Showing posts with label Skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skills. Show all posts
[MAKING] TECHSOFT DRAWING
[IMAGE] INTRODUCING STOP MOTION
Point to a good stop motion animation is consistency in each photograph. The exposure levels, camera position, depth of field, everything needs to stay constant for a convincing piece. Which isn't easy. Tomás was keen for us to understand that quality is key. I thought some of it was super detailed and maybe unnecessary, though I say this without fully grasping it yet.
Where print is 300dpi (dots per inch), stop motion usually uses 72dpi.
It's then resized through Photoshop to a set pixel dimension.
HD is 1024x576, HDV 1920x1080.
This is repeated for every photograph through the Action tool, recording the procedure once fully.
Photoshop > New Action
> Record > Open tif
> Image > Image Size > Resolution 72 > Width 1920 Height 1275
> Image > Canvas Size > Width 1926px > Anchor centre
This readies the images for HD widescreens, running at 24fps, 1080p.
When shooting the photographs initially, it's best to do JPEG+RAW. The RAW files are converted to TIFFs to remain uncompressed, unlike the JPEGs.
As for the story, he suggested we plan and map each frame to a storyboard, so that when shooting, there is minimal thinking as documenting alone is quite tough, especially when pressed for time as we are. Then hopefully the shots are more or less already in sequence and ready to be cut to music. This saves valuable time and effort of sifting through, filtering, re-ordering, etc later.
Music choice must be on point to the mood of the story and keep the viewer engaged.
Where print is 300dpi (dots per inch), stop motion usually uses 72dpi.
It's then resized through Photoshop to a set pixel dimension.
HD is 1024x576, HDV 1920x1080.
This is repeated for every photograph through the Action tool, recording the procedure once fully.
Photoshop > New Action
> Record > Open tif
> Image > Image Size > Resolution 72 > Width 1920 Height 1275
> Image > Canvas Size > Width 1926px > Anchor centre
This readies the images for HD widescreens, running at 24fps, 1080p.
When shooting the photographs initially, it's best to do JPEG+RAW. The RAW files are converted to TIFFs to remain uncompressed, unlike the JPEGs.
As for the story, he suggested we plan and map each frame to a storyboard, so that when shooting, there is minimal thinking as documenting alone is quite tough, especially when pressed for time as we are. Then hopefully the shots are more or less already in sequence and ready to be cut to music. This saves valuable time and effort of sifting through, filtering, re-ordering, etc later.
Music choice must be on point to the mood of the story and keep the viewer engaged.
[GRAPHICS] WEB WIREFRAME
I've been thinking about a business concept for educating footballers. It's not the most thought out plan in the world ready for launch tomorrow, but it's certainly an idea that has been lingering for a little while, and may fruit some day. Don't steal my idea.
Condefence.
Great name I think. Here's the rationale.
And then the wireframe. This is essentially the mock up of the website. How the home page looks. What buttons link where. What each page looks like. How the hierarchy stands. Like a site map.
Condefence.
Great name I think. Here's the rationale.
And then the wireframe. This is essentially the mock up of the website. How the home page looks. What buttons link where. What each page looks like. How the hierarchy stands. Like a site map.
[GRAPHICS] INDESIGN STYLE SHEETS
There are two types: paragraph styles and character styles, each window found under Type & Text. Paragraph styles are useful for batch text (ie paragraphs), whereas Character styles apply for individual letters, for example in the case of drop caps at the start of each chapter, or for ligatures, etc.
[GRAPHICS] LIVE TRACING
Bringing in a JPEG image from the web, in this case the new adidas Euro 2012 football, the tracing tool automatically blocks out the image into colour patches it reads. As these 'blocks' are all independent, I can then change the colour of a certain block. Potentially very useful.
[MAKING] METAL TOOLS
I thought all the woodwork was 'new' to me, but metalwork is something else! Never worked with it before, never heard of these tools before. And of course we had to make something with it this afternoon. Didn't quite turn out great...
[MAKING] WOOD TOOLS 1
Chisel to chisel wood. Obviously.
