying the coding that is being considered for the potential ‘Music Visualisation’ triggered when music is played through the ‘Bluetooth Speakers’;
(14/04/20) The screenshots that can be seen below depicts the further experimentation performed on TinkerCAD with the aim to create a rough mock up of the Bluetooth Speaker casing that will be implemented into the final tutorial in cooperation with Uttara.
After adding the tweaks to the experimentation, I was relatively happy with how it turned out especially within the short period of time spent on creating the two casings for the speaker. The access of transferring and editing flat images into 3D models for the rough casing was also an added bonus, giving the speaker more character as well as proving to create a more interesting contemporary aesthetic to the casing a whole.
Unlike the experimentation with the ‘Processing’ programme, the development with the TinkerCAD programme had less problems that needed to be sorted out and overall proved to be more productive in relation to offering interesting outcomes although I’m still in the early stages with both programs at the time this was written.
I sent these screenshots to Uttara via the Messenger app to receive feedback on what I produced so far and see if she approves of how the casing could potentially look. Components could be bought to attach both the casing designs together so it opens and closes like a treasure chest although the it is mentioned in a video that these components can be 3D printed so more research might be performed in this area if there is time.
TinkerCAD Rough Design of Outer Casing early development (with Batman Logo, Flower and Wolf Head);
TinkerCAD(Final Design of Rough Casing Idea with tweaked Images from the internet added to the 3D Model);
Using ShapeWay Program (First 3D simulation of 3D Model);
Using MatterHackers Program (Second 3D simulation of 3D Model);
MatterControl Robo 3D Program (Third 3D simulation of 3D Model). This would be used if the opportunity of producing a 3D Model was possible despite the current circumstances affecting this at the time this was written;
Final Settings used for the footage ‘No Tripod 1 to 4’ can be seen below via screenshots;
SL BIG BLUE MINUS-
SL NOIR 1965-
SL GOLD ORANGE-
SL CLEAN KODAK B ULTRASOFT-
SL CLEAN KODAK A NDR-
Further Premiere Pro Settings Experimentation that I will seriously consider incorporating it into the VR 360 Film can be further seen below;
High Temperature-
High Tint-
Low Temperature-
Low Tint-
I decided to export the five key settings above for the clips ranging from ‘No Tripod 1 to 4’ to save time on editing the settings on each individual clip as well as prevent the possibility of the premiere pro program crashing due to the amount of data needed to be encoded.
Screenshots of the tweaks I made to both music suites kindly produced by James and Jessica from StarNow via Adobe Audtion;
The four videos that can be seen below demonstrate the further experimentation I performed throughout Week 11 and 12 which are encoded below via my YouTube Channel=
Vortex/Anomaly Animation (No Music);
The animation that is seen above was produced specifically for ‘Experimentation 2’ on After Effects.
Experimentation 3 (No Binaural Sound);
Experimentation 2 (With Animated Anomalies);
I decided to play about more with the after effects programme and tweak the anomaly animation a bit more which I feel at the time I written this blog is looking rather nice with added music kindly provided by James Blunsdon as well as Jessica Bowsen (her music appearing in Experimentation 3).
Unlike the previous attempt at ‘Anomaly Animation’, I decided to used a still frame from Premiere Pro of the existing footage (using correct measurements for After Effects application so it fits the scaling on Premiere Pro) rather than the experimental photos of the location I shot on the Insta360 Camera app several weeks back. This was done to create a more smoother and less cluttered presentation of the animation as well introduce higher quality images that blend nicely into the existing footage. I felt this translated very well in the video presented above.
Experimentation 3 (With Binaural Sound);
Unlike ‘Experimentation 2’, ‘Experimentation 3’ showcases a clearer look at what the calmer sections of the film will look like with all the 5 chosen Lumetri settings on premiere pro present in the said video. This video also improved the Binaural Sound quality and editing which was lacking in ‘Experimentation 2. I’ll incorporate the clowing orb again but this time have it be similar to the anomalies/vortexes that appear left, right or centre of the viewers vision with the binaural sound (music) guiding the viewer to where the orb, vortex or anomaly is located.
