Illustration and Visual Narrative - Task 2: Decisive Moment

29.04.2022 - 27.05.2022 / Week 5  - Week 9
Tow Wan Tian / 0343765
Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Education / School of Education
Task 2: Decisive Moment

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LECTURES

Week 5 / Composition Theory 2 - Foreground, Middle-ground and Background

For this week's lecture, we studied different types of planes of a scene which include:

• Foreground - objects that are nearest to the viewers.
• Middle-ground - objects between the foreground and background.
• Background - objects that are furthest away from the viewers.

Lecture Report 4 - Visual Study (Fore, Middle and Background)
For this report, we had to capture any scenes of a video of our choice that portrays the use of foreground, middle-ground and background. Then, we need to outline the areas of the scene and explain what design principles were applied to each visual and how it affects the narrative. 

Chosen Video

TXT (투모로우바이투게더) 'Eternally' Official MV

Video Description
The chosen material is a music video for the song 'Eternally' by the South Korean boy band, Tomorrow x Together (also known as TXT). The music video is directed by Seong Wonmo, an art director and co-founder of the video production company Digipedi. It is part of the Star Seekers, a media franchise and shared fictional universe based on characters inspired by the group. 

Background: Establishing the Setting

Figure 1. The opening scene of the Eternally music video. (Timestamp: 1:57)

In the opening scene, the five members stand on a podium in the middle of a ruined stadium. According to fan theories, it is generally assumed that a dragon appeared during the group's concert and caused destroyed the venue. The scene is supposed to depict the aftermath of the destruction. In the scene, the members are placed almost in the centre which naturally should be the centre of focus. However, their proportion is relatively tiny as compared to their surroundings. Therefore, the attention was not on the members and was shifted to the background and surroundings. I believe the contrast of proportion was to help viewers grasp the severity of the destruction that happened to the venue. The scene appears to be harmonious in terms of tones and shades. It is cast under a dark shade to bring out a sense of despair and misery. 

Middle-ground: The Focus of Attention

Figure 1.1 A scene where a member of the band, Soobin discovers a child running towards him. (Timestamp: 7:15)

In the music video, the members went into a space-time warp and one of the members, Soobin was transferred to the past. He landed in an event of the past known as the 'Starlight Festival'. As he wanders off the festival, suddenly he found a familiar-looking child running toward him and eventually past him. Based on the hints in previous scenes, the child is assumed to be a younger version of one of the group members. A strong light is cast on the child to create visual emphasis on him while he was entering the scene. On the other hand, Soobin who was in the foreground was slightly blurred and out of focus to transfer more attention to the entrance of a new character.  

Foreground: A Brutal Discovery

Figure 1.2 A scene where another member Yeonjun discovers his own death in the future. (Timestamp: 10:24)

Continuing with the time travel plot, another member, Yeonjun has assumingly travelled to the future. In this particular scene, he found himself dead lying in the ruins of the stadium, the same venue in the opening scene. The dead body is placed in the foreground, directly in front of the viewers. Same as the member, the viewers are forced to face the hard brutal fact of death. I believe the intention of the placement of the body and the camera angle is to evoke shock and a sense of terror in a short amount of time. 

Week 6 / Composition Theory 3 - Perspective

Three main perspectives:

• One-point perspective
• Two-point perspective
• Three-point perspective
  

Figure 1.3 The three different types of perspectives.

Lecture Report 5 - Visual Study (Perspectives)
For this lecture report, we were required to find any form of visual media that expresses stories that capture the three different types of perspectives. Then, we need to draw lines to trace the perspective directions and note the vanishing points. 

One-point perspective

Figure 1.4 Image taken from the film Isle of Dogs (2018).

Two-point perspective

Figure 1.5 A photograph of a Japanese restaurant in Fukushima, Osaka by Muza-chan obtained from Muza-chan's Gate to Japan.

Three-point perspective

Figure 1.6 Photo by Henry Desro on Unsplash (October 6, 2017)   

Week 7 / 3-Acts Structure

1. Storytelling Basis
Central theme - It is the main idea or underlying message. It includes the storyteller's personal opinion on the subject matter. A story may have both a major and minor theme.

Characters
Central Characters
Protagonist
Antagonist

2. Three-Act Structure

1. Setup - The world in which the protagonist exists before the journey.
2. Rising tension
3. Conflict
4. Resolution

Task of the Week

• Prepare a short story for Task 3 - Graphic Novel. 
• Employ the three-act structure in the short story
• Word limit: 300 words

PRACTICAL

Week 5 / Human Chiaroscuro

For this week's practical, we continued to practise more on chiaroscuro by tracing an image of a human. 

Figure 1. Creating the shadows of the visual by tracing an image. Week 5 (29/4/2022).

Figure 1.1 Colouring the shadows, base and background. Week 5 (29/4/2022)

Figure 1.2 Adding texture to the shadow by using the clipping mask tool. Week 5 (29/4/2022).

Figure 1.3 Creating several variations of visuals using different techniques and textures. Week 5 (29/4/2022).

Figure 1.4 Final visuals for the practice. Week 5 (29/4/2022).