- narrow or wide
- bevel up or down
- with mallet or by hand
- across or along wood
With the bevel facing down, it is easier to control by hand, allowing for clean fine shavings when run along the grain.
Rasp to smoothen edges/surfaces.
Similar to a file, but rasps are recommended for wood (files for metal).
Other types of rasp (surform, smoothing plane, block plane) allow for shaping of the wood, also depending on the shape of wood and space available around it.
Saw to cut.
- tenon (straight), coping (curves)
- use a bench hook and/or clamp
- drag backwards to make groove, resting blade on thumb
- coping saw's blade can rotate by loosening teeth
- narrow or wide
- bevel up or down
- with mallet or by hand
- across or along wood
With the bevel facing down, it is easier to control by hand, allowing for clean fine shavings when run along the grain.
Rasp to smoothen edges/surfaces.
Similar to a file, but rasps are recommended for wood (files for metal).
Other types of rasp (surform, smoothing plane, block plane) allow for shaping of the wood, also depending on the shape of wood and space available around it.
Saw to cut.
- tenon (straight), coping (curves)
- use a bench hook and/or clamp
- drag backwards to make groove, resting blade on thumb
- coping saw's blade can rotate by loosening teeth
[MAKING] WORKSHOP INDUCTION
We had our workshop induction on Friday, getting to know the tools and machines. It seems everyone on this programme has good D&T experience in one way or another, having come here on the back of relative A-Levels or internships or something. Don't think I've been a workshop since Year 9. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Design & Technology as a school kid. I was the winner of our school's Technology Prize when I was like 8 years old. Let's see how much I remember!
Not much apparently..
We covered four of the six main machines - the whats, the how-tos, the what-not-to-dos. Knowing these and signing the "contract" allows me free usage of the workshop so that's good. The machines we looked at today were the Pillar Drill, Cordless Drill, Band Saw, Belt & Disc Sander. (Scroll Saw and Bobbin Sander another time.) They are mainly used for wood, though not exclusively.
Pillar Drill
- This drills a hole into my flat piece of material.
- Its size can be adjusted according to drill bit used.
- Its depth can be adjusted too.
3. Set depth stop.
(Use sacrificial board when drilling all the way through material.)
4. Clamp material to bed on the table securely.
5. Switch on, turn wheel to drill in, turn to drill out, switch off.
Cordless Drill
- This drills a hole into material from multiple angles.
- As it is cordless, it is free from the mains and operated simply by hand.
- Convenient for curved material or awkward approaches.
- Requires attention to keep steady and straight.
1. Choose and fit drill securely, tightening by turning the chuck.
2. Clamp material (and sacrificial board).
3. Adjust torque and speed.
4. Squeeze trigger to drill in, reverse rotation to drill out.
* Leave drill on worktop on its side, not to stand on battery pack.
Band Saw
- This cuts a straight line into the flat material with the aid of the fence.
- It can cut limited curves too when the material is fed free-hand.
- Fit only for relatively large pieces of material to keep flesh away from saw.
1. Adjust guard to reveal/cover the saw depending on material height.
2. Set fence and lock into position.
3. Press material against fence whilst pushing through the saw.
*Use a cross slide or push stick to push material through.
4. Switch on, make cut, switch off, take material out.
Belt & Disc Sander
- This sands material to predominantly smooth its edges.
- Power turns on both sanders simultaneously - use only one at a time.
- One runs vertically, the other horizontally.
1. Choose one sander, fit for material.
2. Hold edge down onto Belt / push edge into Disc.
(Use the cross slide to keep material straight.)
3. Switch on, hold material firmly to sand, switch off.
Not much apparently..
We covered four of the six main machines - the whats, the how-tos, the what-not-to-dos. Knowing these and signing the "contract" allows me free usage of the workshop so that's good. The machines we looked at today were the Pillar Drill, Cordless Drill, Band Saw, Belt & Disc Sander. (Scroll Saw and Bobbin Sander another time.) They are mainly used for wood, though not exclusively.
Pillar Drill
- This drills a hole into my flat piece of material.
- Its size can be adjusted according to drill bit used.
