Creative CV's Research

To make my CV stand out, it needs to look good, get across who I am and my skills quickly. 

I have looked on the internet as well as looking at the examples John showed us, to see some creative CV's to help inspire me to create mine. 

This cv looks professional, with lots of information but still simplistic, which is good, as a lot of CV's seem to have too much writing on so may get overlooked. I like the info graphics style way of showing their skills, which could relate to what type of work the person is looking for.

I like these CV's as they seem more fun and interesting than plain white CV's, with a lot of information organised in a way that is interesting to look at, and also showing off the designers illustration and layout skills.

I like the CV on the left as it is simple and short, getting all the information across quickly and not being too distracting. I think having a panel which is quite decorative or interesting next to a simple space for the information is a good way to create a CV which looks good but is easy to read. The one of the left is quite different, with maybe a bit too much going on, but I like how the alignment is different and there are contrasting elements.

This CV is quite different from the others so it stands out. I think printed CV's make much more of an impact rather than emailing your CV, especially if you want to design for print. I will definitely take time considering stock and how my design will print and send my CV rather than emailing it.

These are more examples of simple CV's (above and below), I really like the way a logo, or image to represent the designer is placed next to all the information that is needed, keeping the design clear, clean and easy to use. These all show a good use of layout and organisation of elements.

Tips I have found for creating a good CV:

smashingmagazine

- The whole thing should fit on one page

- Keep it short (leave something to talk about in the interview)

- Don't overdo it with fancy bits, make sure the content doesn't get lost

- Keep it simple and organised

- Don't include a whole history, leave some details off

- Attention to detail should be perfect, everything should be aligned, etc...

- Use a grid

- Design it so it is printable

- Create a PDF copy with links to your website

- Show your interests and personality

- Think outside the box
- Leave out things that aren't relevant to design
- Get lots of people to check over it for mistakes

What to include:
youthedesigner
- Name and contact info
- Mission statement
- Job experience
- Education
- Strengths
- Software Skills
- Design Organisations (if you belong to any)
- Awards
- References (don't include on the CV but say they are available)

Look at my post on my PPD blog to see my development:

My Creative CV

Top 10 Things... Cupcakes In Design (Illustration)

Illustration

As illustration is my main interest, I thought I would have a look at the cupcake designs out there, as this may be something I want to do for my title sequences, as well as photography. All these designs look sweet and girly, and relate to the keywords I have written about cupcakes. These are lots of examples that I liked when looking around.

Just Kids Ltd

C and Me    Melissa Held

Paperchase

 

Laura Ashley

Laura Thornton

Claire Giles      Hayley Kavanagh

Janet Brown

Maevi Colomina

Liza Lewis

Solitaire 

Showler and Showler

There are so many different ways shown here of illustrating cupcakes, from vector images, hand drawn, stitched, screen printed, patterns and ink, I think I will need to try out a few different ways of how I could create the cupcakes before I decide on a definite means of illustration. I will keep looking back at this large collection of images while deciding which style I should go with.

[see blog post]

Top 10... TV Show Intros

As I am making a tv show intro, the most obvious place to start is researching other tv show intros. I have looked through so many, so here are a few that particularly stood out.



I absolutely love these opening credits and have found them very inspiring, and will be trying to incorporate some of the effects into my own videos, such as how the objects fly in and off screen, and things zoom in and out. I also like how the camera angle turns to the side, to bring up a completely new screen. There is layer on top of layer on top of layer, to make a detailed opening scene with a lot going on, but never too overcrowded or busy. The song choice works really well as well, and the clip is a good length, so all in all, despite never having heard of the show, I think this intro is great.



I like the mixed media style of this, which is something I want to try. There are videos, movement, static imagery, things coming from nowhere - there is so much going on and the song is quite loud and busy too - but all of these things manage to work, to create an exciting introduction, that obviously a lot of people will have seen as it is a very popular show.




This opening intro is a mix of illustration and moving image, which is something I would like to be able to combine. There are a lot of effects going on, as well as lots of imagery and bright colours, so I think there is a bit too much happening, but as it is a tv intro for a children's tv show it doesn't matter too much, as it suits the target audience.