A few more footage settings will be encoded for the final film to add to the diverse array of aesthetics seen in the video above which I feel will complement the final film and add to the fluid reality that accompanies meditation (metaphorically representing thoughts emotions and awareness of the body.).
Further Research performed during Week 11 and 12 which is utilised in the videos embedded above can be seen in the word document below;
(06/04/2020) Once I received feedback from the main tutor (Tina) and replies from the composers, I’ll start to develop the final footage and edits for the final VR 360 Film although further research will be performed if necessary as well as adopt suggestions on how the film could be better in presentation and quality.
The name of the film will be decided by next week and the possibility of bringing voice actors is also something that might be worth implementing for the final film although I’ll discuss this with my main tutor. The reason for considering voice actors is further emphasise both the intrusive thoughts and the mantras uttered/reoccurring throughout the meditation process. Maybe use existing quotes from Eckhart Tolle, The Dalai Lama or Jason Silva. (Play about with audio effects to distinguish spoken dialogue. Echoes, Pitch etc).
The selection of images that can be seen below demonstrate the various ‘Lumetri Colour’ options present on the Premiere Pro Programme that I feel would compliment the final look for the VR 360 Film. Several of the options will be highlighted Red to indicate which option are considered for the final film. The options are considered for both the positive and negative sequences of the film;
Kodak 5205 Fuji 3510 (by Adobe);
Monochrome Kodak 5205 Fuji 3510 (by Adobe);
SI BIG;
SL BIG MINUS BLUE;
SL BLUE ICE;
SL BLUE MOON;
SL CLEAN FUJI B SOFT;
SL CLEAN KODAK A NDR;
SL CLEAN KODAK A HDR;
SL CLEAN KODAK B ULTRASOFT;
SL CROSS HDR;
SL GOLD ORANGE;
SL MATRIX GREEN;
SL NEUTRAL START;
SL NOIR 1965;
SL NOIR LDR;
SL NOIR NOUVELLE;
(31/03/20) During Week 11 via email James manage to produce a second music suite with darker intonations as proposed by myself to him in Week 10. At the time I’m writing this down I have been very impressed with the quality of music produced by James Blunsdon and Jessica Bowen. I’ve yet to hear from the other composers who showed interest in this film and received the email I sent them several weeks back.
The names of the chosen Options from the 15 overlooked earlier in this blog can be seen below in bullet points. I plan to hopefully incorporate all these options in the final film to differentiate between certain scenes in the film as well as hopefully providing more visual substance to the final presentation of the film as a whole;
SL BIG MINUS BLUE
SL CLEAN KODAK A NDR
SL CLEAN KODAK B ULTRASOFT
SL GOLD ORANGE
SL NOIR 1965
Still Frames of the Footage that will be used for film will also adopt the options listed above.
The YouTube Videos that can be seen below list all the experimental MP4 clips I created over the last few weeks on Premiere Pro and After Effects respectively. I felt it was worth posting the videos here so they can viewed in their entirety rather than through screenshots. This will be implemented in future blogs through embedding.
