Upon reflection of my animation piece for Task 1, I believe I thoroughly addressed each criteria point to explore and investigate in Affect Effects and motion design principles.

Implementation of Motion Design Principles

I believe I have considered an extensive amount of motion design principles in my animation. I have utilized visual grammar exhaustively, with object motion and secondary motion becoming my main focus throughout the animation. I experimented and explored how motion paths can be used and articulated in different ways. From mimicking real-life movement such as the fish to experimenting how to perceive diving deeper (bubble rotations), I utilized scale, rotation and positioned elements to my advantage when experimenting with the 3D motion camera. I focused on the idea of perspective throughout my animation and concentrated on how I could use design principles to assist achieving the experience of diving.

I also achieved the design fundamentals of anticipation and follow through/overlapping throughout my project. Anticipation is to create a movement before another movement, typically in an opposite direction. I delivered this with the fish in the beginning  animation by having their motion path position the opposite direction before they change direction. Similarly, for the diving sequences I ensured there was a counter movement going backwards before zooming in to achieve the anticipation before a deep dive. Correspondingly, with the parenting technique used to achieve the fishs’ tail animation, I was able to deliver follow through/overlapping fundamentals in that the fishs’ tail continued to have movement subsequent to the fish moving. In addition to the theory being used for the ripples/streams of water the fish touched, I was able to harness this design fundamental to keep an essence of life in my animation.

Technical Implementation

My design incorporated a range of Affect Effects tools from distortion and transformation between compositions to deliver a zooming effect, to the parenting techniques I used to achieve the look of a fish swimming. Affect Effects is an area I was entirely new too which conveyed a whole bunch of challenges to overcome. I was eager to experiment with the 3D camera option which proved to be much nit-pickier than I had imagined. I used null object layers through guides I had found myself and incorporated illustrator files into my animation to give a bit more story to the deep ocean sequence.

I was able to deliver somewhat of a story solely through the integration of shape layers which I was happy with. However, I believe integrating the 3D camera layer changed my animation’s quality as it brought another layer of perspective into the composition. I had aimed to really play on perspective throughout the entirety of my animation ideation, a first-person experience. The camera layer drove the project home in this aim to deliver a perspective of an experience, it conveyed a sequence of diving into the water.

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My decision to include animated lines assisted in the design and aesthetics outcome in making it appear more appealing, it brought the pond and diving sequence to life. Adding onto the decision of the 3D camera’s quality outcome, I believe my utilization of changing the colors in the background to get darker/lighter additionally elevated the design and aesthetics demonstration of this animation. 

I believe for the next task I will be taking the 3D camera into more consideration when drafting a story board. If I continue to experiment with the idea of ‘perspective’ I believe integrating this learning experience I had is important to deliver my goal. I believe I will stay in the shapes and solids arena of animation for my next task.