Present:
Today there appears a misconception that the mastery of software is in its self a mastery of graphic and motion design. Technical advances have overtaken and are leaving behind the basics of shape, line, colour and typography. "The computer has revolutionised the design process. It has made the act of designing easier, and in many ways it has improved the way we design things. Yet in other respects it has made design more formulaic, and it has standardised the act of designing" (Shaughnessy (2005)) The seemingly limitless potential of technology and the problems which accompany it increase the need for an understanding of design fundamentals. "The availability of technology and the advances in imaging and production techniques will not cover up what is essentially a bad design" (Hashimoto (2007))
Every design discipline, from the classical to the modern, makes up a landscape through which a creative must make his way. A designer working in the broadcast industry must also, considering the convergence of technology and design tools, "command a baffling array of professional abilities that include, among others, the typographic chops of a print designer, the motion and timing smarts of an animator, the stylistic rendering talents of an illustrator, the narrative skills of a writer or editor, the music sensibilities of a composer and the cinematic and live action directing abilities of a film maker." (Cooper (2006)) A second implication of this convergence is in the format of the design product. It must possess a flexibility that will allow cross platform application. These challenges constantly test a studios ability and are becoming an increasingly crucial factor in its success. As a result, broadcast and motion graphic studios boast ever more diverse collections of creative talent.
Designer / Director studios are becoming increasingly common. They hold an advantage of knowing what is not only achievable but whither the creation of an effect is more economical in production or post-production. Also, the breath of talent now contained within studios and their creative networks removes many constraints on the availability of technical skills. It is clear that the expansion of both a studio's and individual's creative skill set is a direct result of technological advance. This progression heralds many implications, not least of which is an increasingly savvy audience demanding higher quality broadcast material. The challenge of motion design now, more than ever before, almost solely lies in the conceptual development. This involves making a series of choices that will lead to a target audience perceiving the intended message. For a motion or broadcast designer it is these choices, faced on a daily basis, that will define the success or failure of a career.
Through out the literature review conducted for this project, no single document was found to outline these choices or the skills required by motion designers. Is it the intention of this dissertation to satisfy that need and propose an initial overview of guidelines for motion design. These have been drawn from a historical review of the disciplines from which the industry has grown, primarily animation and graphic design. It is hoped that they shall help inform and analyse the decisions made by motion designers in the development of a design.
The first set of elements to consider have been drawn from the film industry and cover the underlying concepts of narrative and presentation in a motion graphic piece. As a result, film criticism seems a natural starting point for the development of guideline criteria. The advice published by Dwight Macdonald in "Dwight Macdonald on Movies" has been selected for inclusion as, in the opinion of Bernard F. Dick, "Macdonald's guidelines are among the best that a contemporary critic can offer a student of film" (Dick (1998)). They are as follows.
"(1) Are the characters consistent, and in fact are there characters at all?
(2) Is it true to life?
(3) Is the photography Cliche, or is it adapted to the particular film and therefore original?
(4) Do the parts go together; do they add up to something; is there a rhythm established so that there is form, shape, climax, building up tension and exploding it?
(5) Is there a mind behind it; is there a feeling that a single intelligence has imposed his own view on the material?"
(Macdonald (1969))
As is true of any set of guidelines these may not be applicable to every example under analysis or development. Particularly, in this case, the second question which Macdonald goes on to highlight as being frequently redundant.
The second set of considerations come from graphic design and are concerned with the perception and appearance of visual elements. The specific elements under scrutiny at this point are colour, line, shape, texture, layout, and typography. A detailed study in their perception has been conducted and formed into a series of laws by thinkers within the Gestalt school of thought, specifically John W Cataldo. These laws describe the influence of visual elements with reference to equilibrium, closure, continuation, similarity, and proximity. Each law has been explained in Appendix C.
The third and final set of elements are the are the 12 basic principles of animation developed by Walt Disney's 'Nine Old Men'. Their aim is to aid in the creation of a more believable animated performance and, although not a necessity for every animator to know, are extremely effective in their function. The principles are laid out with the details paraphrased from Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston's "Illusion of Life" in Appendix D. In brief they are as follows; squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, straight ahead action and pose to pose, follow through and overlapping action, slow in and slow out, arcs, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, solid drawing, and appeal.
Additionally to these three 'sets', and this particular quality is one important for every piece of design: the overall impression. From a new viewers point of view, what information might be perceived from the motion graphic. The analysis of this quality is a skill, or habit, required of every designer universally. It is the ability to step back and remove one's self from the details of work to take in the thing as a whole.
Two more elements that must be taken into account but cannot be covered in the scope of this study are the quality of rendering and the sound, both music composition and effects. The quality of rendering is a matter of talent and practice. It's judgment is up to the individual and is a discussion best held in a philosophical and psychological context. Although, the conclusions may be best summed up in a quote from Denis Dutton, a modern philosopher of aesthetics, "We find beauty in something done well". The musical composition and sound design of a motion graphic piece is a subject beyond the expertise of the author. It must be noted that this subject is not one of little importance. In the creation of motion graphics the sound design is deserving of attention and development at least equal to that of visual design.
