Initial Designs

Hello again!

In this post, I will talking about my initial ideas for the DVD wrap/assignment as a whole.

I have two ideas for the assignment at the moment that I am trying to choose between. They are

quite different in terms of source material, design, overall look & feel and of course, the outcome.

Idea No.1

Idea No.1 is an action movie based on action movies either from the 1970's or heavily inspired by

the decade.

When I first thought of the idea, I was picturing a sort of  "Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' meets

'Black Dynamite'" movie mash-up. After thinking about it more, I realised that I could include more

than just those two movies.

I wanted to explore the 'blaxploitation' era movies and draw inspiration from them in terms of design

and content.

In terms of design I mean the colours and effects used in some of their respective movie

posters; for example, the 1972 film 'Super Fly' uses a simple white background with large, rounded

text coloured in bright Red and Pink along with images of the main character and his vehicle (both

appear to be hand-drawn) to achieve an eye-catching but simple appearance.

On the other hand, the more modern but 70's inspired 'Pulp Fiction' uses a red top 'border' with

bright yellow text for the film's title and an image of one of the main characters of the film in the

foreground 'Mia Wallace' filling up the rest of the space on a darker background.

Poster content is where the '70s and '70s-inspired movies appear to distinguish themselves.

The 1970's film tend to show images of the main character along with a collage of action shots from

the movie itself or just a large image of the protagonist that fills up roughly a third of the image

(sometimes hand-drawn, other times actual images/photos); along with this is a few sentences

describing the protagonist's attitude or quotes from the movie, for example, the poster for 1971's

'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song' features the tag line "You bled my momma - You bled my

poppa - But you won't bleed me" and 1975's 'Dolemite' features "Bone-crushing, Skull-splitting,

Brain-blasting action!".

Oppositely, the inspired movies almost always use images of the protagonist and other important

characters in the film together; along with this, the posters usually feature positive reviews about the

movie quite prominently. Tag lines are sometimes still present, and depending on how new the film is

(or how it is being promoted) the inclusion of Social Media information is present somewhere on the

poster in the format of website link.

I imagine the wrap to draw on both types of film, but I think the main colours of the design will be

White, Black and Red (I'll use different shades and tones, some more muted than others). I want to

use images of characters from various films such as Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield and use

Photoshop's Posterize effect to some extent to give the images a less detailed look. Perhaps I could

look at some of the Artistic filters to see if I can replicate the hand-drawn look.

Just thinking about it, I could employ 'damaged' or 'weathered' textures to give the product a more

'vintage' look, almost as though the film had been found after many years.

I can picture using many layers, opacity tools and use of the quick selection tool to make collages of

various images.

Idea No.2

Idea No.2 is either a video game based on some of my favourite games from EA's 'Need for Speed'

series, or a movie based on a story that takes place over the course of various Need for Speed

releases.

When I first thought of the idea, I imagined a fusion of some of the games, most notably 2005's

'Need for Speed Most Wanted' and 2006's 'Need for Speed Carbon'. These two games have arguably

the most amount of 'plot' in them; Carbon's story is also related and takes place after the events of

Most Wanted; we as the audience know this because of the protagonist's use of the signature BMW

M3 (E46) GTR in Carbon after using, losing and then gaining it back in Most Wanted.

But in the minds of fans of the series, it is said that the protagonist is also the same person we

play as in 2003's 'Need for Speed Underground', 2004's 'Need for Speed Underground 2' (whose

stories are also related to each other) and even 2007's 'Need for Speed ProStreet' (the protagonist

goes by the name Ryan Cooper in this installation of the franchise, causing fans to doubt whether

this game is included in the earlier mentioned timeline; I personally believe it is, but none of the

games after this release are).

Because of all these theories, I wanted to expand the 'fusion' to include these games and make

something awesome. The potential difficulty in creating this wrap is that between the five games,

there are at least three to four different, distinguishable art styles utilised in the design of both the

cover art of the games and the games themselves.

Underground and Underground 2 were released in what is nicknamed the 'Max Power' era of car

tuning, this was also around the time when the earlier 'Fast and Furious' franchise movies were

released- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWOXqvUScP4 (djinuk, 2011) . Car modifications included bright colours, intricate patterns/'vinyls', wide wheels, even

wider body kits, LOUD sound systems (and ear-splitting exhaust systems), neon lights,

nitrous oxide kits, spinners and much (much) more. Because of this, the art features bright colours,

muted backgrounds to make the cars stand out and lots of motion blur in-game.