Tweaked Tiff File (Frame) of ‘SL BIG MINUS BLUE’ lumetri colour seen below which was used for transition from moving footage to still photo with moving anomaly animation seen in the clip ‘Test A. Week 11. James Second Music Suite’ above;
‘Warp’ feature with ‘FishEye’ applied to create a pulsating effect to the original static PNG within the clip ‘Test A. Week 11. James Second Music Suite’;
(22/03/20) The sketchbook page below expands on another discussion I had with Uttara on planning out on who’s researching which particular subject as well as move things along for hopefully the final development of this project;
(25/03/20) After the Online Zoom discussion with Emily it has become clear what the new assessment guidelines are due to the circumstances that are occurring at the time this blog was written. A Final Tutorial will be produced presenting the Interactive Prototype that Uttara and Myself will propose during the last week of the semester (final hand-ins)
The two sketchbooks that can be seen below expanding upon the plans laid out for the next week or so in relation to research and experimentation (if possible) with components linked to prototype we both would’ve made if the current circumstances didn’t stop this from happening;
The fifth point that I forgot to mention in the sketchbook page displaying the tutorial layout plan is the section dedicated to what the final prototype would’ve looked like if displayed in the original scheduled ‘DM Tech Fest’ Exhibition which has sadly been cancelled;
First Word Document that can be seen below demonstrates the research I performed (with a few links provided by Emily) before the Online Zoom Discussion with Emily and the group with added thoughts about the sites and videos I found in relation to the prototype I’ll create with Uttara;
This blog is dedicated to further experimentation I performed on premiere pro and after effects with added music from composers interested in the film with added feedback from the group on Monday 30th March 2020.
Screenshot below depicts the tweaked photo I chosen from the gallery created on the ‘Insta360 Camera’ app on my iPhone for the ‘Tweaked Background with Anomaly’. This was done instead of using moving footage as it didn’t prove affective when applying it initially due to crashes with the adobe programmes as well as there being too much information for the programmes to render the edited composition to a final MP4;
Colourized Hue/Saturation Background with added ‘Twirl’ effect can be seen below, creating a cosmic presentation;
Added Anomaly/Vortex Portal fading in and out while spinning in the tweaked background video that is documented above.This animated clip was created on Adobe After Effects;
Final Screenshots that can be seen below showcases that compilation of all the assets documented in this blog compiled together in a 30 second clip with Binaural Sound. The clip in question gives a clearer depiction of what the final VR 360 Film will look like once completed. This clip was created on Adobe Premiere Pro;
The thoughts I had of the experimentation before I showed the work to group is quite positive. I felt that not only is it possible to create several of the visuals that I had conceived initially in the original development of this project but it comes across in a visually pleasing way.
Comments that were provided after sharing the work are mostly broken down to making sure the narrative of the film representing the experience of meditation is made a bit more explicit which is something I will think a bit more after this week. The music sent by the composers at the time this was written can also be seen in the clip demonstrating the Binaural sound quality that will be prevalent in the final film.
Another comment made by the class was to possibly add more features or assets to the film. I believe this possible extra asset would be to incorporate vocal recordings from actors that appear in certain sections of the film or look into more effects and tutorials on Premiere Pro and After Effects to uncover tools that can further refine the final VR 360 Film.
The 360 footage used for the film will be incorporated into the final VR film with change in vibrance and saturation, not too dissimilar to what I implemented for the Interactive Film ‘Groundless’ which I produced for the First Trimester during the Digital Media Course Second Year.
Screenshot of Jessica Bowen first music suite she sent me during Week 11 displayed on Adobe Audition which will be implemented in a future experimental clip for this module;
Two screenshots of the two music suites created by James Blunsdon. Time Away being an existing song that I felt suited the subject of the film I’ll create. The second music suite was create specifically for the film under the guidelines I sent for each composer on StarNow through email. Adobe Audition was the program used to display both WAV files of the said music suites;
Both Jessica and James have produce really nice music suites, the only request I asked when sending a reply via email to both of them is create another tack that is more ambient and darker in tone to fit into the sections of the film where the vortex/anomaly appears.
