LO2 2.3 Evaluate the viability of the proposed use of the multiple effects

To create my graphics that will be added to my short film, i need to consider many aspects such as skills required and what equipment i will additionally need, by considering the viability of projects it allows room to organise and fully prepare for any contingencies needed if anything happens in production.

In terms of creating my visual effects I will use Adobe After Effects to add motion to my graph, the software After Effects is industry level therefore it allowing me to create my animated graph to the highest standard possible.
In using Adobe After Effects I will be using the 2019 edition of the software, this may hinder the viability of the project as the modern software may not be compatible with the older hardware I will be working on.
The hardware I will be accessing Adobe After effects on is a 5+ year old Lightning Bolt Mac, this being an industry grade piece of equipment too however the incompatibility created by the time between both products being made may cause the computer to crash, this could hugely hinder the project, especially if any work is lost.

Due to this problem I have been very cautious with deadlines as if my project crashes near to the deadline date it could heavily impact the progress of the project.
Additionally if my Adobe After Effects document did crash close to the set deadline date I may have to work a lot of consecutive hours very close together to ensure meeting the deadline, this in turn could create a lot of health implications for me.
Health complications could be risks such as eye strain, headaches, back/posture issues or even repetitive strain injuries, these risks being implied in the risk assessment however the risks would be increased majorly if I had to put in a large amount of consecutive hours of work under stressful conditions.

In terms of the ethics of my graph I have been very sure to use factually accurate information for the graph to show and support, I gathered my information from the Ocean Policy Research Institute, this being a very reliable and trustworthy source due to their partaking in international conferences and debates on ocean governance this demonstrating their ethics and reputation on the subject.
I knew it would be key to not only reference the source in the graph but have a reliable and trustworthy source due to the rising problem of fake news in news outlets and this being especially brought to attention by President Trump.
As he often remarks that environmental statistics are 'fake news' due to them not supporting his politics and friendships with large oil and other fossil fuel companies, this new technique of declaring information is fake if its not supporting your rights is dangerous and can be misleading for followers meaning referencing is more important that ever before. 

Overall I do think I will be able to get the graph completed in the timescale and with the equipment I have been provided however by analysing the viability of the risks I now understand clearer the limitations I face and the risks that could prevent my completion. 
By fully listing and delving deeper into the process of making the graph I am able to plan ahead better and clearer with the obstacles I have outlined.

LO2 2.2: Discuss the issues and risks for the proposed multiple effects

In planning my graph it was crucial that I evaluated safe work practices and identified potential hazards this was important when creating a project so i could anticipate and reduce risk of health implications whilst creating the visual effect, here is a risk assessment demonstrating some serious threats.

As you can see many of the health risks are due to the overuse of computers due to the visual effect i'm making needing computer software, however if i was going to create a special effect as my final product, the health risks would be much more severe. This is why in film and TV industry there are specialists who create these special effects such as pyrotechnics, specialists are needed due to the danger being such a high risk amateurs wouldn't be safe creating them.



In terms of creating my effects I have carefully followed procedures such as turning down the brightness of the computer screen to reduce eye-damage when using the computers for a long duration.
I have been taking breaks every 30-45 minutes ensuring I have a drink and stay hydrated during the process as well as having the mentality to keep my wrists straight throughout this avoiding issues such as repetitive strain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
As i continue to create my effect I will ensure that I have the risk assessment more in mind and consider health over efficiency as this would create more problems in the long term.

LO2 2.1 : Graph planning and storyboards

Here above is a storyboard demonstrating plans for my visual effect graph, as I am planning to create a pie chart I have included terminology such as shape tween, trim paths and fade in/out.
I have ensured to include this terminology below to allow my plans to be effective in production as pre-production.
By demonstrating both visual and written descriptions of the graph this allows it to be effective in many different ways, by including a visual element this can increase efficiency as the jist of the graph can be grasped quickly and effectively however with the descriptive writing to back the images up further it allows me as the producer to animate the graph to the best degree.

LO2 2.1 : Visual ideas for planning my graph

Style of graph mood-board 























Graph style mood-board

The mood board above demonstrates inspiration for my graph that I will create to be in a short documentary, due to my documentary theme being around plastic many of the graphs and charts shown above have this common theme.
I really like the visual elements that many of the graphs incorporate such as the top right graph where we an see a green bottle with facts in it, if you used the bottle outline and created a graph surrounding the visual aid it would be both visually appealing and educational with ties to the documentary theme.

As well as looking at more iconography based graphs I have also been researching types of arrows and lines i'm wanting to include, right now in pre-production I am looking at a huge range of graphs I could recreate such as line graphs, pie charts and bar charts.
Because of this range it's important to scope out assets for all graphs im thinking of creating.

My personal favourite graph in this moodboard is the central pie-chart demonstrating the debris found on beaches in the last 25 years, the house style and visuals on the graph make it very enticing for audiences, by having visual aid such as the sea level and bottles floating you can immediately connote the graphs information.

LO2 2.1 : Identify SFX ideas to be combined with short film

Colour grading 
- enhancing colour or adding a filter to footage to create a different mood/tone

Glitch
- creating a glitch-like motion to create a futuristic/CCTV tone to the footage

Transitions 
- how scenes transition into one another and how they link together

Film grain 
- creating an old fashioned effect to film.