Most Wanted takes the gaudiness and flips it on its head completely. The game features a much

more serious atmosphere, featuring a more urban and gritty look to it with an art style complete with

a "reduced palette" ((EA (Need for Speed), 2009), over-saturated visuals (mostly seen in weather and cutscenes) and sharper graphics.

Carbon then got rid of some of the grittiness, giving the game a more metropolitan feel but added

more seriousness to the atmosphere. If you look at Carbon, everything about it (the game, art,

cutscenes) all look as though they have been processed through a Blue colour filter. It feels as though

the game has a blue/purple theme to it, giving it a sense of eeriness and loneliness.

I find this quite suiting to the plot of the game as a lot of people do not like the protagonist at the

start of the story due to earlier events (that may even predate Most Wanted). On the night of a big

race, the Police ambushed the event leading to the arrest of all participants except the protagonist,

causing him to flee the city with a holdall containing the race's prize money. After fleeing, we find

out the holdall contained nothing but bundles of paper; little did the protagonist know the whole

ambush and bag switch was a set-up by his (so-called) friend, the same friend who gave him the keys

to his car and suggested that flee whilst everything was going down.

ProStreet appears to be the most realistic of all the games mentioned, it is the first in which races

are actually legal, taking place at Race Days at race tracks in real locations. The colours are much

more balanced (no more edgy orange or lonely blue), however the colours are loud too; the race day

events are supposed to be entertaining featuring fast cars, attractive girls and heavy music. This

results in loud colours clustered around the place (we see loud colours on the cars, event blimps &

decorations and the girls clothes- or lack thereof...), but elsewhere in the game such as menus, cover art and promotional videos, there is a distinct lack of colour, with most designs focusing on black, white and the lime green as their colour palette, this gives an almost polar difference in the two aspects.

After discussing all the art styles, I feel as though there are two choices; either match all the

materials from different games as closely as possible to a single art style (using colour balancing,

matching hue/saturation adjustments), or leave the materials as they are, perhaps correcting them

slightly, but using them as they are for the most part to represent the different chapters in the

protagonist's history. I like the second idea because it ensures the stories are recognisable and

distinct; I also am unsure of how matching the materials would turn out.

When creating the wrap, I have a few ideas of how I could approach the design. One would be to feature the 'hero' cars (the car the protagonist is seen to drive and win the story with) or cover (cars featured on the cover of the game) cars from each game in a line-up as though they were about to race, or the cars could be placed on to one cover from one game- for example, the cars could all be escaping police in Most Wanted, or they could be drifting down the canyons in Carbon, or showing off in Underground. Whichever idea I choose, I will have to make my own footage/images using in-game capture because official images don't exist of the cars in those positions.

Another idea would be to show the door or bonnet of a car (the Nissan Skyline is the first to pop into my head [related side note, this is the unofficial hero car of Underground and Underground 2] although the M3 GTR makes sense also), and place the logos of the titles on it as though they were decals, although this idea sounds a little boring, if done right could look really clean.

Another awesome idea I literally just thought of would be a side view of a car, made up of about five sections, with each section belonging to a separate title, this would contain a part of the title's hero car respective to the position of the section creating a 'car out of cars'!

Along with all these ideas, I have created a mind-map to show my initial thoughts on ideas which you can see below. I may update this too as time goes on; the mind map was created using https://bubbl.us/mindmap - accessed 28/02/16

It's tough to decide, I really like the '70s but I also love cars and am probably going to do the idea I don't choose as a side project/hobby anyway.

But that's all for now, thank you for reading!

Hasnain

References

Images

2012. Available at: <https://shyfyy.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/pulpfiction.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

n.d. Available at: <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Superfly_poster.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

n.d. Available at: <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Sweet_sweetback_poster.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

n.d. Available at: <https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i9vgKvcemY/maxresdefault.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

n.d. Available at: <http://www.martialartsmoviejunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Black-Dynamite-Poster.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

n.d. Available at: <http://assets.fontsinuse.com/static/reviews/0/5157771f/full/2013-03-jackiebrownver8xlg.jpg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

Text

EA (Need for Speed), 2009. Interview With NFS Most Wanted Art Director Habib Zargarpour. [YouTube] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byYd-U2yBg> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

Video

djinuk, 2011. Max power 2003 epic OLD Skool dvd !,. [YouTube] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWOXqvUScP4> [Accessed 28 February 2016].

