Assignment 4: Motion Poster

Due: February 16th. Uploaded to VIMEO and added to the class website at the beginning of class.

Motion Poster

"THE MOVING POSTER is positioned between the static poster and the moving film. Although it is a cross between both disciplines, it is primarily still a poster, and as such it must create interest and inform within a short time."

The moving poster should be regarded as an independent discipline. It follows the formal visual laws of poster design, but with the addition of movement. Most moving posters are made as additional variations on a previous static poster. They can be categorized alongside various informative media such as flyers or teasers. The moving poster should therefore not to be understood as competing with the original poster, but as a supplement or variation with the special power of motion.

What it should do – 5 important things to keep in mind:

Reinforcement

The movement should not be decorative or something completely new, but should be used as a supportive and reinforcing element.

Variations

The movement can create space for additional poster-enhancing elements that are not possible in the printed poster.

Readability

We can play more with legibility in moving posters than printed posters Since it's a time-based medium text can be legible for a moment, and then illegible in another.

Accessibility

A moving poster should be designed so that the information is grasped quickly enough and viewers can engage or disengage with it at any time.

Continuity

Since the viewer's eyes can catch the poster at any moment, it should'd have a start and finish, and rather a continuous behavior. In other words: it should loop seamlessly.

Definitions and Examples

http://www.themovingposter.com

Poster Examples

CUFF Examples

Task

Create a kinetic/moving poster for an event. I recommend the Chicago Underground Film Festival but keep this option open if you're really interested in another event. The message should be communicated with the means of Typography in motion. Images can be used as supporting visuals but the behavior/motion of the typography should be the main focus.

An underground film festival which showcases experimental, non-commercial, off-beat work calls for an appropriate typographic treatment (experimental, expressive, unique etc). It allows to visually explore ways and means of legibility, rhythm, speed, size etc. Ask yourself questions such as:

What kinetic behavior (motion) relates to film, video, projection, camera, experimentation, off-beat, audience etc. and how can it be applied to typography
What can you do with a motion poster that wouldn't be possible with a static version?
Can something be legible ONLY because it moves?
...

Create a short animated sequence that loops. It should repeat itself without interruption. The main message/info of the poster (name of conference) should be legible within approx. 3 seconds. In order to achieve that, the animation loops should probably not be much longer that about 5 seconds.

Information about the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) can be found here, and here.

TEXT TO USE

CUFF 2024, 31. Chicago Underground Film Festival, September 11 – 15 2024
DOWNLOAD ILLUSTRATOR TEMPLATE (2 columns)
DOWNLOAD ILLUSTRATOR TEMPLATE (3 columns)
DOWNLOAD ILLUSTRATOR TEMPLATE (4 columns)

Fonts are Mono45-Headline (for the big type) and Akzidenz Grotesk Medium (for the small type). In the templates, the fonts are outlined so you don't need to install them.

Fonts used are Mono45 bold (which are available with your Adobe subscription) for the large letters and numbers and Akzidenz Grotesk for the small font

Text in examples below is old. Templates are updated for this year's event.

Pick one of the templates, import it into After Effects and create the animation.

The grid layout allows interesting horizontal and vertical motion and a play with the letters and numbers. The idea here is to get you started with animation right away and not spend too much time working on the composition. If you have other layout ideas than the grid, feel free to work on your own layout arrangement for the poster.

Color

You can use color if appropriate. One appropriate color scheme is RGB and the way these colors mix when colored light is projected (additive mixing model). This behavior can be imitated by using R, G and B layers with the blending mode set to "Screen". Video is based on the RGB color model.

IMAGE MATERIAL

Textural images related to video screen/pixels, digital glitch, camera lens as well as projected light can be downloaded
Video Textures.
Light/projection textures

VIDEO FOOTAGE

This folder contains textures in motion (video, noise, light...). It's a gigabyte large so it'll take some time to download. Get it here.

Composition Settings:

Width: 1280 px
Height: 1920 px
Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels
Frame Rate: 30
Resolution: Full
Start Timecode: 0;00;00;00
Approximate duration: 0;00;07;00 (which will result in a 7 sec timeline). Duration may vary depending on the animation.

Limitations/Elements:

Elements: Only type, no shapes except rectangles for using Tracking Mats or Masks
Proportions of letters should be intact at least at a key point of the sequence (no distortion, squeeze or stretch)