Week 6 / Colour Basics

For this week, we learned various techniques on how to fill in the colours of an illustration. For this particular practice, we used a template from Freepik (Figure 1.5). By the end of the practical, our goal was to learn how to use the following tools and techniques: 

• Line tool
• Pen tool
• Effect - distort\zig zag
• Warp tool
• Outline stroke
• Expand
• Expand appearances
• Pathfinder merge
• Isolation mode
• Blob tool
• Draw behind
• Draw inside

Figure 1.5 Opening AI template in Adobe Illustrator and copying the whole image into a new layer. Week 6 (6/5/2022).

Before jumping into the colouring practice, Mr Hafiz explained the differences between a path, stroke and fill and how they affect the visuals. He also demonstrated how to apply effects such as zig-zag and distort to the lines. 

Figure 1.1 My attempt to add effects to the lines and use the pathfinder tool. Week 6 (6/5/2022)

Then, Mr Hafiz instructed us to use Adobe Illustrator and download a colour palette from the site. We ould be using the colour palette to help us colour the image. 

Figure 1.2 My chosen colour palette from Adobe Color.

Next, Mr Hafiz introduced us to the first technique of colouring using the merge option of the pathfinder tool. First, we need to draw a shape of the colour of our choice and layer the shape directly behind the visual that we want to colour (i.e. the flower). While selecting both the shape and the flower, open up the pathfinder tool and select 'merge'. Next, ungroup the visual and remove the excess colour (Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3 Coloring the flower using the pathfinder merge option. Week 6 (6/5/2022)

Figure 1.4 Colouring the hands using the shape builder tool, the live paint bucket and the blob brush tool. Week 6 (6/5/2022)

Figure 1.5 Final outcome for the practice of colour basics. Week 6 (6/5/2022)

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INSTRUCTIONS

Task 2: Decisive Moment

Chosen Narrative: Music Video 'Nap of A Star' by Tomorrow by Together (TXT)

Figure 1. The official music video for Nap of A Star by TXT (2019).

About the Music Video

The song 'Nap of A Star' was first released on 4 March 2019 as part of the Korean boy band, Tomorrow x Together's (TXT) debut album 'The Dream Chapter: Star'. The song's music video was then released three months later on 5 June. The MV was produced by Digipedi and directed by Seong Wonmo. The narrative of the MV is based on a different song by the band titled 'Crown' which describes the growing pain and coming of age of adolescence and their journey of overcoming the said challenges. All five band members were featured in the MV, with Yeonjun as the lead character.

A Summary of the Music Video


The Decisive Moment

Figure 1.2 The scene where the cat first appears in the MV. 

I decided to develop a design based on this particular scene (Figure) from the MV. It is a crucial moment that completely flips the narrative tone of the story. Before the cat appears, the story was progressing in a rather peaceful yet eerie tone. However, once the cat appears, bad things start to happen to the protagonist. The tension of the scene is further emphasised when the music becomes louder and more dramatic. I remember watching the music video for the first time and was shocked to see a cat as the antagonist of the story. A lot of TXT's music videos have stories that are part of their fictional universe (e.g. the other song Eternally) and the cat happens to be a recurring character and presumably an antagonist of the universe. Therefore, this scene in Nap of A Star is not only a decisive moment of the story but also an iconic scene where it introduces the antagonist of a universe.

Visual Research
Coming back to the design of the poster, I first needed to understand what is a minimalist poster and what elements should I include. Hence, I turned to Pinterest to look for some inspiration. Based on my findings, I found out that many minimalist posters apply the Gestalt theory of figure-ground and closure in designing the visuals. It is a good way for combining two to three important visual elements of the narrative into one complete visual. Below are some of my favourites.

Figure 1.3 Green Book poster art by Ricor Jr. on PosterSpy. (2019).

Figure 1.4 'No 902 My The Shape of Water minimal movie poster' by Chungkong Art.

Figure 1.5 Screen capture of the examples of minimalist posters compiled on Pinterest. Week 6 (12/5/2022).

Pinterest Board

Sketches

Figure 1.6 Sketch #1 and #2 include the cat and the boy as the main visual elements. Week 6 (12/5/2022).

For Sketch #1 and #2, I directly referenced the composition of the original scene and arranged the title at the top of the composition. For #2, I applied the Gestalt theory of closure to the design. 

Figure 1.7 Sketch #3 and #4 include the boy, the star, tree branches and the cat's eyes as visual elements. Week 6 (12/5/2022).

As for #3 and #4, I added tree branches/thorns to the design to add a sense of eeriness. 

Digitalisation
Based on Ms Anis's feedback on the sketches, I decided to go with Sketch #2 and began the digitalisation. Using the original screen capture of the scene as the template, I created the outlines by drawing multiple strokes using the Brush tool in Adobe Illustrator. Then, I filled in the illustration using colours picked from the screen capture.

Figure 1.8 Outlining and colouring the illustration with the screen capture as reference. Week 6 (14/5/2022).

