Art Direction
5/4/19 - (Week 1 - )
Mohamad Irfan (0322620)
Art Direction
INSTRUCTIONS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Week 1 (5/4/19)
This week Mr Kannan and Ms Maria gave us an introduction to the module. For our first exercise we were tasked with finding out the difference between an art director and creative director in pairs. We had to research what roles, jobs, and responsibilities of an art director and creative director, how exactly were they different?
Week 2 (12/4/19)
This week we had to research and present the similarities that art directors share in the different creative fields and the differences art directors have in the different fields. The different creative fields mentioned were advertising, film, games, and publication.
Week 3 (19/4/19)
This week in groups of 3-4 we have to create an initial report presentation which explains in details in depth of an art direction project, inclusive of challenges of an art director, giving and taking critiques, how to communicate with your teammates properly, maintain harmony and common mistakes art directors make in these situations.
Week 4 (26/4/19)
This week Mr Kannan gave a lecture on systems (Agile vs Waterfall) used in companies to manage the hierarchy and workload within a project timeline. After that we presented our Idea Proposal for our chosen project which will be art directed in our groups.
EXERCISE
Week 1 (5/4/19)
From our research and listening to what the other groups had to present, I had a good grasp on the differences between an art director and creative director. While both are essentially very similar in terms of their responsibility in a company, an art director is more focused on overseeing the visual departments while a creative director is more concerned of all the departments in general and meeting with the client and managing the budget. In our presentation we did not include the specific roles of art direction and creative direction in the different creative fields. For the publishing field the directors oversee the page layouts and choose the cover art, for advertising they they ensure the message is conveyed and visual aspects are present, for film they make sure the sets fits the scene etc, for games it is the aesthetics, the animations, the art style are all aligned with the creative directors vision.
Mohamad Irfan (0322620)
Art Direction
INSTRUCTIONS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Week 1 (5/4/19)
This week Mr Kannan and Ms Maria gave us an introduction to the module. For our first exercise we were tasked with finding out the difference between an art director and creative director in pairs. We had to research what roles, jobs, and responsibilities of an art director and creative director, how exactly were they different?
Week 2 (12/4/19)
This week we had to research and present the similarities that art directors share in the different creative fields and the differences art directors have in the different fields. The different creative fields mentioned were advertising, film, games, and publication.
Week 3 (19/4/19)
This week in groups of 3-4 we have to create an initial report presentation which explains in details in depth of an art direction project, inclusive of challenges of an art director, giving and taking critiques, how to communicate with your teammates properly, maintain harmony and common mistakes art directors make in these situations.
Week 4 (26/4/19)
This week Mr Kannan gave a lecture on systems (Agile vs Waterfall) used in companies to manage the hierarchy and workload within a project timeline. After that we presented our Idea Proposal for our chosen project which will be art directed in our groups.
EXERCISE
Week 1 (5/4/19)
From our research and listening to what the other groups had to present, I had a good grasp on the differences between an art director and creative director. While both are essentially very similar in terms of their responsibility in a company, an art director is more focused on overseeing the visual departments while a creative director is more concerned of all the departments in general and meeting with the client and managing the budget. In our presentation we did not include the specific roles of art direction and creative direction in the different creative fields. For the publishing field the directors oversee the page layouts and choose the cover art, for advertising they they ensure the message is conveyed and visual aspects are present, for film they make sure the sets fits the scene etc, for games it is the aesthetics, the animations, the art style are all aligned with the creative directors vision.
Week 2 (12/4/19)
From researching what art directors do in different creative fields we found out that art directors not only have a high level of authority but a huge burden on them as well. To carry out a project to the end and communicating and guiding requires not only enough knowledge and skill in all the fields but the ability to articulate the vision to the team.
Week 3 (19/4/19)
This research is about giving and receiving critiques. Giving critiques is necessary to help your team improve and is one of the many responsibilities of an art director.
Week 4 (26/4/19)
This week we presented our Idea Proposal. Our project consists of a horror video game which involves taking pictures of ghosts to kill them before they kill you. We have come up with the stem of our narrative how the game is intended to look and feel.