There are so many still images here flashing so quickly to create a sequence, but with the addition of the song, which is kind of explaining the action, it shows how still images can work for a video. I like how the speed starts up normal, and then gets faster and faster, the pace of the song relating to the pace of the images on screen. We made a still image video in the first year in a workshop, and this is something that I would like to try again at some point.




This seems like quite a simple idea, to edit photographs in to illustrations and give them movement, but it does work, especially with all the effects and patterns and textures that are also included. I like how the text dances in right at the end. It is quite a short introduction, but maybe that is because too many images of the same characters in the same style would get boring after a while.



I have included Doctor Who as an example, because of how the text with the actors names appear, fitting in with the dramatic movement. The way they exit off the screen, coming towards you and then off the screen behind you is also quite an interesting effect. It may not be the most exciting of introductions but it is clever how it feel as if we are moving through this tunnel. Also, as you will notice the BBC logo is included in this intro, and I will need to include the BBC two logo in my ident.



I've never actually heard of this tv show, but I found this intro and thought it was very fitting towards my style. The way things appear makes me think a bit of the desperate housewives intro, which has also been something to inspire me. There are patterns used in the backgrounds, which may be something that I try, or I may include textures. The paper style of it all looks quite crafty and hand made but at the same time the way things move make this look like an animation. The text is quite simple, which is probably to stop it from distracting away from the imagery, however, in my video, I think the text will play quite an important part.



Q.I's intro is another show where the song choice really does impact the movement of the assets on screen. I like how the different images layer on top of each other, moving on their axis, and their direction on screen, and then the way they fly off, due to the use of the camera angle.



Mock the week is another tv show intro where different aspects are layered on to each other to create the effect of things flying in. I don't think this is the best example of a tv show intro, as the different aspects don't seem to share a style, meaning that everything doesn't fit together too well.



I know that some people might disagree, but I do love the opening credits for desperate housewives. I love how there is so much going on, and this introduction has been a great source of inspiration for me. I like the references to classical art, but how these have been animated to have a modern twist. I like the way that things pop up, and then exit as if they are falling over. It is one of those videos that shouldn't work as there is so much going on, but instead it is quite a humorous example.



For the fresh meat intro, I like how what could have been a boring and simple video is actually interesting, due to the animation of the text and a few other aspects. It looks really modern and I think will appeal to the target audience.



The illustrations used in the intro to mad men are so simple, but as a whole, it does work, especially with the mix of vintage imagery.



I tried to find the intros to baking programmes and cooking programmes, as I thought this would be relevant to my research, but couldn't find anything worth including, which in a way is good, as it shows there is a gap for a well made tv intro for a cooking show, however, there wasn't much to inspire me either. This short clip from a Jamie Oliver show is quite simple and seems like something I could actually make.



The Hustle intro is another example of an intro where the song plays an important part in the video, as the action relates to key points of the song. In a way, parts of this intro seem quite basic, like with the illustration, however, as a whole, with all the effects and movement, I think it works really well. The image of the man falling made me think of the mad men tv into up above but I'm not sure which one came first!

I've looked at so many videos and now have lots of ideas for effects which I will include in my storyboards. I still feel a bit intimated at the moment as actually being able to create my own video seems like such a far away goal, but at the same time, I feel inspired, and have more of an idea of what direction I want my tv show intro to go in now.

Top 10... Idents

As well as looking at the third years blogs to get some inspiration for what my ident and video could be, I have looked at what is already out there. As this is something that is quite new to me, its important to get a lot of research.

What is an ident?


An ident is a television identification symbol, which is the bit of video which tells you what channel you are watching, just before the next programme commences.

The channel 4 idents are probably the most memorable examples. We created something based on these in one of last years visual language sessions. I do really like the channel 4 idents, as I think they are so clever, however, they are totally different style to what I will be aiming to create.

I like these examples of MTV idents, as they are really creative and quite funny, however, once again they aren't the kind of style that I will be going for with the idents that I create, but I wanted to get a good mix of what each channels idents were like.