With these values in mind, a number of examples of motion design in broadcast have been gathered and discussed. These examples should also highlight any areas in which there can be improvement in structure or definition.
Fuel TV - be the trend
Aimed predominantly at a young male audience Fuel TV is the broadcast equivalent (or extension) of a teenage boys bedroom wall; posters, art, girls and other forms of self expression plastered everywhere. As a part of the channels ethos young talent is given opportunities both in front and behind the camera. The aim of this exercise is to discover new artists, designers and athletes and bring their passion for their own specific culture into the production process and visual aesthetic.
One of the main concerns of the team behind the channel is retaining a 'trendy' image, a big pitfall they must avoid would be the perception that the channel has become a 'sell-out'. To avoid this pit fall and achieve their aim the programming and design must embody the specific culture they are broadcasting without giving the appearance of a marketing-plan driven by profit and viewing figures. They must portray a passion and dedication to being a part of the culture rather than a description of it. One of the pearls in targeting a trend orientated market is the risk of your audience turning on you. The youth of today is tuned in to an extent beyond anything their parents could have imagined. As a result, they can be quick to move on and avoid anything that becomes labeled as 'lame'.
A study of Fuel's design has reviled that there are no set rules by which the graphics are brought together, instead there is more of an intellectual aesthetic that is followed. At times tough, 'official fonts' are used but these only seem to appear when part of a graphic element that also contains the FuelTV logo. Rather than a strict rule set by the channel, this is most likely a result of what might be considered 'good design', the use of a recognisable logo and typeface throughout creates a visual unity within specific elements.
The graphics are influenced largely by street art and generally have a raw appearance giving rise to the thought that these visuals could have been produced by fellow 'free-thinking' viewers. This is intended to reflect a DIY attitude prevalent through many of the sub-cultures covered by the content of their shows. Not all the viewers will aspire to the same visual aesthetic, but they will mostly share a desire for 'freedom of expression'. FuelTV organises itself as an environment in which this expression can take place, it's rough and whacky approach contrasts the slick and sophisticated graphics of many other stations. This air of being 'alternative' will act as a strong force of attraction to their target group.
The visual aesthetic of FuelTV is the most diverse of the case studies. A brilliant example of this is there 'Signature Series, of 100'. 100 collaborators, artists, athletes and anyone willing to be creative, designed and produced (with the help of the broadcasters in-house team if necessary) an ident for the channel. The only rule to be followed: 'there are no rules'. As a result there are opposite extremes of almost every graphic element throughout the channels design, an approach that appears to be working well. The lesson, it seems, to be learned from Fuel TV is design to become a part of your audience and their environment rather than an addition to it
Plug TV - a sense of fun
Plug TV is a channel aimed at predominantly male 15 to 34 year olds, and aims to be a generic, slightly crazy, alternative to other channels. The programming is made up with cult films, series and music shows in an attempt to draw in an audience looking for something a little different and sometimes controversial.
The design philosophy is loud and fun, a result of confidence in the founding team by the owners, the RTL group. RTL is one of the worlds largest broadcast production companies through ownership of a great number of smaller organisations, some of the more recognisable shows they are responsible for are 'The X Factor', 'Pop idol' and 'The bill'. The whacky design aesthetic of Plug TV is surprising when considering that the RTL group is an organisation driven by profit.
The visual design of the station forms a universe with a diverse range of characters and graphic environments which interact in small humorous scenarios. These create more of an attachment to the channel, a viewer can feel empathy to the characters as opposed to graphic shapes used by other networks. As the content evolves so does this surreal world. In a similar way to Fuel TV the visual style is defined by an abstract concept, rather than a set of graphic rules, which allows for an incredible variety and constant innovation. The similarities do not end there, each have an almost identical target audience and cultural awareness although separated by the Atlantic. This provides an interesting comparison of approaches between a US and EU broadcaster. Fuel has opted for an aesthetic based on 'freedom of expression' that comes across as taking itself slightly more seriously than Plug which characterises itself as 'deranged', 'cuckoo' and 'nuts'. Interestingly the baseline 'Complement PLUG' translates as 'Completely PLUG' and aims at creating a phrase that effectively means 'Completely nuts'. The design studios sense of fun comes through strongly in their designs making it hard not to love what they produce, "After all, everybody has a twisted side." (Bartholdy (2007)) - Sven Mastbooms (Creative director of seven)
KI.KA - divide and conquer
KI.KA is a German public service children's channel with an aim to inform, educate and entertain. Thanks to the combined input of ARD (a joint organisation of germany's public service broadcasters) and ZDF (an independent public broadcaster) the channel boasts some very high quality and varied programming.
The visual aesthetic is built on a very simple idea - collage. Objects from daily life are used but not the stereotypical things associated with children. The creatives try to be surprising in their choice with an aim to inspire the imagination of viewers. This works with the channels aim to inspire self-confidence and positive values in the young audience. Social, emotional, and cognitive development is encouraged - not brand awareness or products.
