process

My original idea for this project was the idea of a wave rolling over the edge of a cliff. It evolved into a metaphor for how sometimes negative thoughts can roll through our minds, crashing into more positive cliffs. I also thought of the image of stars blinking out of existence as a representation of optimism being snuffed out. In the end, I had the image of a waterlogged mind that has destroyed all the positive thoughts on its once rich landscape.

The process for this animation proved to be difficult. It took a while to learn the software and grasp the keyframes and moving objects. I hoped to have more smooth animations for the wave and the stars and the water, but frame-by-frame animation was not feasible with just my trackpad. In the end, classic tweening was my solution to creating moving objects. I also wanted to incorporate a geometric feel, particularly in reference to my mind, in order to take the metaphor out of the literal sense (hence why the “cliff” is simply squares and the wave splits into several triangles when the metaphor reveals itself for the first time). However, much of my imaging is literal, relying on the words for the metaphor. I enjoyed using the “typewriter” effect on my text, having letters appear one by one, as that is sometimes how I think -- a blank space with words slowly filling it up, line by line. Overall I am satisfied with this product, but given more time and perhaps a drawing pad, I would like to refine some of the movements of the shapes -- the wave, the shattering, and the blinking out of the stars.