At this point of the digitalisation, the background of the poster seemed empty, so I decided to incorporate the visuals of tree branches in the background/foreground and place them around the main visuals. Using the screen captures as references, I traced out several designs of branches.

Figure 1.9 Tracing the branches. Week 6 (14/5/2022).

Figure 2. Placing the branches around the design. Week 8 (19/5/2022).

Figure 2.1 Placing the song title (Korean and English title) and artist name. Week 8 (20/5/2022).

Figure 2.2 Adding a line of Korean and English lyrics from the song 'Crown' Week 8 (20/5/2022). 

As mentioned previously, the music video's story is based on the narratives of a different TXT song, titled 'Crown'. The lyrics of Crown actually reflect the visual narrative of my poster better, so I used the lyrics from that song instead of Nap of A Star. 

The line I used was 'Save me, maybe I have turned into a monster.' The line reflects that the boy (referring to the band member who sings this line) thinks he is bad and evil due to his adolescent problems and he is reaching out for help due to his suffering. I think the message of this line reflects in the design well enough as it echoes with the visual of the boy with horns (monster) and the ambiguity of the cat's intention (since the protagonist of the MV is still not completely sure whether the cat is there to save him, so he called out for help anyway). 

Links to the Korean lyrics and English translation of Crown
Links to the Korean lyrics and English translation of Nap of A Star

Figure 2.3 Adding gradient in the background to further emphasise the main visual elements. Week 8 (21/5/202).

Attempts

Figure 2.4 Attempt #2 with different coloured branches and no gradient. Week 6 (14/5/2022). 

Figure 2.5 Attempt #2 with all red branches and gradient. Week 8 (21/5/2022).

I forwarded Attempt #2 to Ms Anis for some feedback. 

Figure 2.6 Attempt #3 based on Week 8's feedback. Week 8 (21/5/2022).

Figure 2.7 Final attempt. Week 8 (22/5/2022).

I went with a vector style for a cleaner look and applied a subtle gradient to the outline. Based on the feedback received, I added a muted white highlight to the boy. After a few more minor changes, I was quite satisfied with the outcome so I chose this final design to develop it into a GIF. 

Animating the GIF
Before creating the animation, I sketched out some simple frames to help me better visualise the flow of the animation. The GIF would start with the cat's eyes closed and then open, followed by a flash of light and then the branches started growing out from the side.

Figure 2.8 Sketches of the frames for the animation. Week 8 (22/5/2022).

Then, I went back to Adobe Illustrator to create the individual frames with the still vector poster design as the base. 

Figure 2.9 Creating individual frames for the GIF in Adobe Illustrator. Week 8 (22/5/2022).

Once I have completed the frames, I imported them into Adobe Photoshop to develop the GIF. After a few attempts, I decided to exclude the flash because I felt that it disrupted the flow of the animation. 

Figure 3. Attempt on animating the poster. Week 8 (22/5/2022).

Final Submission for Task 2 - Decisive Moment

Figure 3. Final Submission for Task 2 - Decisive Moment (PDF). Week 9 (28/5/2022). 

Figure 3.1 Final Submission for Task 2 - Decisive Moment (JPEG). Week 9 (28/5/2022).

Figure 3.2 Final Submission for Task 2 - Decisive Moment (GIF). Week 9 (28/5/2022).

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FEEDBACK

Week 7

General Feedback: - 
Specific Feedback: The composition for Sketch #2 (Figure 1.6) is better and I like how you included the broken horns of the boy.

Week 8

General Feedback: - 
Specific Feedback: 

• Figure 2.5 - Ms Anis suggested for a clean vector style for the whole design. She also suggested using a muted white for the outlines and mimicking the outline of the cat silhouette in the original screen capture. She also suggested applying a gradient to replicate the shiny effect of the cat's eyes. 
• Figure 2.6 - Ms Anis commented that the improvement on Attempt #2 was much better and she further suggested adding white highlights on the boy to give more contrast.

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REFLECTION

Experience
For this task, I applied the new gradient technique learned from Mr Hafiz's practical session and I was very satisfied with its results. By applying just a small visual effect, it can immediately add depth and dimension to the design. While working on the task, I talked to a few of my classmates and they have given me some valuable and useful feedback to help me improve on my design. I really enjoy the process of sharing ideas and commenting on each other works as I gain a lot of insights from it.    

Observations
I found myself getting better at using Adobe Illustrator, especially when using the Pen tool, Pathfinder and Gradient tool. The Pen tool was once my biggest enemy of the software and I have dreaded its use for a long time. However, now that I got to use it more in my work, the tool has become increasingly convenient to use.      

Findings

I know that creativity and imagination play a big part in producing good pieces of illustrations and designs. We often think of being creative in areas of ideation and visual, but I believe creativity can also be translated through our decision-making and problem-solving. For example, I was puzzled about how to make the outlines of the cat fade into the background smoothly. I tried cutting up the outlines, but it resulted in a hard edge. After a few trials and errors, I thought of using Free Form Gradient (Line mode) and the result was promising. There is no right or wrong way how to approach an issue; we should be more creative in exploring and experimenting with different ways to achieve the desired results.