In the Beginning

Hi! I'm currently a student taking the subject KIB 105 -Animation and Motion graphics-  at QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

From now on I'll be using Blog as a record of all my Tutorials and I'll post up here all my completed homework..once I figure out how to do that =_=; (be warned I tend to Blab a lot online and am irregular in updating, with bad typos - Horror! 0.0)

Currently it is the beginning of week 4 (and third Tutorial) meaning I have a lot to fill in to be up to date. As it is I have yet to finish any of the activities assigned by the course, for VERY good reasons I might add;

1. I don't have any of the adobe programs used by the University at home, and me being stubborn wants to use the same program as the uni so that all details and intructions can be followed/completed accurately. Also using trials of the programs I need are out until the end of September since the course will outlast the trials TwT. Luckly  I can do the first task at AHS, since it's only photoshop, the second task I will try to complete this Firday, since it is a school holiday, on After Effects.

2. I was away for a week after the first week of the course - in Japan actually (you know...fullfilling my young life's dream) - where I missed the second Lecture and 1st Tutorial.

3. During the second Tutorial, I got lost in the Campus and even went to the wrong Tutorial for 20mins before realising that I was in KCB105 (embarassing!!). Then when I finally got to my Tutorial the only computer left was Busted (whimper) so I could only look on with someone - seriously was not my day!

4. I have very limited time in which I can visit the University -since I don't have the programs- to complete the Tasks set out.
Weekends are out since there are no buses to the Campus on Sunday or Saturday from the city (having no car Sucks).
Weekdays are generaly packed to the rafters with busyness and 'work' (<-- This reason's a biggy)


KIB105 is a course focusing on the design and motion of graphics (self explainatory) and uses technology. The course doesn't really cover the '2-D cartoon' animation much from what I have gathered - like I originally thought. I decided to participate with this course because of my interest in Manga/Anime/Japanese Animations, and even though the course doesn't cover what I had expected it is still an intersting subject to learn and study.

The only problem is...well... I'm technologically disadvantaged.

Not that I don't know how to turn on (most) computers - Macs just confuzzle me - but I don't have musch knowledge about programs except for a tiny bit about photoshop. The fact that I failed one (only one) semester of yr 8 ICT is not encouraging, since I haven't tinkered with computers since then.


The programs used - as hinted earlier - are Adobe Photoshop and After Effects (not exactly sure which versions actually)

Photoshop - a program used to edit images ( and if you don't know that, then your quiet sad really - I know of it, and that's saying something). While able to do the basics of paint such as copy, paste, draw, fill etc.,
Photoshops most stand out feature is the 'layers' which, exactly as named, is basically clear planes of 'technological canvases' layered ontop of each other. The cool thing is that you can make each layer visible or not and all the paint stuff - editing, pasting, cuting, drawing, filling - when done on a layer doesn't effect the other layers (unless you want it to). Also there are other fun tools such as the stamp button, effect options, and interesting 'pen' shapes 8D.

After Effects - sadly not a program I'm not really familiar with. From Tutorials I've figured you can use it to place deffects used in  motion videos. It can be used to make  still objects move in different ways (jump, wriggle, rotate etc.). Like Photoshop there are 'layers' of sorts so that many videos motions can be pieced together in one video. An essential part of the whole program is in the 'timing box', where all the effects are keyed into.

There will be three Assessments:
1. August 27th, Friday (30%) 30 sec promotional animated video using still images - focuses on the emotion elicted from the video matching the 'style' promoted item
2. September 24th, Friday (30%) Journal Progress os all Tutorial work (oops -_-")
3. October 22nd, Friday (50%) 1-2 min  animated video focusing on the monologuue (speech) audio of the video - expands on more than one principle of aniamtion from lectures
 (....is there an extra 10% there?...)

Well..Wish me luck!! XD