Sustainability Project(Final)

A film created for my Concept Development Class. I was really passionate about this assignment because I had previously bought packs of water bottles every week before I had discovered the Brita water bottles. So not only was I adding to the waste on earth, but also a great deal of money was lost on my part as well.

I created this video using Adobe After Effects CS6. The music used in the film is "Unintended" by Muse and "Trojans" by Atlas Genius. Photo credits go to:

http://www.heatingoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/barrels-of-oil.jpg
(image of oil barrels)
http://www.springsmountainwater.com/images/landfill.jpg
(image of land fill)
http://www.eurekarecycling.org/ImageUpload/Image/Incinerator_small.JPG
(image of incinerator)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsmMSWeRmEQbIUdKK-V1zyxCJHWbfeYNBXF2Wkq46c7rWj1qE8q0bqKqm3kn9UpDbfUWb7r_ysnlW7pX0nKpNI6cFQ4Qkzsnch_cfRXfSpXjU1JKAP70rvp3k2Z2DiY5HpZkkqtBHzSU/s1600/plastic+in+water.jpg
(image of aquafina label in water)
http://www.localphilosophy.com/images/article-images/img_Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch_2.jpg
(image of guy rowing through Great Pacific Garbage Patch)
http://reevolved.blogspot.com/2010/04/perils-of-plastic.html
(image of plastic in animals)
http://blog.envirosax.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/turtle.jpg
(image of turtle w/plastic)
http://aircrap.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Dead-bird-killed-by-eating-plastics1.jpg
(image of plastic in bird)
https://teendiaries.net/sites/default/files/styles/story_gallery/public/field/image/TD_Wallet%20Body%20Benefits_2.jpg
(image of water bottle w/benefits)
http://www.brita.com/img/products/thumbs/brita-bottle-aqua.png
(image of brita water bottle alone)
http://onefrugalchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/britalogo.jpg
(image of brita logo)
http://img3.targetimg3.com/wcsstore/TargetSAS//img/p/13/27/13277535_121113134250.jpg
(image of Brita water bottle in hand)
http://www.great-wall-of-china.org/Great-Wall-of-China-Images/great_wall_china_photo_gov.jpg
(image of Great Wall of China)
http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Arts/images/taj-mahal.jpg
(image of Taj Mahal)
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/265/cache/colosseum-dusk_26512_600x450.jpg
(image of Roman Colosseum)
http://www.thedepartureboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Petra-Jordan.jpg
(image of Petra Jordan)
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/peru/machu-picchu/your-machu-picchu-photos/#/sunrise-machu-picchu_36170_600x450.jpg
(image of Machu Picchu)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/photogalleries/seven-wonders/#/new-old-7-wonders-chichen-itza-mexico_18302_600x450.jpg
(image of Chichen Itza)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/photogalleries/seven-wonders/#/new-old-7-wonders-christ-redeemer-rio-janeiro-brazil_18303_600x450.jpg
(image of Christ the Redeemer)
http://s3.amazonaws.com/influenster-starter/uploads/products/625x353/f1bbc7945c341f5238a0483f693a204cb37da88a.jpg
(image of Brita Water Bottle Colors)
http://www.gograhamgo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/davis-water.jpg
(image of kid drinking water)
http://www.2wired2tired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Brita-For-Kids-Bottles-Review.jpg
(image of 2 kids drinking water)
http://www.nobiggie.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/brita-bottle-399x245.jpg
(image of kid drinking water in striped shirt)

Sources used:
http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/
http://venice.patch.com/articles/group-hoping-l-a-will-ban-plastic-water-bottles
http://www.livestrong.com/article/158745-dangers-of-plastic-water-bottles/http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit?video_id=VqheOaJAM-Y&ns=1

Day 18 - AIGA videos

Today in class, we watched various videos surrounding AIGA. I think we did this because Jimmy really wants us to become part if this association and open our eyes to what it has to offer. To be honest, I'm still on the fence about joining because I'm still unclear as to what it has to offer me. Yes, it's great to be apart of something larger than yourself, but I still don't fully understand what they're about. Perhaps, I'll do more research and then decide.

Then we got to leave early to work on our final projects. I'm using after effects on mine and needless to say the process is very tedious. I initially worked for 3 hours one day & only got 10 seconds done. Then I worked 6 hours and got another minute added. Overall, it's going to take a lot of time but I'm really excited about my project because its something I'm passionate about.

