Developmental Work

Animation Process

The animation developed so far is a scene of the ocean floor and shore with the surface of the water overhead. The wave in the first scene will be filmed on the surface of the water. This same plane will also be used for the rest of the water effects throughout the video.

 

Script

-        [Fade in from black. Pan left]

-        “At up to 500 miles an hour, these waves can travel entire ocean lengths in a day without losing force or speed.”

-        “As the wave approaches shallower water, it slows down and rises to tremendous height.”

-        [Pan out, show ocean floor.]

-        “The upsurge of water is caused by the friction of the wave against the rising ocean floor.”

-        [Pan back in, rotate 45° to right. City appears]

-        “A tsunami’s destructive power is colossal, sometimes irreparable.”

-        [Wave crashes over city]

-        “Thousands of people are affected every year by tsunamis in coastal areas, especially in Japan.”

-        “There is no way to stop a tsunami once one has started, but there are defensive procedures you can take when one forms.”

-        [Cut view to mangrove trees]

-        “A common defense in India and parts of Asia is growing vegetation, such as large trees and dunes. This blunts the force of the wave when it rises onto shore.”

-        [Cut view to sea wall. Quick surging tides against wall, each growing larger than the last. Screen 45° to right]

-        “Sea walls are another protective structure, built on the coasts of Japan and the West Coast of America.”

-        “The best defense, however, is early warning, so that people may evacuate to higher ground.”

The script will be read by either a male of female voice

Musical Score

The background musical score of the video is crucial to the set mood of the video. The music must sound appropriate and in accordance with the voice of the speaker, without interrupting the script or being louder than the voice.

Model

The solution chosen to go through developmental work was Solution 2 "Serious Mood." Above is the hand drawn model of the story board for the final solution of the video. The arrows depict the motion of the objects in the picture. 

Rational Report

The objective of project Tsu-Vis is to create a visualization of tsunami waves, how they are formed and the methods of protection against them, for instructors and professionals to broadcast. My own role in the project is the protection half of the video, as well as demonstrating the damaging aftereffects of a tsunami wave. My solutions include multiple different moods the video could have. The mood affects the camera angles, lighting, wording of the script, and resulting emotion of the viewers after watching the video.

Solution one takes on a simple, childish mood. This is ideal for an easily understood synopsis of the subject that briefly and explicitly explains what is happening in the picture. The imagery of the video and language of the script are simple and easy to follow. The con of this mood, however, is that the information presented does not cover details. The potential for an informative scientific video is lost.

The scene begins with the ocean’s surface. A small wave has been formed and is rolling left towards shore. The screen pans left following the wave. The screen pans out, while still panning left, and the ocean is cut so that the viewer can see the ocean floor at the bottom of the screen. Large arrows help guide the viewer‘s attention to the motion of the wave growing larger. A city pans onto the screen and the wave grows larger, crashing over the city. At this point, the screen stops panning and focuses on the city. The water shallows, and the viewer can see the ocean floor, surface of the ocean, and the flooded, demolished city.

 Figure 1: Solution 1 Childish Mood

Script for Solution 1:

-        [Fade in from black.]

-        “As stated before, a tsunami wave usually begins small.”

-        [Pan left following wave]

-        “The reason tsunami waves grow to be so large is the ocean floor.”

-        [Pan out, ocean cut]

-        “The ocean floor rises as it comes closer to shore. With nowhere to go, the water builds up, creating a huge wave.”

-        [Halt panning, screen focuses on city. Wave breaks over city]

-        “A tsunami wave’s affects are incredibly damaging.”

-        [Water shallows and reveals demolished city]

-        “Once once begins, there is no way to stop it.”

-        [Fade to black. Open again on wave approaching mangrove trees. Screen is angled 45° to the left.]

-        “However, there are ways to protect yourself against it. One way popular in India is coastal trees and dunes that blunt the force of the wave.

-        [View cuts to quick surging tides against sea wall. Screen is angled 45° to the right]

-        “Another common form of protection is sea walls built along the shore in areas with large populations.”

-        “The best form of protection, though, is seeking higher ground, and being safe.”

The second solution is more educational and the mood is serious. The visuals are more detailed and the audio description is more thoroughly explained. This mood allows an adequate amount of information to be presented, and allows for more detailed imagery. However, the viewers must have a minimal amount of background information on the subject in order to fully understand the video and any excitement or features of intentional interest are lost. The video is strictly to inform, not to entertain.

The scene opens on a small wave rolling left towards shore. The screen pans left, following the wave. As the wave grows larger, the screen pans out and the ocean cuts, revealing the ocean floor at the bottom of the screen. The viewer can see how the wave increases in size as the ocean floor rises and the water shallows. When the wave has grown to a substantial size, the screen pans back in, while still panning left following the wave, so that the ocean floor is no longer visible. The screen rotates 45° to the right, and the city appears from the bottom left corner. This way, the viewer can easily see the wave break over the city. The water shallows, and the city appears flooded and demolished.

Figure 2: Solution 2 Serious Mood

Script for Solution 2:

-        [Fade in from black. Pan left]

-        “At up to 500 miles an hour, these waves can travel entire ocean lengths in a day without losing force or speed.”

-        “As the wave approaches shallower water, it slows down and rises to tremendous height.”

-        [Pan out, show ocean floor.]

-        “The upsurge of water is caused by the friction of the wave against the rising ocean floor.”