Sky's idents are more like adverts, and I don't think the talking over the top works very well. However, the way they are put together makes them seem professional.



These are quite old bbc 2 idents, but I do like how simple they are, and the use of movement. I think they are a little bit too long, as ten seconds seems more than enough time for an ident, where these were a lot longer.



E4 did a competition to create an ident, so there are so many different examples available on youtube. Although my tv show isn't going to be shown on E4, I do think their idents are the best out of all the channels, as they are so creative and look really good. The continuous use of the same colour throughout means that they are instantly recognisable as an E4 ident.

 

Nickelodeon's idents were really random, but funny, so I enjoyed watching them. I think they are the idents that suit the target audience the best as it is a children's tv channel.




I also like the bbc three idents. Although I think my programme will be for bbc two, they do give me a few ideas of what I can do with my idents, and where I can place the bbc logo.



I also quite like channel 5's idents as they are quite modern and sleek, helping to try and give channel 5 a new reputation.

 

More 4 has just rebranded itself, and I think these new idents are great, mainly because of the colours used. I like the running theme throughout, all in all, they all look good visually, however, this isn't the kind of look I will be going for with my idents.

Digital Design Production... Storyboard Research

We were shown a few examples of how storyboards can work in Fred's lecture, but I have looked at some more to help me with my task from after the time sequencing workshop, to give me some ideas of what storyboards could work best. I've started with defining what storyboards are.

What are storyboards?

- a sequence of pictures created by a production illustrator to communicate the desired general visual appearance on camera of a scene or movie.

- a form of shooting script common for animated films for many years and now usually used for commercials, even live-action ones. It consists of a series of sketches showing key positions for every scene, with dialogue and descriptive notes below

- process of visual thinking

- rough sketches showing plot

- helps author to edit and improve

- experiment with changes in storyline

- can use arrows and annotation

- work out if something doesnt work before you have to pay for it!

- Wikipedia definition: graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation,motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

The storyboarding process, in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney Studio during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use at Walt Disney and other animation studios

Hand Drawn

sticky notes are a good idea as they will be easy to move around if the sequence needs to be changed, easy to scrap one if it goes wrong without ruining the whole thing, however, they can be hard to transport to show others and may get bent/damaged easily

rough drawings, with arrows and annotations to show movement and to check the idea works

drawings can go outside of the frame to show how the action would go off screen

can be in whatever order you like, as long as it is easy for you to understand, make your own notes to make it easier

detailed drawings for frames

disney storyboards, images with annotations underneath, all can be moved around if necessary, but presented on a board that makes it more durable than designing with post it notes

examples of disney storyboards, important to show this as this is how storyboards were invented! these storyboards help the artists get the idea out of their head and to show others

more disney storyboards, these can be quite long and complex as they are may be for feature length films with lots of characters

as a car crash is obviously an expensive stunt to pull, it was important that this moment was drawn out on a storyboard to check that it would get the effect the director is going for, so that the stunt did not have to be re-done in real life

Screen Grabs

the content already created on computer, and a screen shot is taken, a moment is captured, these are useful for showing the idea to others

'up' storyboard, however, this one seems to be more like a flip book style rather than just keeping it simple with only showing the key frames

Digital Design Production... Kinetic Typography (Sequence Screen grabs)

Chosen video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6yfiJfQHY

Drops of Jupiter - Kinetic Typography

I looked at so many kinetic typography videos as it became quite addictive and I'm not sure how many I watched but I decided to go with my favourite song.

25 frames from even intervals in the video


These are screen shots from every 10 seconds as the video was just over 250 seconds (4 minutes 10 seconds)


25 frames from key points of the sequence (it is likely they will not be the same distance apart)


I chose these screenshots as I thought they were key points, however the action moved so quickly, to keep the type in timing with the song, that it was hard to capture exactly what I wanted to. There is so much going on in the video that it must have taken a very long time to make.

Digital Design Production... Kinetic Typography

Here are some good examples of kinetic typography that I found while looking for an example to use for the time sequencing workshop. I looked at many different examples but I have just included the ones that really stood out. While researching, I have tried to think about how these can relate to my work and inspire the videos that I will eventually create.

