MD.P.1 {place snapshot}

PROJECT MD2 ASSESSMENT VALUE: 15% OF FINAL MDC4502 RESULT

BRIEF

KEY LEARNING AREAS

· World-building & basic Storytelling

· Cinematography (shot types, colour grading)

· Basic Camera Movements (panning, zooming)

· Design Principles (composition, focal point, pacing, rhythm)

· Motion Type, basic Opening Title & Credits

· Basic Audio Editing

SOFTWARE

· After Effects (Position & Scale animation, Pre-composing, Shape animation, Type animation & effects, basic Cameras, basic Color Grading, basic Audio editing & layering, Exporting Media)

· Photoshop (Accurate image masking, correct layering in PSD file)

· InDesign/Illustrator (Creation Pre-production Process Book)

· Media Encoder (Rendering final video output)

OUTLINE OF DESIGN TASK

Using sourced high-quality, royalty-free photography, and typography create a 30-second motion design video that communicates a specific piece of information about a place in the world of your choice. The documentary-style. video will combine animated photography, animated type and sound to deliver an engaging, accurate information sequence using motion techniques: i). Ken Burns Effect & ii). 2.5D Parallax Effect.

The presented information should focus on one key topic related to the chosen place. Possible topics include:

· Etymology & Name Origin · Demographics (Population, Religion, Ethnicity)

· A Key Historical Event · Local Wildlife & Flora

· Geography & Climate · Cultural Identity (Festivals, Arts, Sports, Tourism)

This information should be sourced from reliable sources such as the place’s Wikipedia page and should be clear and concise, fitting comfortably within a 20-second time frame. (see 6. Formatting & Timing below).

REQUIRED APPROACH

1. RESEARCH & IMAGE CURATION

[ ] Research and choose a visually compelling place with unique features. Places known for their beauty or uniqueness (even if not considered ‘beautiful’) make for compelling viewing. Consider how the images will transition between each other to create smooth storytelling.

[ ] Source high-quality royalty-free images (min. res. 4K: 3840 x 2160 px) from Pexels, Unsplash, or Pixabay that align with your destination and topic.

[ ] Research the cinematography of compositions. Select strong photographic compositions that support a compelling visual narrative. Choose a broad range of shot-types that create mixed scenes in your sequence to help visual interest and engagement through variety.

2. PRE-PRODUCTION (PROCESS BOOK)

i. Concept/Narrative ii. Moodboard iii. Storyboard/Style. frames

[ ] i. A clear written outline of your concept and narrative direction, with specific target audience, engagement method (hook/resolution), stylistic approach and reasoning.

[ ] ii. Create a cinematic, film-style. Moodboard from the provided templateof various reference images that captures and plans your intended aesthetic.

[ ] iii. Create a basic Storyboard from the provided templates that plans your shot sequence using your sourced images—do not sketch the storyboard frames; instead, use your actual chosen photos, overlaid with your inteded title frame, info type and credits layouts and styles.

[ ] iii. Although you’ll not create separate Style. Frames for this project your storyboard will also function to show:

[ ] Font choices, colours, and typographic hierarchy

[ ] Title sequence layout & type style.

[ ] End credits layout & type style.

[ ] Notes on planned music/sound effects and where they appear in the sequence

[ ] Use the provided InDesign (.indd) Process Book template, plus additional Moodboard and Storyboard templates to present your concept and development. This will act as a visual plan before production begins.

3. MOTION TECHNIQUES: KEN BURNS & 2.5D PARALLAX

Your final video must feature a combined use of these techniques applied to every shot in your sequence.

[ ] Each photograph you source is considered a shot and must be on screen for 3 – 5 seconds, and use:

[ ] Ken Burns Effect: Simulate camera movement through panning and zooming on static images, which helps create flow between shots. Movements should always be slow and subtle and not extreme.

[ ] 2.5D Parallax Effect: First mask and separate environmental sections and also key subjects/objects from their backgrounds in Photoshop, to then import and create separate layers to animate separately in After Effects, making foreground and background elements move independently.

4. TYPOGRAPHY

[ ] Keep text information in each shot short, clear, and readable (avoid long sentences).

[ ] Choose a contrasting colour so that type stands out against the background.

· If the background behind the type is visually complex, consider:

· Blurring the background to smooth variations in detail and colour.

· Adding a shape behind the text (e.g., a semi-transparent rectangle or solid box).

[ ] Use well-paced timing for type animations so viewers can comfortably read all information.

5. AUDIO

Select appropriate royalty-free instrumental music that complements your place’s theme, and ideally has some connection to your chosen place, and also a style. that fits the nature of your information. For example, if our video is about a city’s specific festival, try to find a style. of music featured at that specific festival.

[ ] Ensure music matches the mood—e.g., an industrial city may have mechanical ambient sounds within modern electronic music, while a historical place may use orchestral or folk-style. music, ideally from that country.

[ ] Possibly layer sound effects (optional) from freesound.org to add realism.

[ ] Ensure sound levels are balanced and no not exceed 0 dB in the After effects audio channel:

[ ] Music should not overpower the text animation. Do not use music with coherent vocals which will distract viewers from reading the information presented.

[ ] Sound effects should complement visuals without distracting from the main narrative.

6. FORMATTING & TIMING

The final video should be finished in a professional way for feature-type sequences by fading from black at the beginning and fading to black at the end. Your video must follow this exact timing:

[ ] 0:00 – 0:04 > Title sequence (Place name + Topic) — e.g. “Population of Melbourne, Australia”

[ ] 0:05 – 0:25 > Main content (Animated images, text, effects)

[ ] 0:26 – 0:30 > End credits:

[ ] 1. Created by: [Your Name]

[ ] 2. Unit: MDC4502, Master of Design, Monash University

[ ] 3. Images by: [Photographers’ Names]

[ ] 4. Copyright: ©[YEAR] [Your Name]

[ ] 5. [Personal Email Address or Website]

7. OUTPUT REQUIREMENTS

[ ] 1 x 30-second video

[ ] Format: MP4 (H.264 Codec)

[ ] Resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p)

[ ] Frame. Rate: 30fps