Project 4: Time Motion Animation
Sloop Script
10.06 Storyboarding on paper
After looking back at my script for my typeface spread I decided to do some more research to find out what parts I wanted to eliminate or focus on. I found out upon further research that Lipton came across Raphael Boguslav’s lettering on nameplates and titles in John Mecray’s series of paintings of classic racing yachts, which helps connect the process of the formation of the typeface better.
Then I started sketching out storyboard by organizing the overall sequence into three sections:
- History of the Sloop Script
- The characteristics / variant forms behind Sloop Script (2016)
- Sloop Script Pro (2018)
I focused more on the content for the storyboard sketch and what text I wanted to add, in replacement for a full length script.
10.07 Digitized Storyboard
For the digitized Storyboard I added an 8 column grid to start getting a concrete idea of placement.
Sources for research:
https://liptonletterdesign.typenetwork.com/news/article/sloop-script-sails-the-seven-seas
https://store.typenetwork.com/foundry/liptonletterdesign/fonts/sloop-script-pro/medium
https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/7159/sloop-script
http://media.fontbureau.com/pdf/Sloop.pdf
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1275426589&disposition=inline
Potential music options:
In order to get the specific timing for sequences later on, I started looking for music that would match up with the overall characteristics with the font. Despite maintaining a classical style, the font was only created around twenty five years ago. Therefore, I tried finding modern renditions of classical music as the typeface itself is inspired by the traditional calligraphy style. However, a lot of the songs did not match with the mood that I was trying to convey as they were.
Coincidentally I came across a different song that has a nice mix of jazz and techno pop. There is a constant fast paced beat that continues through the song while the trumpet or violin plays these long dragged notes which the thick and thin contrast lines that make up the typeface.
10.08 Feedback on music and initial storyboard:
Music:
- beat is very distracting
- because of the nature of the typeface use slower music
- can add circles as purpose of droplets as well
- for pro also have same format or comparison as sloop script
Storyboard:
- find more continuity between the script pro portion and the script portion
10.08 -10.09 More music research / development on storyboard
More Music research:
Since the sloop script font is smooth and flowy, I looked at more lofi and harp, string instrumentals. However, most of the time the songs that I found appealing would have a beat that is rather distracting.
Option #1:
Option #2: What happens in a meadow at dusk
Option #3: Champloo (beginning and end have no beat)I ended up going with the song Champloo by Perusha as it established as the dragged out trumpet sounds seemed to recreate the thick and thin strokes of the font when drawn.
Revised storyboard with more variations of scenes:
Based on the feedback for my initial storyboard I kept the same format by listing all the sloop script pro variant forms for the p, f and b. However, I found it messy as the number of variants each letter has also varies.
Next I thought of different color palette options as the colors from my spread were too muted and hard to read. I experimented with gradients as it reminded me of the different colors on textured paper.
10.10 Feedback on revised storyboard:
- use the gradient on the background for the type for the time to shift
- have positioning of body text in one or two places
- scale in more
Finalized storyboard
In order to scale in more and to make it more easier to read I eliminated the other two letters and kept the f as it has both ascenders and descenders and exactly three more variant forms added for the sloop script pro version.
10.12 Animating
I used my storyboard as the main framework by placing in each scene and started animating based on the timing of the music. It was very difficult to match the movement and the scenes in general with the music as the beats are quiet, and constantly changes in speed as the music drags out then suddenly speeds up.
Also with movement, I found it difficult to find ways to make the letters move smoothly and gracefully. Since they are slanted there were already limitations with placement of text and additionally just having the assets appear made the video seem static and disjointed.
Therefore I chose to mainly use opacity and draw out the letters for the first draft.
First rough draft
10.15 Feedback:
- Pace is too fast hard to read all the words on the screen
- Scale in more
Overall at this stage, I was very frustrated and after talking Vicky, I realized I was thinking too much of the limitations and restraining myself. From this point on, I tried to embrace my font by not limiting certain things because it is script font but rather enhancing those qualities and break from the boundaries that I have set for myself.
Second rough draft
I focused on slowing down the timing and kept the beat in for the second half of the video. I originally spliced the music so it would have only instrumentals and no beat but it didn’t really flow as well. Keeping the beat helped liven up the overall mood of the video
Feedback:
- Slow down even more
- Replace the Jibe with the calligrapher
- Look more at micro to macro connection
- Change not just with movement but size and color
- Keep most text consistently aligned in the top left corner
Think of how everything ties together as a whole and how movement and change in color can help with the flow
10.17 Final Video
I made major changes for the final draft. I stopped thinking of my limitations and my storyboard guidelines and focused on making the whole video flow as a whole. By transitioning between micro and macro created effective movement. Instead of having the letters move I added movement to the whole screen, keeping in mind of a sloop motion when adding the movements.
To be honest I was not totally elated when I found out I was using Sloop and that I was unlucky to have received this font. But over the course of the project my perspective on this font as well as on design has drastically changed. I have come to appreciate this script font and its unique qualities. In fact, I think I was lucky to have used this font for my video and spread.
As mentioned in the final critiques, challenges are needed and in the future as well one will not always get to do a project on topics that they always like or enjoy. By encounter these challenges and figuring out ways to overcome them and think of different approaches have in turn produced a bette outcome.