Experiment 02 - Week01 - Independent Study

At present, my current approach to creating the Cactus model of this model would be using a combination of extrude cuts and lofts at particular parts. I feel like theres another way to do it and so much easier but I am not entirely sure just yet. I do need more practice in this program before I hopefully find that out.

Experiment 02 - Week 01 - Task for today

Lesson 1 - Parts: This tutorial was useful in understanding the basics. For example, drawing 2-D shapes on a plane that could later be modified into 3-D objects. The filet feature appealed to me the most. I was impressed at the ease of making the edges rounded resulting in a smoother looking model.

Lesson - Lofts: This tutorial had a couple of key milestones. Drawing different shapes on separate planes and then connecting them using lofts to create a solid object I found to be intelligent. The step in the tutorial shown above would make modelling easier and provide opportunity for a range of other forms.


Lesson - Sweeps: This tutorial further revealed the versatility of this program. Previously, extruding and lofting were ways to create models. Extruding is a common and popular option in modelling programs (3ds max, sketchup, etc). Sweeps was new to me but it made the creation of such a detailed object easier and faster.

Presentation notes

"The two videos I found on youtube inspired me with the concept of "jumping". Now "jumping' is a term I've phrased to describe the sudden outbreak of movement and destruction caused by an explosion. These are the predictable effects I've tried to show and challenge in my video. By using the 2-d grid I've created one 3-d structure separated into three levels. The top level contains small objects that broke when they were exploded. Here I aimed to show the destructive force of an explosion. In the middle level, there were a bunch of medium sized objects that when exploded, didnt break and stayed in their original position. Here I've tried to counter the predictable effect of an explosion seen in the top level where everything broke and scattered everywhere. I've tried to restrict the movement of the object. This was inspired from the youtube video that exploded a plane within a room which when exploded quickly jumped up to the ceiling and fell back down, hence, its intended movement being restricted. In the bottom level, I've tried to culminate all the aforementioned key ideas into one with larger objects. The explosions at the bottom cause the objects and debris to fly everywhere, showing destruction. Restriction is shown as the larger objects are contained within the barriers of the 2-d grid around it. Additionally, the larger objects "jump" as a result of the explosion below the grid. After doing my experiments, my idea of porosity is "the ratio of space affected by an explosion to the actual total amount of area available". In reference to what Russell mentioned about public and private space in the lecture two weeks ago, I would classify areas that are affected by an explosion as public space. This is where all the "jumping" is going on. This is where all the action is happening. Therefore, the private space would be the area that is not affected by the explosion. For example, in the middle level explosion, the objects stayed within the centre of the cube as it exploded. This area would be classified as the public space whilst the area around the objects within the cube not affected by the explosions would be the private space."

Experiment 01 - Submission - Custom Machinima

The top level contained small objects where I aimed to demonstrate the destructive force of an explosion. The middle level had medium-sized objects with attached dynamite. Here I aimed to contain the objects within the grid restricting them from being randomly scattered like in the first explosion, thus, challenging the predictable effect of the explosion. Lastly, the explosions below the bottom level caused the larger objects inside to also be restricted and “jump”(my original concept).

References
1. Video footage recorded by self using "Fraps". Accessed: July 30, 2008.
3. Video edited by self using Sony Vegas Platinum Trial Version 9.0.
4. Font "Birth of a Hero" downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/search.php?psize=m&q=birth+of+a+hero. Accessed: February 2007.
5. Font "HalfLife2" downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/halflife2.font Accessed: August 16, 2008.
6. Music from band "Linkin Park - Faint".

Experiment 01 - Submission - Found Machinima

This video displays two machinima videos I found that inspired my concept. “Jumping” is a term I have phrased to describe the sudden outbreak of movement and destruction caused by an explosion. The idea of “jumping” caused by an explosion is multifarious. Evidently in this video, the magnitude of an objects “jumping” runs parallel to its explosion. But how can we challenge this theory? That is the question I aim to investigate in my experiments.

References
1. Original video footage accredited to YouTube user "karzid" for "Battlefield 1942 Explosions Montage". Accessed: August 4th, 2008.
2. Original video footage accredited to YouTube user "uyesu" for "Massive Crysis Explosion". Accessed: August 4th, 2008.
3. Video edited by self using Sony Vegas Platinum Trial Version 9.0.
4. Font "Birth of a Hero" downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/search.php?psize=m&q=birth+of+a+hero. Accessed: February 2007.
5. Font "HalfLife2" downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/halflife2.font Accessed: August 16, 2008.
6. Music from band "Linkin Park - Faint".

Week Three - Marking Schedules

Image 01. Marking sheet done by Rachel MacKenzie.

Image 02. Marking sheet done by Xiao Pan.

Week Three - Documentary modes (150 words)

My machinima videos are a combination of expository and reflexive documentary modes that play out chronologically. They begin with a brief introduction to the idea of the video or experiment, basic setup of the scene, followed by the action of the explosions and ending with the aftermath. Throughout the entire video, the footage of the experiment in GMOD is complemented with text that further address and inform the audience of what is being shown as well as structuring the entire scene together. This combination of visual techniques not only helps to simplify the message being communicated but strengthens its impact upon its audience. The aforementioned elements displayed in the videos categorises them as an expository mode. However, the textual elements of the videos do not raise arguments or try to state the message being communicated. They are simply used as titles to introduce the visual as well as indicate certain chapters in the video. The message is not clearly stated. Therefore, the audience is made to reflect upon the cause and effect of the footage being presented to them in order to discover and understand the truth or concept behind the video. GMOD in itself challenges the impression of reality and the video tries to enhance that. My videos show vehicles floating in mid air with dynamite attached to them within a large hollow cube. They’re explosions trigger randomized movement and collision with other objects within the cube, where the two drafts show two different results. In the first, the vehicles eventually escape the barriers of the cube and in the second, they destroy the structure of the cube causing it to collapse. Theoretically, herein is where the message must be discovered. What do these objects represent in reality? What questions do they raise about gravity and movement? Does the collapse of the cube suggest a need for stability? These are the sort of questions the audience are directed to ponder upon when viewing my machinima, hence, use of the reflexive documentary mode. In conclusion, my machinima are obviously simple in representation yet this combination of aforementioned techniques fabricates a video that can be universally understood and diversely and innovatively interpreted.

Independent Study - Week Two

Draft 01


Draft 02


Above are my two video drafts of two thirty second clips that investigate the physical effect of an explosion on porosity. In the first draft video, we see many cars inside the cube exploding, pushing other cars around, moving in every direction, eventually outside of the cube itself. In the second draft video, the setup is mirrored but in this version, the structure of the cube collapses, hypothetically, as a result of the explosions and clash of objects within the cube. I have recently done another experiment involving the use of different size vehicles inside the cube exploding in similar fashion as the two above videos. I will upload these when I have completed editing a video for it.

Week Two - Task for today

Above is a simple test video of 3 x 10 second clips showing my intentions for Experiment 1 using the 2-d grid. I created a 3-D hollow cube using the grid and placed a single car with a hoverball and some dynamites attached to it by ropes. Using similar techniques to my previous work in week one, I intend to study the movement and direction of the single car as it explodes inside the cube. Progressively, I will add more cars and more vehicles of different sizes in forecoming video clips to further investigate the physical effect of an explosion on porosity.

Independent Study - Week One

The above video is a compilation of experiments and tests I did in GMOD to mirror concepts explicated in the two below machinima videos I chose in week one. My video shows my progression and explorations as I aim to build upon/expand the concepts.