-        [Pan back in, rotate 45° to right. City appears]

-        “A tsunami’s destructive power is colossal, sometimes irreparable.”

-        [Wave crashes over city]

-        “Thousands of people are affected every year by tsunamis in coastal areas, especially in Japan.”

-        “There is no way to stop a tsunami once one has started, but there are defensive procedures you can take when one forms.”

-        [Cut view to mangrove trees]

-        “A common defense in India and parts of Asia is growing vegetation, such as large trees and dunes. This blunts the force of the wave when it rises onto shore.”

-        [Cut view to sea wall. Quick surging tides against wall, each growing larger than the last. Screen 45° to right]

-        “Sea walls are another protective structure, built on the coasts of Japan and the West Coast of America.”

-        “The best defense, however, is early warning, so that people may evacuate to higher ground.”

The third solution is meant to intimidate the viewer and catch their attention. The angle is rotated so that the wave is coming towards the screen to make the wave appear to be approaching the viewer. This creates a sense of fear and intimidation often recreated in action movies. This video will certainly attract attention and heighten the entertainment factor; however vital information on the subject would be lost. This video’s goal is to entertain more than to inform.

The scene opens on the ocean surface. A small wave has formed and is rolling towards the screen. The screen pans back ahead of the wave. The wave grows in size. The view cuts to the back of the wave. The viewer can see a city in the distance above the height of the wave. The wave grows substantially and as it breaks, the view cuts back to the front of the wave, behind the city. The viewer can see up front the wave breaking over the city. The water rises over the screen, then shallows, revealing the flooded, demolished city.

Figure 3: Solution 3 Intimidating Mood

Script for Solution 3:

-        [Fade in from black. Wave is rolling towards screen as screen pans backwards (notice: backwards, not out]

-        “At speeds matching that of jet planes, these monstrous waves start out small but grow to massive height, traveling across entire oceans.”

-        [Cut view to back of wave]

-        “As the wave nears shore, it slows in speed and builds in height and power, creating a wall of pure destruction.”

-        [Cut view back to front of wave, behind city]

-        “Thousands of people suffer every year from the reign of tsunamis, especially those living in Japan and coastal areas.”

-        [Wave crashes over city, leaving it destroyed and flooded]

-        “The damages can be irreparable. Once a tsunami wave starts, there is no way it can be stopped.”

-        [Cut view to trees]

-        “However, you can blunt it. Trees and dunes growing on the coast are good natural defenses.

-        [Cut view to sea wall]

-        “However, many people build sea walls to protect themselves.”

-        “The only true protection from these monstrous waves is early warning and escaping to higher ground.”

 

Design brief  1- lowest  10 - highest

Criteria	Solution 1	Solution 2	Solution 3
Concept Name	Simple	Serious	Intimidating
Image
3-5 minutes in length	7 Not enough detail to be appropriate length	10 Just enough detail to be appropriate length	9 Enough information to be appropriate in length
Animated in 3D	6 More suited to be animated in 2D	10	10
Understandable language appropriate for target audience	7 Can be considered too simple, even boring	9 Appropriate enough for junior-high school students	9 Understandable enough for junior-high school students
Informative	5 Not very informative	10 Perfectly informative	6 Not very informative
Accurate and detailed	6 Accurate but not detailed	10 Accurate and detailed	7 Accurate but not very detailed
Net score	31	49	41
Rank	3	1	2
Continue?	No	Yes	No

 

After careful consideration through observation and the design matrix, the solution that will go through development will be solution 2. This solution is the best choice because the detail and information is at full potential and highest accuracy. There is no unnecessary information, the present information fills the time slot, the language is understandable for the target audience of middle - high school students, and the visualization is appropriate for 3D animation.

 

Here is a link to more imagery and information about the selected solution.

Testing Procedures

During the developmental work of the final solution, several testing procedures need to be performed in order to be certain the solution won't fail when completed.

Testing Type: 3DS Max animation test
Testing Stage: 1
State of Solution: Beginning animation
Condition of Testing Stage: Controlled environment computer lab
Tools and Equipment required: Computer, 3DS Max program
Testing Procedures:
1. Mold an object on 3DS Max
2. Use time line to record movement
3. Verify the animation works as needed



Figure 1 - 3DS Max Cover

 

Figure 2 - 3DS Max Work Screen
 

 

Testing Type: Water test
Testing Stage: 2
State of Solution: Beginning animation
Condition of Testing Stage: Controlled environment computer lab
Tools and Equipment required: Computer, 3DS Max program
Testing Procedures: 
1. Draw and mold the surface of the ocean
2. Animate the wave movement of the water
3. Verify that the waves move accurately

Figure 3 - What Water Surface Should Look Like

 

 

Testing Type: Camera movement test
Testing Stage: 3
State of Solution: Some frames completed
Condition of Testing Stage: Controlled environment computer lab
Tools and Equipment required: Computer, 3DS Max program
Testing Procedures: 
1. Draw the area (wave, city, trees, sea wall, etc)
2. Animate the view of the screen moving from one frame to another
3. Verify that the picture moves smoothly

Figure 4 - Viewing Screen

Testing Type: Play back

Testing Stage: All stages

State of Solution: In process

Condition of Testing Stage: Controlled environment computer lab

Tools and Equipment required: Computer, 3DS Max program

Testing Procedures:

1. Play back all animation done so far

2. Correct any mistakes

Figure 5 - Playback Control Table

 

 

Figure 6 - Animation Timeline