Art History
The History of video and animation started way back in the 19th century where movie producers used a method to transform/manipulate images into a form of movie by using a series of photographs, gradually taken on every single move. However video animation was not contracted properly as there was lack of equipment and technology to help the artists form their work in the way that we do in this generation.
Motion graphics are graphics that use video and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion. These motion graphics are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia works. Motion graphics can be used for Internet advertising, broadcasting, TV stings, identities of TV channel, music video and title sequences.
Motion graphics began with video editing in computing and developing pace with newer technology. Before computers were widely available, motion graphics were costly and time-consuming, limiting their use to high-budget film and TV projects. In the late 1980's to mid 90's expensive proprietary graphics systems from British based Quantel was quite commonplace in many television stations. Quantel workstations such as the Hal, Henry and Paintbox were the broadcast graphics standard of the time. With the reduced cost of producing motion graphics on a computer, the discipline has seen more widespread use. With the availability of desktop programs such as Adobe After Effects, Discreet Combustion, and Apple Motion, motion graphics have become increasingly accessible. These advanced technology programmes encourage the world of entertainment to become more and more successful in the different ways of use, such as advertising, music video, movie title sequences, animated film etc.
The term "motion graphics" was familiarized by Trish and Chris Meyer's book about the use of Adobe After Effects, titled "Creating Motion Graphics". This was the beginning of desktop applications, which specialized in video production, but were not editing or 3D programs. These new programs collected together special effects, composting, and color correction toolsets, and primarily came between edit and 3D in the production process.
Motion graphics continue to evolve as an art form with the incorporation of sweeping camera paths and 3D elements. Maxon’s Cinema 4D is known for its ease of use, plugins such as MoGraph and integration with Adobe After Effects. Despite their relative complexity, AutoDesk’s Maya and 3D Studio Max are also widely used for the animation and design of motion graphics. Maya traditionally used for high-end special effects and character animation has the advantage of including an extremely strong feature set and wide-ranging user base. Many motion graphics animators learn several 3D graphics packages for use according to each program's strengths. Although many trends in motion graphics tend to be based on a specific software's capabilities, the software is only a tool the designer uses while bringing the vision to life. However, using digital programmes is helping artists to manipulate/ edit the videos, as an art student I would like to use a wide range of creating images such as collage, print-making and painting etc rather than using only a video camera to capture images. I think this is the time when I can use this progression to make my imagination become alive.
Lending heavily from techniques such as the collage or the pastiche, motion graphics has started to incorporate many traditional animation techniques as well, including stop-motion animation, cell animation or a combination of both.
The roots of motion graphic design are found in graphics and graphic design. Saul Bass is considered to be a pioneer in animated graphic design and his work marks the beginning of motion graphics. He designed the opening credits for Vertigo (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Psycho (1960) and many more.
Saul Bass was born in May 8, 1920 and died in April 25, 199, was an American graphic designer and filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences. Bass became widely known in the industry after creating the title sequence for Otto Preminger's The Man With The Golden Arms (1955).
For Alfred Hitchcock, Bass provided effective, memorable title sequences, employing kinetic typography, for North by Northwest, Vertigo, working with John Whitney, and Psycho. It was this kind of innovative, revolutionary work that made Bass a revered graphic designer. His later work with Martin Scorsese saw him move away from the optical techniques that he had pioneered and move into computerized titles, from which he produced the title sequence for Casino.
He designed title sequences for 40 years, for films as diverse as Spartacus (1960), The Victors (1963), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and Casino (1995). He also designed title sequences for films such as Goodfellas (1990), Doc Hollywood (1991), Cape Fear (1991) and The Age of Innocence (1993), all of which feature new and innovative methods of production and startling graphic design.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s cable television became popular along with video games and videocassettes creating a source of demand for motion graphics. In those early years of its existence, this art was costly and time consuming as computers and computer software were not accessible by all. With the advance of technology though, more and more desktop programmes are becoming available and motion graphics have now become cheaper to produce than shooting videos with actors.
Kyle Cooper is also considered as the most well known existing motion graphic designer. He has designed the opening credits for more than 150 movies/TV shows including Seven, Mission Impossible, and The Mummy.
Kyle Cooper is an acclaimed modern designer of motion picture title sequences. Cooper studied graphic design under Paul Rand at Yale University. Early in his professional career, Cooper worked as a creative director at R/GA - an advertising agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. During this period, Cooper created the title sequence for the 1995 American crime film Se7en, a seminal work which received critical acclaim and inspired a number of younger designers. According to Cooper, at the time he made the title sequence for Seven, main title sequences were behind of what was happening in print, music videos and commercials. He wanted to create main titles that were raising the bar creatively.