DVD Label beginnings

Hello!

In this post, I will be discussing the beginnings of the DVD Label.

I still haven't chosen between which of the two ideas I have yet, and so I figured I will make the DVD label template in the mean time.

Most discs are plain silver, if  user were to store them as they are, it would make it difficult for him/her to remember which disc has what content on it without going through the trouble of loading up multiple discs individually before finding the right disc. This is labelling discs come in handy.

Disc labels, much like the labels you would use on boxes, files etc. are used in order to help distinguish discs from each other. Disc labels are applied to the top side (actually known as the "label-side") of a disc either by hand or machine, depending on the type of label and scale of operation (home-use vs commercial production).

There are other ways of labelling discs, such as simply using a disc pen and writing on the top of a disc, but this doesn't make for the most professional presentation of a disc; it also means writing the content on each disc compared to making a label once and applying it to many discs.

When discs are sold to the public, they usually have a label applied that represents the material they contain (such as a movie or a game) whilst tying in to the theme of the disc cover in order to be recognisable, even when the disc is "stored outside of the box" (Disc cover — the ways of labeling discs, 2003).

The interesting thing about disc label designs is that obviously the 'canvas' is round. This means there are two options in regards to the overall design of the label; I could design it as I would normally in a square canvas, allowing part of the design to be cut off as long as the important details are on the label, or I could design the label to in-cooperate the roundness of the disc, making for an interesting design that can be viewed from more than one angle.

The second idea sounds more attractive to me as there are no worries about seeing what will or won't fit on to the disc towards the final versions of the design if I design the label within the constraints of the shape. It also means I can create a design that 'wraps' around the disc meaning it doesn't just cut off at the edge. Perhaps I could add a round sort of border to show this effect.


Using the dimensions found on the template online (Martin, 2013), I have started to design a blank label in Adobe Illustrator; you can see the template I have used below.

I began creating the label by opening the dialog to create a new file, from here I entered the dimensions that I wanted the new file to be; according the template, the widest the label should be including the bleed is 125.5mm. I wanted some white space around the label so in order to give the file some 'room'; I thought this will be useful later when there are multiple objects on the label as the space will allow me to see what I am doing more easily.

After creating the file, I changed Illustrator's units to millimetres as I did earlier in order to give me more control and accuracy over object dimensions.

I then went on to create the first circular shape on the file, the outer disc edge. I did this by selecting the Ellipse tool, holding down the 'Alt' key on the keyboard and finding the centre of the page. Once this was done, I then clicked the left mouse button, bringing up a dialog asking for the shape dimensions. The outer edge of the disc is 117.5mm, so I entered that accordingly.

From there, I tried to repeat this process outer edge bleed before realising that the ellipse tool was filling the circle in and colouring them white; I noticed this after the bleed circle covered the edge circle. I went back and selected the [None] option for the fill colour and tried again.

After fixing this issue, I then went ahead and drew the circles for the disc hole edge and its bleed.

Now that I have created all edges, I then saved the file and decided to colour the circles in pairs to make distinguishing between edges and bleeds easier; red lines are bleeds and blue lines are edges.

And finished! Now the template is setup for designs when I start.

Today was my first time using Illustrator, I find that it takes a bit of getting used to, especially because I am more used to using Photoshop; things like menu layouts and the sidebars are re-arranged making finding your bearings a little confusing.

However, I do like that Illustrator uses vector imaging; this is useful because vector images take up less space and more importantly, are scalable without losing quality. This is going to be useful when it comes to creating the production logo and other objects like that may need to be resized before finding the right fit.

That's all for this post, stay tuned for the next!

Hasnain

References

Images

Martin, P., 2013. CD and DVD disc and packaging artwork templates - Wizbit Internet services Ltd. Wizbit Internet Services. Available at: <https://www.wizbit.net/cd-duplication/cd-dvd-disc-packaging-artwork-templates/> [Accessed 22 February 2016]. (Please note, I am using the 2006 version of the template)

Text

Disc cover — the ways of labeling discs, 2003. . Available at: <https://www.belightsoft.com/products/resources/labelingdiscs.php> [Accessed 22 February 2016].

DVD cover beginnings

Hello again!

This post is about the DVD Wrap and its beginnings.

Whilst I'm still thinking of some ideas as to what is actually going to go on the wrap, I have started to create the wrap template in Photoshop.

The wrap will (as you can guess from its name) wrap-around the DVD case which consists of the front side, back side and the 'spine'.