Kinetic type

Marcofolio - List of motion typography examples

There are many interesting examples of kinetic typography on Youtube, and here is an example which is a little bit different to all of the others, as the imagery is made up of letters alone, combined with special effects to animate the letters.

This video is a lesson in typography. I think this is a much more interesting way to learn, showing that design for screen can be educational. I was shown this right at the beginning of the course and still look at it as I am so impressed by how professional it looks.



There are many different takes of Daft Punk's Technologic through kinetic typography, here is an example. It must be a great song to try to animate, as there are so many actions take place, and these are shown mainly through type with some relevant imagery too.

I like the effect on these letters, as they look 3d. This is not the most interesting of kinetic typography videos, but it shows how professional and good they can look with much practice. I don't think I'll ever get this good seeing as I don't know the software at all, but it is worth looking at examples.



And I had to include a funny one. There are many different examples of kinetic typography, especially with funny quotes and song lyrics. This style of video looks like it would be easier to create than the other kinetic typography videos I have looked at, so maybe I will end up doing something like this!

Digital Design Production... Initial Research

For this module of Digital design production we will mainly be looking at motion graphics, tv idents, title sequences and kinetic typography. Later on in the year we will be covering web design. To start off with some inspiration on a topic I know little about, I've looked at vimeo, youtube and some other links on the useful links pages on moodle.


motionographer.com
www.watchthetitles.com
www.artofthetitle.com
www.intro-uk.com/index2.asp
www.basedesign.com/#/cat/mot
www.dailymotion.com
www.barnbrook.net
www.aufwar.com
www.creativecow.net
www.vimeo.com


Video


I have looked at so many different videos on these websites, and I included a varied mix of video's that I have initially felt inspired by, as I'm not yet sure what I will need to be creating.

This video relates to a storyline based on the lifes on teenagers from the E4 series Skins. I think this video is beautiful and not what you would expect to see from this type of television programme. I like how the elements are hand drawn / painted, yet they have been turned into an animation. It is really inspiring and I would love to be able to create something like this.

Making this video must have been very complicated, and I don't think I would be expected to create anything like this, as it isn't strictly graphic design, but I was very impressed and entertained so wanted to include it as an example of something I had looked at.





Sophie recommended that I look at some of Julia Pott's work and I have to say I am amazed. From the start, I love everything from the hand drawn type, to the illustration, and especially the dialect between the characters. It is cute as well as being humorous at the same time. I like the colours that are used, as they all work well together, and the subtle textures used also help to finish this off. As I am interested in illustration, I would love to one day be able to create something like this, but I think I would need a lot of practise first. 





We were recommended to look at this video, due to the direction of the text. It may not seem anything special now, but at the time, this effect was probably amazing. It is important when I make my video to think about how things will enter the screen and leave and which angles and directions things will move in.

A Record Of Life from Owen Gatley and Luke Jinks on Vimeo.


Here I like how it feels as if we are moving in to the image, as the different elements fly into us. I like the hand drawn style, with the textured background, and hopefully when I learn some after effects skills I will be able to create something like this. I think the choice of song also really suits the content.





This video uses type as image to create the words which are then animated across the page. It looks very complicated to make but I like how the letters move across the page.

Good Is... Final Print Manual

Development of Manual

Final Print Manual, uploaded as a PDF on to issuu:

Visiting Professional: Generation Press

Generation Press

Yesterday, the studio visit was from professional printers, generation press. We finally met Anand, a previous LCA BAGD graduate who we have all heard a lot about. Generation press are an environmentally friendly company. 

- They did a collaboration series of posters: NFCU (not for commercial use), which were posted around NY and London. Their logo was not used on this project, it was all anonymous, as they believe in doing things because you want to, not for the money. This is a motto I would like to be able to live by! 

- Impressive colour gradient edging 

- Printed lots of quality stationary 

- Kent Lyons book - pulp to paper, very successful, now even on sale in the design museum 

- Use colour mill paper

- Look at website for more of their work

generationpress gallery