Day 19 - Mind boggled

Today in class we started off by distinguishing the difference between a designer and a publicist. More specifically, we discussed what makes a designer or what is design? Yet, design is such a complex entity that defining it entirely is nearly impossible. Design is everywhere. In the design world it is important that we understand what design actually is in terms of our role with it. I actually ended up googling design in class because the discussion was getting frustrating. I have terrible patience. It's something I really need to work on. Regardless, this is an excerpt I found by the Design Council that I felt helped give some clarity to the word: Scientists can invent technologies, manufacturers can make products, engineers can make them function and marketers can sell them, but only designers can combine insight into all these things and turn a concept into something that's desirable, viable, commercially successful and adds value to people's lives. http://www.mech.hku.hk/bse/interdisciplinary/what_is_design.pdf

After that, we watched a TED video starring Sir Ken Robinson. I absolutely loved it! He challenges your thoughts and also structured systems in society like public education. I hadn't thought about it the way he put it, but after leaving class it left my mind in a whirl. I'm still mulling over his statements in my mind. One that stuck out to me was, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original". This theory kept turning in my head. What does he mean by this? Perhaps it's that society likes normalcy and what is normal is essentially right, however, if something is different and strays away from the norm it seems wrong. Yet, some of the best inventions occur from initially being wrong. Or this could go along with the saying that some of the worst mistakes turn into some of the best ideas. Also, there was more he talked about that made me realize how much we go about our lives without questioning the system. So my take away from this was to never stop questioning and also if you're truly passionate about something, then do it!

Day 17 - Storyboard for Final Project

During this class we worked on developing our final projects and mapped them out on a storyboard. That way our ideas were more concrete and when they're on paper the execution is more feasible. This is because all details are fine-tuned & all aspects of a creative brief are answered. We obviously did this to really solidify what exactly we're going to to with our projects. I already had mine mapped out in my head but putting it on paper made it clear. Also, I spent most of this time looking for the right music to go along w/my video. It was a very productive day.

In the design world, almost every company uses story boards because of the reasons I stated earlier.

Day 16 - 3 shot story w/magazines

During this class, we looked at everyone's 3 shot stories made by unrelated images found in magazines. We first had to guess what the story was without knowing the actual story intended. Some of them were easy to identify & others not so successful. Also, we tried different arrangements to see if we could come up with a more interesting story. After looking at everyone else's we combined them & picked out then put together completely different stories.

I think we did this because it was an exercise to see how creative we can become and also to show how unrelated things can link. This is beneficial in the design world because a lot of the time the most unexpected ideas can be the best.

Day 15 - 3 Shot Story

Today in class we were divided into 8 groups of 3 and were instructed to sketch out a story that can be communicated using only 3 frames. Afterward we hung them up & voted on which one visually communicates the best story. I chose the poop one because if was easily read and was different/funny. It definitely should have won. My group dud a Quentin Tarantino type of sketch and I really liked ours as well, but agreed some parts could be improved to increase its readability. I think we did this because it helps us recognize what parts of a story are important to show when given a limited amount of frames. This definitely applies in the design world because it reminds me of the consideration advertisers have to take whether it be a teaser, movie preview, magazine ad, poster, etc. If you think about, only a limited space is available and they have to decide what exactly NEEDS to be shown to convey the idea and what can be cut out.

At the end of class, the final project was introduced and I'm really excited about it because its about sustainability. I already have an idea of what I'm going to do, but it's a surprise.

Day 14 - Creative Briefs

This class we began by playing a communication game. All of us sat in a circle, then had to correctly communicate & pass along an object. I wasn't too fond of this game, simply because it took too long & was far too perplexing for my brain to handle that early in the morning with such little sleep. Perhaps, I also didn't care for this game as much because it requires one to listen & stay focused. Lately, that has been a great feat for me. I also noticed the different ways we communicate as far as enunciations, body language and tone. I think we did this exercise to recognize the differences in communication styles and to also emphasize the importance of listening. This applies in the design world because listening to your client & vice versa us crucial. If you can't understand what they're looking for, then how can you go about executing their idea properly.

The second half of class we looked over examples of creative briefs. All of them very different, but equally beneficial. This was very helpful because one, I had no idea what a creative brief was and two, it was nice to see actual representations of what one would look like. These are great because its something on paper that serves as a communication device between both client and designer. It's sort of a contract and shows them what your interpretation is. Sometimes written form is easier to understand especially because many artists have scattered/jumbled thoughts and to set them in a clear and concise way can help both parties. This was obviously done and shown to us because eventually we will have to either make or read creative briefs in the design world, depending on what part if the design spectrum we're on. So knowing that they are and how they work is key.

Thanks for listening,
Ruby