Film burn 
- merging old and new film to make a burning effect on film creating very contrasting connotations

Motion Graphics
- CGI like motion added on top of footage, e.g graphs

Glare 
- how light reflects off textures e.g glass

Lens Flare 
- how light is distorted by camera lens,

Distortion 
- lines could be created on a screen to reinforce the glitch/grainy effect

Blend Mode 
- adding effects to existing footage

LO1 1.3 : How the use of visual effects enhances film and TV productions

How the use of visual effects enhances film and TV productions

Visual effects are used in movie and TV production often to enhance the content and ensure that it appeals to the target audience.

Often visual effects are used to create unrealistic or hyper-real scenes which is appealing to the audience due to it being exciting to watch clips which the audience would never witness in real life, it allows the audience an element of escapism while they watch the footage.
Stereotypically we normally see the majority of visual effects used in action films such as 'The Shallows', a film following a surfer who is stranded on a buoy at sea and being pursued by a shark.
Throughout the film we see this huge shark in tense and nerve-racking scenes but in reality the shark was fully visual effects, the shark was created as a 3D graphic which was then composted onto layers of visual effects to eventually create the realistic shark which terrifies the audience throughout the film.
In the clip below it demonstrates the various effects that were placed on the clips, we see techniques such as rotoscoping as the sharks movements are all created digitally, alongside green screens that the actors used to film the basis of the shots for the 3D graphic to be layered on top of.

The use of visual effects in this film makes the entire film possible, without the ability to add the shark in digitally the film would've never been able to be shot for reasons such as dangerous to actors, cruelty to animals and unpredictability of the sharks actions.
With the ability to shoot scenes including huge dangerous animals allows the film to thrill the audience and show them scenes which they would have never seen before this once again relating to the escapism the film is enabling by having this crazy visual effects.
Due to it being so realistic the audience can be consumed by the product more and really believe its real allowing them to get more involved in the plot and get more scared and tense as if they were the stranded surfer.

The target audience of The Shallows is 15-25 year olds due to the horror-thriller genre, the aspect of visual effects allows this age range to really be targeted and enjoy the movie more due to the horror aspect it brings to the film, by actually seeing the shark biting the main character the audience can realise the real danger she's in and therefore the film itself can fit into more stereotypes of a survival/thriller whilst portraying such a infamous antagonist.

LO1 1.3 : Special and Visual Effects Report

Film

In looking at special and visual effects used in films we can see many different techniques that create hyperreal and unrealistic scenes that enforce film genres and fulfil gratifications for the audience.

A visual effect that is commonly used in film is pyrotechnics, in many conventional action films they normally contain explosions to add to the thrill aspect of the film.

In The Dark Knight (2008) we see an infamous scene with the Joker walking next to a hospital whilst explosives are released on buildings either side. This visual effect was created using pyrotechnic effects, in the explosions we see rocks, fire and smoke this creating a realistic effect in the final cut due to the actor being able to interact and show reactions with the explosives furthermore lighting and shadowing is realistic with the events happening this being really difficult to simulate in special effects.

A special effect that is also really popular in action films are green screens, with films such as Spider-man 3 (2008) that require actors to be shot from extremely high heights and show their inhumanly powers green screens are often used instead to achieve the biggest shock factor.

By using a green screen it allows Spiderman to be seen in high-densely populated cities such as NYC in dangerous stunts to bring an element of reality due to the relatable location however creating this fake action that looks realistic making the film more believable for the audience achieving the gratification of escapism.

Idents

Idents shown on television demonstrating branding for popular channels such as BBC1 and Channel 4 often use special and visual effects to create the desired connotations linking to either the programme following or the tone of the channel. This particular ident for E4 (2013) is mainly visual effects, by them using a 3D model of the E4 logo composted onto raw footage it creates a personality and characteristics for the programme.

By the 3D model being portrayed almost satirically representing the target audience with a pet dog and in a home environment it brings comedy to the channel this once against branding the channel with personality.

Advert

Adverts use visual and special effect to really enhance the product and to detail the aesthetics the brand want to create.

In this particular Lacoste advert to demonstrate the age of the company they have created a historical advert demonstrating their brand through the eras, the advert has more of a narrative rather than close up shots of the product which normally leads to a more rememberable advert for the audience.

In the advert we see a use of a green screen frequently to create scenes like the one above where the actor is runnning on top of the moving train, this would have been impossible to film safely. In using green screens to create scenes like this it adds a luxury element into the advert by impressing the audience.

A special effect that has been used in advertisement can be seen in this advert by Rocket Mortgage. The advert is all based around the actor Jason Momoa, the actor is very well known for his big toned physique and in the advert we see a combination of visual and special effects to create the illusion that he is 'taking off' his muscles as if they're prosthetics.
In shooting this advert the actor would've had to actually use props that look like extra skin that he is removing to reveal a much skinnier physique underneath. The advert used a much skinnier actor to play Jason after he's 'removed' his skin this requiring the addition of rotoscoping and green-screens as well.

Music Video

A music video which has used special effects is Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish, this music video is meant to demonstrate popular worst fears and in this particular scene you see needles in Billie’s back, by including props into this music video such as needles it creates a hyper realistic impression of people’s fears and in this particular shot you don’t see one needles there’s 10+ this demonstrating the emphasis into every fear portrayed.

A visual effect that has been used in a music video is also in a Billie Eilish video called All Good Girls Go To Hell, we see the singer falling from the sky to create a fallen angel, the motion of her falling would’ve been created in a green screen with composting for the cloudy background. By adding this scene of Billie falling it sets the scene for the narrative video and once again creates a professional aesthetic for the video and promotes Billie as a serious artist to her fans.