Screenshot below showcases the first online class discussion held during Week 9 with Emily (Tutor) providing updates on what steps to take when approaching this module in the coming weeks and months;
A photo of the notes I written down in my sketchbook after talking to Uttara and Emily after the scheduled online lesson can be seen below;
The first Word Document link that can be seen below demonstrate the first communication I had with the potential composers who show interest in working on my VR 360 Film;
Screenshots of the Call Out I sent via my StarNow Account can be seen below;
(20/03/20)=
The link to word document below expands on referencing to research I performed on further experimentation for Final VR 360 film as well as rough mock up of second message sent to chosen composers for final film;
Screenshots and JPEG’s that can be seen below showcase the experimentation I performed on After Effects, Photoshop and Premier Pro whether it is testing out possible animation for the final film or seeing which portal/anomaly design best fits the film;
Wednesday 18th March 2020-
PNG of First Orb I created on Photoshop when watching a tutorial on YouTube and screenshots of an animation created using Premiere Pro;
Despite being able to create an orb for the film it has been decided by myself that it is better to use the early glowing vortex without the swirly effects as depicted in a photoshop tutorial on YouTube. This is due to the early glowing vortex looking more aesthetically pleasing than the orb I produced above.
A reoccurring problem that is seen both in the Orb and Vortex Experimentation is the implementation of ‘VR Immersion’ effects not working on Premier Pro or After Effects. The lack of GPU Acceleration accounts to the effects not working. Despite this problem I should be able to use the other effects tools to achieve the same immersive features although it’s a shame that I can’t use the original ‘VR Immersions’ effects.
PNG of Vortex/Anomaly I created from YouTube Tutorial and Screenshots of Animation that incorporates Vortex/Anomaly;
Unlike the experimentation with the Orb, the rough Vortex Animation proved to be very effective both on the unedited footage as well as edited footage. The only issue that occurred was too successfully transfer the transparent background with the vortex animation (Link to tutorial seen in one of the words documents on this blog) over the edited background.
Even though I successful achieved this (documented below) I’ll consider editing an original photo with the tripod removed rather than moving footage which proves to creates too much information when After Effects or Premier Pro is rendering the experimental VR MP4’s. The overload of information led to the Premier Pro or After Effects programmes to fail rendering or crash.
Thursday 19th March 2020-
Screenshots below expand on the further experimentation I performed in attempting to combine the animated spinning vortex together with the VR footage tweaked in colour adjustment;
Changed colour of VR Footage without Tripod (Tripod removed successfully during Week 8)-
Spinning Vortex Animation (After Effects) without Transparent Background. I manged to save a file of animation with a transparent background which is incorporate in the final animation experiment seen after these screenshots;
Screenshots below showcase final successful animation experiment of combining vortex and tweaked footage;
The photos that can be seen below showcase further notes and development for the VR 360 Film during Week 9 with a mind map dedicated to the early ideas of what the film might be called;
(09/03/20) The photos that can be seen below showcase my visit to the 3D Workshop near ‘The Peter Taylor Building’ within the University;
The sketchbook pages below demonstrate the notes I written after talking to Andy Mcdowall (Main Head of 3D Workshop);
The screenshots below this paragraph expand on the initial conversations I had with Uttara via Messenger in planning out the final piece for this module as well as setting out tasks for each other throughout week 7 and 8;
A link to a Word Document can be seen below that contains the research I performed for this module so far (as well as Uttara who shared links during our discussions set up throughout Week 8);
Harvard Reference below showcase the video dedicated on to create a ‘Control servo with ultrasonic distance sensor and Arduino Uno’, linking to the original ‘Ballerina Idea’ the Uttara and Myself had before changing to the next idea;
Another sketchbook page showcasing the two ideas (Drawings) I produced between week 7 and 8 as part of a task set out by myself and Uttara;
(11/03/20) Notes that can be seen below expand on the conversation I had with Emily ‘Tutor’ in relation to moving towards the ‘Ballerina’ Idea with the moving mechanism triggered by a touch sensor. This was discussed with Uttara who use FaceTime during the session to talk to Emily and Myself.
(14/03/20) Further discussion with Uttara on finalising plans for final project piece. A final idea is coming together although a future discussion with Emily or Tina is needed before myself and Uttara proceed to buy the appropriate Hardware/Software for the final piece. At the time this was written down the concept of an Interactive Bluetooth speaker is still being strongly considered for further development.
Screenshots of the messages sent between myself and Uttara during the discussion held on 14/03/20;
Callum Forster 