Looking back.

I am really happy with the result of this project. I have enjoyed getting to grips with using a screen based application like After Effects to create interesting print work. I think I will be using it in future for this purpose. I find After Effects far more intuitive for the creation of visuals, than other software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. As long as you take the time to work out what size composition is required in AE, in relation to the document size for printing, the result is clean and clear, with a high resolution.

The concept was to capture the fact that the Ministry of Sound club is a sensory experience. It uses the audiences senses to captivate them, and take them on a over night journey into the unknown. My poster designs use the senses sight, hearing, and taste, as a basis. Rather than just using images of eyes, ears, and mouths, I wanted something stranger. The text is positioned to give the idea of each sense being bombarded with the lineup for each month. I decided to create these in 3D, as this gives a better result in Trapcode Form because of the real life shadows, than creating the scene using 3D text in within After Effects.

With this project I have tried to capture a feeling of excitement and captivation with chaotically arranged collages which are, at first, hard to recognize, but upon closer inspection, reveal the underlying concept. Bold, bright, contrasting colour have been used to quickly grab the viewers attention and cause curiosity, making the viewer question what the image really is. The Trapcode Form string grid, used to mould the collages in After Effects, is fitting because of its visual similarity to a sound wave and the lasers used within the club, but was used mainly because it was the grid setting that worked most successfully over text.

The fact these still images where created in After Effects, means that there are huge possibilities for this visual concept to be placed on to screen. All aspects of the project could easily be translated into exciting moving graphics that would also be fitting for the club. These could be played on screen during events, as well as pushed into interactive applications maybe using movies within Flash, who knows?

Looking back, there isn't to much I would change about this projects development. Although I did like my original concept of sound reactive graphics used to create the posters, linking the sounds of the club to the visuals, it lost something in the fact that viewers might never know how the posters where created, making the main idea a bit redundant. With this in mind, if the project consisted of some kind of accompanying video, it may have made sense. With more time for development, I would like to refine the collages used as layer masks for Trapcode Form. With more experimenting, I think I could of achieved a variety of different effects, with more possibilities to choose from in the end.

I think thats a wrap. Just need to finish designing and putting together my research book, which will be a printed version of this blog. It is way nicer to have all of my research and development in a book that I have designed, and can hold, than to simply have it displayed on screen. Chocks away!