challenges and learnings

One of the major lessons I've learnt this term was how important it is to produce an accurate storyboard. When I finally understood the effect it had on my workflow, it all became so much easier. Once I've finalized the storyboard, the project could be produced without having any conceptional concerns anymore.
I've also learnt to experiment with ideas quickly in order to make sure, if they work or not and if the experiment failed, to develop the idea further.
My masking skills in After Effects, have become really good, since I had to mask every single ink-flow manually. That was probably the most painful part of this project, but in a good way. I learnt so much.

I still find the camera movements challenging to control and to simulate real movement. Though the more I use it and the more I practice, the better I become. I also experimented a lot with different conceptional ideas and soundtracks, which I could have reduced a bit more, in order to save time for the final solution. Yet, I also needed to go through that process of developing different ideas, to get me where I was in the end.

Storyboard explanations

1. The agapanthus flower in scene 1 is a common flower in the West African region, which is suitable for this piece, since Ishmael Beah's story takes place in Sierra Leone.
2. The colours, blue, white and green are taken from the Sierra Leone flag and turn into red, as soon as the story revolves around war.
3. The ink splash in the beginning symbolizes the birth of a child (in this case it is Ishmael's life) and the ink flow symbolizes the life line.
4. As the story continues, the pictures emerge from the flowing ink.
5. Ishamel talks about having a simple and remarkable childhood, therefore, you can see the scene at the water.
6. The colours transform to red as Ishmael shares about his landscape changing and becoming scary.
7. The airplanes are dropping diamonds as bombs, symbolizing the blood that is shed in this country for riches and wealth.
8. Being a child soldier is now the only hope, and becomes "your life, your reality."
9. The story continues about the abuse of drugs, so I chose the coca flower, white ink splashes and later on black ink splashes to symbolize the common drug: cocaine mixed with gunpowder.
10. Towards the end Ishmael talks about how "everyone was sick with revenge, for either loosing family, or for whatever the reason was." In this scene I displayed two child soldiers, that will even eliminate each other, because they're so disillusioned and far removed from reality.
11. "So until someone is willing to stop and forgive, we can't go forward."

Storyboard

This is the very exciting storyboard for my 1 minute moving piece on child soldiers

Facts – Child Soldiers

'Save the Children' estimates that there are currently between 300,000 and 800,000 children involved in armed conflict globally, both with military forces, groups or organised gangs. In some countries, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda, more than a third of child soldiers are girls and used as sex slaves. Child soldiers are often forced to commit atrocities against their family so that they can’t return home. (A long way home. 2007)

Ishmael Beah was one of the child soldiers in the 11 year conflict in Sierra Leone. His story now serves us, to understand the reality of this world wide forbidden crime. Beah's solution to child soldiers is to 'stop and forgive'. Therefore, I'd like to let Ishmael's personal experience and solution speak for itself.

5th visual example

This video isn't visually that appealing, yet it is interesting how with simple imagery the voice, which tells the story, can be illustrated.

4th visual example

I was thinking about how I can incorporate some facts into my project. I think I will add an extra layer to the video, which would be some moving type with global facts of the issue on child soldiers today. Therefore I uploaded this video, to see how moving type and ink-like movement fit together.

3rd visual example

Again, I like the simplicity of this video and by moving through the paint, it feels like something static becomes alive. I'd like to adapt this idea, since I've been thinking of how I can communicate the reality of being 'alive', eventhough the spirit is dead. So I've decided to use 'veins' as the common theme in my piece. I will use ink to communicate the life of Ishmael Beah, but also all the other 'invisible children', who are still child soldiers today.

1st Audio Edit

This is the first draft of cutting Ishmael Beah's story into a shorter version, using Sigur Ros as the background music. I'm not sure, if the piece is too long and the music too sobby. I will have to experiment more with the soundtrack.

2nd visual example

This piece illustrates how effective simplicity can be. This has inspired me to focus more on abstact and simple ways of aproaching my piece. Since, the subject of child soldiers is already in itself a dramatic enough, I find it hard to balance this visually.

Stop and Think

Fahion Agains HIV/AIDS is fashion campagne to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among young people. H&M and Designers Against AIDS have linked up with designers, musicians and artists to create a cotton collection for guys and girls (Stop and Think). 25 percent of the proceeds from the collection go to HIV/AIDS prevention projects around the world.

This is a great example how campagnes can work and raise awareness.

Graphic Design is a big f***** club with spikes in it

I've uploading this video in order to underline the statement of what graphic design is suppose to be. It's our responsability to represent the current issues and to be the voice of the voiceless...as mentioned: Graphic Design is a big f**** club with spikes in it!

Interview with Ishmael Beah

The story of Ishmael Beah's childhood – how, aged just 12, fled from rebels attacking his village to wander a violent land, before being conscripted into the army – where he learnt that he too was capable of terrible acts. Once he emerged he decided to tell his story, a story of the loss of innocence and the power of redemption.



I am using bits from this interview as the baseline for my final project. I don't want to produce a moving piece on child soldiers with my own message on what to do or think, but rather would like to display Ishmael Beahs own message 'Stop and Forgive' through this motion graphics piece.

1st visual example

I have chosen this piece as my first visual reference to my moving piece on child soldiers, because it shows clearly how motion graphics can communicate a political subject in an appealing matter.