- Its depth can be adjusted too.
1. Choose and fit drill bit securely, tightening with fitted key.
2. Set table at preferred height and lock into position.3. Set depth stop.
(Use sacrificial board when drilling all the way through material.)
4. Clamp material to bed on the table securely.
5. Switch on, turn wheel to drill in, turn to drill out, switch off.
Cordless Drill
- This drills a hole into material from multiple angles.
- As it is cordless, it is free from the mains and operated simply by hand.
- Convenient for curved material or awkward approaches.
- Requires attention to keep steady and straight.
1. Choose and fit drill securely, tightening by turning the chuck.
2. Clamp material (and sacrificial board).
3. Adjust torque and speed.
4. Squeeze trigger to drill in, reverse rotation to drill out.
* Leave drill on worktop on its side, not to stand on battery pack.
Band Saw
- This cuts a straight line into the flat material with the aid of the fence.
- It can cut limited curves too when the material is fed free-hand.
- Fit only for relatively large pieces of material to keep flesh away from saw.
1. Adjust guard to reveal/cover the saw depending on material height.
2. Set fence and lock into position.
3. Press material against fence whilst pushing through the saw.
*Use a cross slide or push stick to push material through.
4. Switch on, make cut, switch off, take material out.
Belt & Disc Sander
- This sands material to predominantly smooth its edges.
- Power turns on both sanders simultaneously - use only one at a time.
- One runs vertically, the other horizontally.
1. Choose one sander, fit for material.
2. Hold edge down onto Belt / push edge into Disc.
(Use the cross slide to keep material straight.)
3. Switch on, hold material firmly to sand, switch off.
[IMAGE] USING THE SLR 2
FOCUS
This means choosing the subject to stand out, and how much so. It's about managing the balance within the shot between in focus and blurred. What should the viewer see first, see most clearly, be attracted to?
Turning the lens allows for manual focusing whilst looking through the viewfinder. But adjusting other settings like Aperture and Shutter Speed also affects the focus by means of Depth of Field (how deep the blur is). Lower f-numbers (Aperture) are shallower and therefore more is blurred, less in focus. Lots to think about but Tomás says it all comes with practice and experience.
This means choosing the subject to stand out, and how much so. It's about managing the balance within the shot between in focus and blurred. What should the viewer see first, see most clearly, be attracted to?
Turning the lens allows for manual focusing whilst looking through the viewfinder. But adjusting other settings like Aperture and Shutter Speed also affects the focus by means of Depth of Field (how deep the blur is). Lower f-numbers (Aperture) are shallower and therefore more is blurred, less in focus. Lots to think about but Tomás says it all comes with practice and experience.
[IMAGE] USING THE SLR 1
Working with SLRs (Single Lens Reflex cameras) for the first time, there are some basic settings to handle for taking photographs. It's all about the focus and brightness of the shot (plus the content of course). There are tons of camera models available from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus and the like, but the elements to consider are all the same, only differing in minor details.
BRIGHTNESS
This is determined but two main factors:
Shutter Speed - speed that the shutter shuts and reopens (1/x sec).
Aperture - size of hole in the shutter (f-number).
Manually adjusting these two settings, the light meter displayed alters to indicate the picture's brightness, on a scale from -2 (too dark) to 2 (too bright). Easy.
Two more things to consider are ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation, or ASA) and White Balance. ISO measures the sensitivity to light, higher ISO (1600) in darker conditions and lower ISO (100) in brighter conditions. Note that higher ISO also means shots are more grainy and dusty.
BRIGHTNESS
This is determined but two main factors:
Shutter Speed - speed that the shutter shuts and reopens (1/x sec).
Aperture - size of hole in the shutter (f-number).
Manually adjusting these two settings, the light meter displayed alters to indicate the picture's brightness, on a scale from -2 (too dark) to 2 (too bright). Easy.
Two more things to consider are ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation, or ASA) and White Balance. ISO measures the sensitivity to light, higher ISO (1600) in darker conditions and lower ISO (100) in brighter conditions. Note that higher ISO also means shots are more grainy and dusty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)