REFLECTION
Week 1 (5/4/19)
This week I managed to get a rough idea of what an Art Director really is and the impact they have in a creative and design firm. Without art direction the execution and vision of the department would result in a failure of the final product. Everything needs art direction and it can even go for multiple sectors. Art direction should help an idea rather than hinder it. It was a window rather than a beautifully painted and papered wall. Mr Kannan emphasized that emphasized that when we are studying now and working in the industry we cannot just focus on our chosen specialization. We can be a master of one specialization but we should know a little about the others as well.
Week 2 (12/4/19)
This week I learnt that being in the creative industry is not an easy job. Mr Kannan talked about his past in the game industry and all the sleepless nights only for years only for the investors to cancel the project in the end. There is even things like racism and discrimination that can happen in the industry. While it is not unheard of it can happen to myself or anyone anywhere you work so in the end you need to have a thick skin, open mind, and prove yourself with your actions, not just words.
Week 3 (19/4/19)
From today's class Mr Kannan told us to be ourselves while presenting. Don't try to change how you talk or show off, but talk how you normally would and don't show that you're shy and be confident. When presenting talk about not just the points you are making, but elaborate with your own perspective and point of view. While presenting I need to tell the audience how I feel about the matter rather than just reading and saying points. When elaborating on points make sure it is factual and not just assumptions. Elaborate properly or else it becomes wrong info. Lastly as an art director you have to be a good leader. You must not only be giving useful critique that can help the person improve but also be open to critiques as well. Do not be a dictator and boss everyone to do everything how you want it. Give them a direction and freedom as well.
Week 4 (26/4/19)
When Mr Kannan was explaining Agile vs Waterfall leadership styles I realized they are both exactly what they sound like. Waterfall system is very hierarchy dependent and agile system gives more freedom and ownership to each team member. The agile system allows anyone to voice out opinions unlike the waterfall system which is pretty much dictatorship. However if someone were to work on the same task it will become demotivating regardless of how much freedom you have when working on something. Which is why you should plan with your team members especially the talented ones. Agree on a task they can do based on their talent and skills and give them ownership over that task. This way it will be less boring and less demotivating.
Next Mr Kannan talked to us about a Scram. It is a system which lists out every task in order of importance. I feel this system is very useful and keeps the team focused on what they should be doing and what they should avoid doing at all costs. With scram the team is thinking about completing the foundation first before polishing and adding the cherry on top. The scram follows the project timeline which can be a month for example. Planning is 1 day, next the sprint which is basically the time to work on the project and everything in between, and lastly the retrospective which is the feedback. Essentially these sprints cannot be too long or too short. Mr Kannan gave an example of how much money is being spent for each employee to work just 1 month. The longer it takes to do a project the more money is being burnt. Which is why I can see why planning is so crucial and completing the game enough to play and test it, rather than having every single thing polished.
Week 5 -14
Final Presentation
Feedback
Mr Kanan gave us a lot of feedback regarding the slides and its contents. We were told to be more confident and not let each criticism slide. Sometimes it is necessary to try to defend our work when there is the opportunity to do so.
Reflection
A lot of the time I was confused on what the role of an Art Director was. I was leaning towards the game design aspect during the project and not the art director side. This took a few weeks for me and my teammates to realize this was wrong but it made sense when it did. Art Direction was more of the 'real' subjects out there and Mr Kannan did not beat around the bush. One of the best advice he gave is to be involved with other specializations and not just the major you are in. Try to be good at every specialization other than the one you are in as they are all connected in the real world.
Objective
The objective was to be put into the shoes of an art director and art direct our own concept, which my groups case was a horror game.
Problem
As a team we all have different skill sets which is good, but also different visions of what the art directions should be. We lacked communication at times but other times we got out thoughts across. There was a lack of consistency in the work we were producing especially with the art styles between our different mediums of work. The different styles and skills are good but not when we have to pursue a common art direction for the best outcome of our concept.
Solution
We tried our best to find the best of both worlds. I decided to work a title sequence that showcases the tone of our game which is meant to be a horror and gorey game. My group members worked together to fit the different art styles together.
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