This basically means that the wrap design will be split into three separate panels, leaving me to think about whether I want to design to stretch over all three panels, or give each panel its own design.

I prefer the second idea as the designs can be seen/appreciated individually instead of having to stretch the case open to view one design. Plus, separate designs mean that they can be created for different purposes; the front side being the most eye-catching, the spine design (hehe) will feature the title's name along with a not-so detailed/visible design to fill the space and the back side will have (I think) a design that is less detailed than the front, but more than the spine. I think it would also have to be somewhat transparent, or look good with translucent 'boxes' on top of it to house the title's blurb, information etc.

Using the dimensions found on a template online (CD, 2007), I have started to design a blank wrap in Photoshop. The overall image size is 11 inches x 7.5 inches; this converts to 279.4mm x 190.5mm. The image size has a 3.175mm bleed on each side included as a measure to ensure that there are no 'white gaps' when the wrap is cut to fit the case.

You can see the template I am working off below, I have included a table of conversions to show the measurements I have taken when adding the blue 'guide lines' in Photoshop, along with a description for each measurement.

inches	mm	Description
7.5	190.5	Total height of wrap
11	279.4	Total length of wrap
5.125	130.175	Length of one panel
7.25	184.15	Height of panel (excluding bleed)
0.5	12.7	Length of spine
0.125	3.175	Bleed distance

I started creating the template by opening Photoshop and selecting the options to create a new file. I entered the dimensions as the template suggested and made sure to set the colour mode to CMYK, this is because the wrap will be printed.

After this was done, I then went to Photoshop's preferences menu and changed the units I was working with from centimetres to millimetres, this gives me more accuracy when it comes to working with guides, tools and images.

I then went on to create my first 'guide' on the wrap. The purpose of guides is to split the image up, making it easier for the user to see where they are placing images and how everything will look. They also serve as useful 'snap-to' lines, making lining objects up and within boundaries much easier.

I decided to start with the first guide marking out the left side of the wrap, this will be the outer edge of the back panel. The gap between this guide and the edge of the file/'canvas' acts as the bleed; the rest of the outer guides will also follow this idea.

After some calculating and guide-making, the wrap now has guides marking off the edges of the wrap and guides separating the three panels from each other. As mentioned before, the outer edges of the file act as a bleed; the template suggests making sure that all important content stays within a 'safe area' of the wrap (this is red-lined area of the template), the template gives no information on the measurements of this safe area and I have not made it yet. I do plan to add the area in, assuming that the gap between the edge of the wrap and the safe area will be the same as the bleed distance- 3.175mm.

So that's all I have on the wrap for now, I may come back to update this on the additional guides.

Stay tuned!

Hasnain

References

CD, N.E., 2007. Available at: <http://www.newenglandcd.com/cd-templates/jpeg/amaray-wrap.jpg> [Accessed 15 February 2016].

Hello World!

Hello! My name is Hasnain.

This is my blog that makes up the second half of my Digital Imaging Software (MOD003232) assignment.

What is the purpose of this blog?

The purpose of this blog is to act as a sort of 'project logbook' for the work I will be doing on the first half of the assignment.

What is the task you have to do?

The first half of the assignment consists of me creating a DVD case wrap (Amaray-style), on-disc label (including a logo) and promotional video (for the first two things) for a film or video game of my choice.

Following the module guide, I will be writing this blog as I go along, documenting ideas, choices and reasoning for decisions as they come about. I will try to make this blog as detailed as possible, showing the complete project design process. The blog will also act as an ongoing evaluation of my progress.

How long have you got to complete this, and what software will you use?

I have 12 weeks to complete the assignment and will be using software from the Adobe software suite to create the various elements- Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere.

What are your initial thoughts on this assignment?

Hmm, I'm really excited to see where this assignment goes in terms of design and what the end products will look like; I know a little bit about Photoshop, less about Premiere and nearly nothing about Illustrator, so I'm interested in learning and exploring the software I will be using in order to further my understanding and create some really cool (hopefully) stuff!

I'm a bit nervous about the whole blogging aspect of it, I've never blogged before (although I used to post old flash game links and YouTube videos to my MSN space back in the day...) and am currently trying to learn as to how to use Blogger. I want to make sure I record all my findings and that I don't lose anything. This text editor seems easy enough to use, but I'm interested in seeing what happens when I need to attach images and things like that.

That's all for now, see you again soon!