Initial Tests

Animating sound waves.

The Decibel Chart

0 dB
Nothing

10 dB
Normal breathing

20 dB
Rustling Leaves
Buzzing insect

30 dB
Soft whisper

40 dB
Very soft music

50 dB
Quiet Radio

60 dB
Electric toothbrush
Normal speech
Dog barking

70 dB
Average (busy) street noise
Orchestra
Vacuum cleaner
Typewriter

80 dB
Alarm clock
Telephone ring

90 dB
Lawn mower
Train whistle
Subway train
Police whistle

100 dB
Loud crowd noise
Heavy city traffic
Chainsaw
Pneumatic drill
Car horn
Farm tractor

110 dB
Accelerating motorcycle
Train

120 dB
Thunder
Megaphone

150 dB
Fireworks
Firecracker
Balloon pop

Creative Brief

Overview
After looking at designers who’ve explored the idea of visualizing sound and music in the format of motion graphic design, I’ve come up with the idea of exploring the concept of 10 through sounds and how sound is measured in decibels (dB).

Sounds will be translated into visuals using simple line elements and change in colours.

Goals
To further explore the relationship between what we hear and what we see.

Audience
Anyone from the age of 10 and up. As the video explores how sound is measured, it can in turn be an educational video for younger audiences.

Content Planning
Make sound waves in After Effects and use masks to combine illustrations. Find and record all sounds.

Concepts of Ten

1. 10:00pm at night
2. 10:00am in the morning
3. j as the 10th letter in the alphabet
4. 10lb.
5. in length/distance: 10mm, cm, m, km…
6. 10 degrees (in temperature)
7. money: $10 (a $10 bill or bills and coins that add up to $10), 10 cents (a dime or coins that add up to 10 cents)
8. 10ml
9. in cooking measurements: 10 spoons, 10 cups, 10 teaspoons
10. in music: intervals of 10
11. october as the 10th month
12. October 10, 2010 (10-10-10)
13. Page 10
14. the 10th hour, 10th minute, and 10th second
15. episode 10
16. volume 10
17. 10 million
18. 10 years
19. 10 levels
20. 10 floors
21. 10 clicks
22. Things that come in packs of 10 (stamps, polaroid pictures…)
23. 10 things on a to-do list
24. channel 10
25. the 10th element in a periodic table (neon)
26. 10th place
27. top 10
28. question #10
29. 10 folds
30. 10 steps
31. 10%
32. 6 x 10 seconds = 1 minute (for a 1 minute video)
33. words with 10 letters
34. chinese characters with 10 strokes
35. a decagon
36. no. 10 envelope
37. 10 numbers on a phone, calculator, keyboard (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0)
38. numbers that add up to 10 (1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5, 3+4+3, 4+4+2, etc…)
39. in mathematics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division that result in 10 (4×2+2=10, 20/2=10, etc…)
40. 10 fingers and 10 toes
41. a 10-ride ticket
42. 10 rotations
43. 10 slices in a pizza/pie
44. 10 degrees (angle)
45. 10 degrees in longitude or latitude (10 degrees N, 10 degrees W)
46. 10 pages
47. 10 chapters
48. 10-step instructions

Project 2 Blog

Here’s the link to my Project 2 blog with Wenwan.

Why is 8 afraid of 7?

Here’s my 10 second counting leader!

Design Statement

“Food Chain Countdown” is a playful 10 second leader in the style of cut-out animation. Using felt cutouts, the story begins with the number 10 being dropped into the water and eaten by 9. Within a second, 8 comes along and swallows 9, 7 eats 8 and so on. As it counts down, each figure is swallowed by its succeeding number. At the end of the food chain, 0, which supposedly eats 1 turns over and floats to the surface of the water.

Complete with light, cheerful beats in the background and characters of different colours, the final result is a fun, lighthearted video with a humorous ending!

Credit Information
The Free Sound Project for the sound of the ‘crunch’ and the bubbling water.
Flashkit for the background music.

Project 1: Concept 2

Overview
A stop-motion animation about going for a drivers test. The scene begins with the first course of the test: a set of pylons is arranged to form the number 10 and the driver must drive in between the pylons. The counting down begins when the pylons are knocked over as the driver passes through the course. The next course is set up with pylons arranged in the form of the number 9. Again, the driver knocks over the pylons as it counts down to number 8. Each course is arranged in the form of a number while counting down. After the pylons in the form of 3 are knocked down, a blank screen appears for 2 seconds following the last frame: a check-mark beside the word “fail.” The whole animation will be in birds eye view. Each time the car begins to move, an engine sound will start until each course is finished.

Materials needed
-camera
-tripod
-good lighting
-a toy car
-orange clay (to make small pylons)
-a background (which will be the ground)

Considerations
-what the background should look like and what material to use
-the size of everything
-using the software to animate
-where and how the pictures will be taken.

Goals and Objectives
This is also a fun and quick animation that works as a counting leader. It is also not meant to be realistic as most cartoons/animations tend to be.

Audience
An older group of children (10 and up) who understand what a drivers test is even if they have not been through one. Anyone (young and old) who enjoy watching animations.

Link to the storyboard: car.pdf

Other rough concepts I’ve also considered:
1. Counting down with jell-o.
2. Spelling out the numbers while connecting each word with scrabble pieces.
3. Stacking and forming numbers with jenga pieces.

Project 1: Concept 1

Overview
A felt cut-out animation in stop motion. The story is a fish food chain. It starts with pollutants being dropped in the ocean in the form of the number 10. A small fish (in the form of number 9) swims by and eats one of them. Another (bigger) fish (in the form of the number 8 ) eats number 9. The countdown continues as each number is eaten until it reaches the number 3. After a blank out for 2 seconds, number 3 begins to flip over and float to the surface. The audio in the background will begin with underwater sounds (sounds of bubbles or echos heard from a distance). Every time a number is eaten, a “crunch” sound is heard. In the end when 3 floats to the surface there will be sounds of bubbles in the background.

Materials needed
-camera
-tripod
-felt of all sorts of colours
-scissors
-good lighting

Considerations
-what colours and colour combinations to use (that would depend on what colour felt I find).
-where and how the pictures will be taken.
-what the cutouts would look like.
-the size of everything.
-using the software.

Goals and Objectives
As my first take on stop-motion, I want to create a fun, playful animation in the form of a quick story that also works as a counting leader. The animation may not be completely realistic but it is not meant to be taken seriously.

Audience
This would appeal to elementary school children (who are learning how to count or understand the food chain). They might also enjoy watching animations. They could be an older audience who enjoy watching animations as well.

Link to the storyboard: fish.pdf