Levi Linton

I found this cover very interesting and it inspired me to make my own. I noticed how nice the colors blended together in this piece, so I decided to do the same thing. The imagery is very dark and distorted and I love.

The Mission Impossible movie series has always had interesting title sequences, but the title sequence for Ghost Protocol by Kyle Cooper was very well done. I thought that it was really neat how they incorporated the rope leading to the explosion. It created a sense of movement throughout, and as the rope got shorter they foreshadowed further into the movie. I think they did a good job of showing key events in the movie without giving away to many details that would spoil the movie for the viewers. I also liked the way the creator did some of the typography. For example, in the beginning, the words, “Ghost Protocol” were smoke which supported the context of being “ghostly.” Mission Impossible also has one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. They did a great job of editing the audio to suit the visuals.

The title sequence for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Neil Kellerhouse & Blur Studios is extraordinary as well. The movie is about a journalist who is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker. It is a very dark story and the title sequence definitely gives you the chills. The music used in this is very intense and upbeat. The artist does do some foreshadowing of the movie but not a lot. For example, at one point their is an intimate interaction happening between two figures which foreshadows the love of the two characters in the movie. Also, near the beginning there are wires from a computer moving around which relates to one of the characters who is a computer hacker. I think Neil Kellerhouse & Blur Studios chose to use an “oil” type animation because the average viewer would think the movie is about the “Dragon Tattoo.” So, the imagery would look almost like tattoo ink. This title sequence left me on the edge of my seat until the very end and it makes me want to watch the movie again. That is when you know it is a successful motion graphic.

For my motion graphics assignment I was thinking of doing a title sequence for The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. This science fiction book series by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge was my favorite series growing up. I’m a fan of all things science fiction and I know I would enjoy coming up with a title sequence for this story. The story is about an extraordinary boy with abilities who seeks revenge after is parents are killed by an insect-like alien who calls himself “The Prayer.” For my title sequence I would animate his parents death and then end the sequence with Daniel expressing his rage and hunger for revenge. I will most likely draw the imagery in the motion graphic and bring them into Adobe After Effects.

“Amethyst Trance,” is one of my best artworks yet. It was solely done in Adobe Photoshop and includes all original material. I named it “Amethyst Trance” because the color scheme is boldly purple (and the word sounds cool) and the piece gives off a very trippy feel which leaves you in a “trance.” The base photo I started with was the photo of myself taken by a friend with. I thought it would be fitting to have this photo incorporated in the piece because the artwork was meant for a album. I am a musical artist and I based the imagery and theme of this piece to my music style. A lot of my hip-hop and R&B instrumentals are very eerie and dark and so is this piece. When thinking of the potential color scheme for this piece; I tried to think of colors that would complement my outfit in the picture as well as the yellow background. So, I chose purple and turquoise. The purple background is a photo I took of the Toronto skyline, but I only cropped it to see the sky. Once I had that, I changed the color to purple using a hue/saturation layer. The white image on the top half of the piece is a picture of clouds I took recently. I used the colour range selection and applied a layer mask. Once that was done I erased parts of the cloud and changed the opacity. I thought it would be cool to apply an effect that would make it seem like the clouds were moving. So, I added the wind effect and it worked very well. I also applied this effect to the text.  I made the text feel like it was moving with the wind as well as making it trippy. So I liquified the letters a little bit. And finish it off I added a parental advisory label in the bottom right corner as well as my signature in the other bottom corner. As I went through the process of making this artwork I thought about the CRAP principles. I think the main points of contrast are between the light and dark colors. For example, the contrast between the light clouds and the dark sky in the background. There is also contrast between the yellow aura around myself and the dark sky. I would say that there is some repetition in the clouds, but not much other than that. There is a clear alignment throughout the whole piece. I kept a symmetrical balance throughout and had everything aligned on either side of myself. I even changed the original title from “Amethyst Haze” to “Amethyst Trance,” so that it would align better. In terms of proximity, I tried to keep everything equal distance away from each other to create a sense of unity within the piece. Elements aren’t too close and aren’t too far. Overall, I am very happy with my piece and the amount of work I put in to achieve such quality.

“Amethyst Wave” By: Levi Linton

This was a funny little infographic. The story being told can relate to a lot of people that have been to concerts in the past. Overall the design is very simplistic and doesn’t take much effort to digest. It is visually appealing and I feel like the theme/style of the visuals relates to the story.  I can see this popping up in my Instagram feed and having a lot of likes because it generates giggles in little time.

This infographic is also very humorous and interesting in a peculiar way. Apparently, hip-hop and R&B artists are hungry when recording in the booth. I think this infographic is very successful because the story is very compelling and there is a lot of information being given. The artist did a good job of having some great data, but making it simple enough to enjoy for a quick read. My favorite part of the infographic is the stat, “cocktails we’ve learned to make (inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s “The Recipe”).” Kendrick Lamar is my favorite artist, but I wasn’t familiar with all the cocktail references in the hit song. The comic theme/style of the infographic suits the content because it is a really fun/goofy story being told. I really enjoyed analyzing this infographic and I’m glad I found it to share with you.

Before coming to this weeks lecture, I was well aware of my digital footprint. Although, I wasn’t familiar with all the different ways you can create a presence online and create a footprint. For example, the lecture stated that someone creates a digital footprint when they log in, log out, leave comments, text, search, visit websites, engage with mobile devices,  etc. I wouldn’t say that I’m very engaged in social media, but I am occasionally. I have accounts for Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, SoundCloud, and Tumblr. Instagram is my favorite app for social media. I would say that I have an above average footprint on that account. Meaning, that on instagram I share where I’ve traveled, what I do in my spare time, my interests, etc. I don’t think that the lecture led me to being less open on the web because I don’t really care what other people think about me. I just post what I love and think is interesting in my life. Although, there is some information I believe shouldn’t be shared online. For example, where you live, contact info openly on your page (unless for a good reason), government info (such as passport, SIN, health card, etc), and other information you wouldn’t want getting into the wrong hands.

The “Do Not Track” documentary was interesting. Even though I was already aware of digital surveillance; the video listed some ways to make an identity for yourself that were new to me. I also didn’t know about the various trackers hidden on each site which feed information to other companies. The documentary was very well done though. I thought it was a neat idea to have interactive sections. This made the video more personal, so that it related to your relationship with the media.