In 1996, he co-founded Imaginary Forces - a creative agency that came out of the West Coast division of R/GA. "We have spent a long time building and refining a brilliant creative and production team ... Keeping this group together as our own company is truly exciting," Too involved by the business-side of running a design company the size of Imaginary Forces, Cooper decided it was time for him to focus more on his creative work. He left Imaginary Forces. In 2003, Cooper founded the creative agency Prologue.His work in the field of film title design is often compared to Saul Bass.
From having been researching into the great depth of history in graphic motion animation I have studied and acknowledged that graphic-motion has been around for a long period of time and it has become more and more successful and regconised in the world of entertainment. During the research I have found two artists who were the fathers of graphic motion animation, Saul Bass’s and Kyle Cooper's graphic images were incredibly used on communicating their talented imagination as title sequences in movies.
Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper started the graphic motion movement in 19th century. They have influenced these artists because I like the way they create graphic images to communicate their ideas and concepts in terms of producing movie title sequences. They also used music and sound and Saul Bass designed the opening credits for Verigo (1958), he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences.
In 1955 The Man with The Gold Arm was a film about a jazz musician’s struggle to overcome his heroin addictions. Bass used the arm as a central image as it is a strong image relating to drug addiction. This caused the sensation, as it was a controversial subject for those days.
Kyle Cooper is a modern graphic motion designer and he designed the opening credits for more than 150 movies/TV shows including Se7ven, Mission Impossible and The Mummy. His way of presenting the title sequences is often compared to Bass but is very different as he uses advanced technology. He is considered to be the most well known existing motion graphic designer.
As researching into graphic motion aspect I have also found an artist who I have decided that is more likely to be my greatest inspiration for the final major project. Ethan Lader is one of the most famous American music video directors/producers who works behind the success of many Pop/R&B and Hip-Hop superstars. Lader has become internationally recognised for his unique visual style and imagination. He has directed back-to-back with B.O.B “Nothing On You” and Bruno Mars” Just The Way You Are”. The “ Nothing On You” video features multiple collages of women taping over each other, in addition to a scene where B.o.B plays guitar and sings while Bruno Mars, the featured guest on the single, plays the drums. I think it is one of the best styles, which I would love to use in my work. “B.O.B Nothing On You” video has been nominated for numerous awards, including MTV music awards Best Pop Video, BET Awards video of the year, and BET Hip-Hop Awards of the year.
Using graphic techniques and style in the form of animation I believe this is the most interesting way of presenting the artistic elements, in which I have realised that it’s become one of my favourite ways in terms of presenting the graphic design art.
Back in the beginning of my course I have also tried to use a stop-motion animation technique, which I filmed the progression of my painting and edited it on a video editing software called Edius. The software was great to use and very helpful for a beginner like me. However, I think the outcome I have produce wasn’t in a high quality as I was lack of skill and knowledge in the use of camera. So by this research in depth of stop motion/ graphic motion I can see myself developing skills and imagination which I have learned from these talented artists such as Saul Bass, Kyle Cooper and Ethan Lader.
By following the route of Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper has helped me to come across with my own theme for the final major project. I have also compared Bass’s, Kyle’s, and Lader’s works together which I find that they’re related in the form of artistic video. The techniques they used are also similar which can be classified as “Stop-motion”.
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small movements that increase between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Stop-motion animation needs a lot of patience as it is a process of photographing a model, then repeating the process over and over again. Then string the photographs together and the tiny movements appear to be action. This form of animation is the simplest to use and is an interesting way of communicating a story. Stop motion animation has a long history in film. It was often used to show objects moving as if by magic. Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton are famous for the Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898) in which a toy circus of acrobats and animals comes to life. In 1902, the film Fun in a Bakery Shop used the stop-trick technique in the "lightning sculpting " sequence. French trick film maestro Georges Melies used true stop-motion to produce moving title-card letters for one of his short films, but never exploited the process for any of his other films. The Haunted Hotel (1907) is another stop motion film by J. Stuart Blackton, and was a resounding success when released. Segundo de Chomon (1871–1929), from Spain, released El Hotel Electrico later that same year, and used similar techniques as the Blackton film. In 1908, A Sculptor's Welsh Rarebit Nightmare was released, as was The Sculptor's Nightmare, a film by Billy Bitzer. Italian animator Romeo Bossetti impressed audiences with his object animation tour-de-force, The Automatic Moving Company in 1912. The great European stop motion pioneer was Wladyslaw Starewicz (1892–1965), who animated The Beautiful Lukanida (1910), The Battle of the Stag Beetles (1910), The Ant and the Grasshopper (1911).
In conclusion I have found that from this research I have been inspired by use of materials and techniques which Saul Bass, Kyle Cooper and Ethan Lader used in their extraordinarily work. However Ethan Lader has inspired me more because he is able to use modern day technique and technology that Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper were unable to do and this has led me to come across with an idea of using stop motion technique while creating graphic images to communicate the concept. This will also help me to expand the knowledge I have and create more ideas to establishmy own style in graphic design area.
Nipaporn (Mim)Chansri