The programming is aimed at an audience of rapidly developing youngsters. To deal with the speed at which kids 'grow up' the target audience has been divided into three categories: pre-school, school age and pre-teen. Each has it's own variation of the KI.KA aesthetic broadcast at specific times. As a viewer matures they will progress from one section to another allowing the channel to be a part of their lives for longer.
The youngest 'pre-school' programmes have a very simple and paced mode of address mainly presented in a light yellow and sunny colour scheme. School age graphics are based on a blue pallet. Pre-teen idents and presentation move into bright pink and also play with more action and humour. The colour scheme appears typical of design aimed at children - bright and vivid. Although the use of collage brings together much variation through the graphics there is always one clearly dominant colour. This is not necessarily always one of the colours specified for each of the three age groups, further variation seems to be acceptable within the design remit.
Amongst this colour graded collage the information must be clear and concise for children to understand. This is achieved with large font size and highly contrasting colours used in the writing. The typography reflects the collage aesthetic with a ransom not effect that tends to restrict variation within soft sans-serif fonts.
The design is clearly taken seriously with the involvement of research institutions and studies to inform and back up the choices made. As a result the design philosophy is a successful one, and has been proven so. Their logo, even amongst pre-reading age children, is easily identifiable. Taking heed from scientific research is evidently a logical thing to do.
REELZ channel - simplicity specialised
ReelzChannel is a specialist broadcast about movies but does not show any movies. Instead it's content is made up from the world surrounding film production; behind the scenes, reviews, interviews etc. Their target audience are adults, 18 to 49 year olds, who enjoy films and are interested in further knowledge on the subject. In the past century movies have grown to become an integral part of our culture and lives. They provide a conversational platform with which individuals can connect, share and debate interests and experiences. Reelz provides further insight to this 'platform' and so is a source of natural interest for many.
The design aesthetic is a fairly simple and clean one. Superfluous elements are eliminated leaving only that which contributes information or emotion. There are no 3D graphics and very little in the way of textures of patterns. The shapes are simple and the colours are bold. Sharp, highly contrasting sans-serif fonts are used throughout the graphics in keeping with the main logo although, as with any rule, there are occasional exceptions. The over all effect this builds is a simple, clean and fairly loud one. This strict adherence to simplicity creates an environment within which design development must be accompanied by complex and creative thought processes, otherwise the design runs a risk of being catastrophically dull. For Reelz this is avoided with idents tend to take film clichés and give them a ironic twists or play with them in a visually entertaining way.
Being a specialist channel there is more of a defined message or identity that much be conveyed. Films and 'the movie business' form a clear focus throughout the graphics. For general channels with a larger target audience there is less definition as shall be seen through some of the following studies.
Sundance Channel - distinct clarity
The Sundance Channel is a spin off from the Sundance films festival and holds the same values although a separate organisation. Entries to the festival are usually included in the programming of the channel alongside a diverse collection of films, documentaries and original shows. Sundance provides a platform for independent creative voices and looks to show the challenging and the unconventional. The tagline running through many of the idents is 'For a change'. The audience is less defined than other channels but are described as sophisticated: "We think that they are open to arresting, innovative communication on all levels, including design." (Bartholdy (2007)) - Sarah Barnett (SVP Branding, On-Air & Creative Services, Sundance Channel).
The channels design is very clean, free from clutter, predominantly 2D with occasional 3D manipulations giving further depth. Most of the design and production is undertaken by the small in-house creative agency with larger outside studios pitching for the bigger projects. The design team, in looking for an authentic way for design to work, has a very minimal use of shapes. Plain blocks of colour form strings across the screen, occasionally one of these blocks frames a key image or piece of footage. There is a sub section within the overall graphics package dedicated to environmental programs. This uses, unsurprisingly, green as its key colour with illustrations of plant life growing out from footage of built objects. Interestingly, although most other channels seek ways of standing out, this is the only channel, of these case studies, that uses a serif font in its logo. A very small detail that does set it apart. As is shown by the overall aesthetic of this channel, sometimes the simplest form of communication can be the most effective.
BBC One - Going in circles
BBC One is the flagship channel of the BBC, it aims to creatively enrich the lives of the public through entertainment, education and information. They have six public purposes set out in a Royal Charter; "sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, representing the UK, it's nations, regions and communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK, delivering to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services." (BBC (2012)) The channel provides individual services for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England - the visual identity is virtually identical through each service save the name of the country below the main BBC logo.
Since the first broadcast motion graphics began appearing in the 50s BBC One has been using the circle as it's central emblem. This has an almost endless list of connotations being the most prominent of the primary shapes. An appropriate choice for the oldest channel within Britain. In the context of the BBC design it is used to represent 'togetherness'. This refers to bringing families together as well as the British public and extends to all who may be a part of it's audience. In terms of the graphics, everything comes together around the circle and in many cases all the elements become the circle. Generlly these elements are live action, or photo real effects, of people in surreal situations that form the circle. Occasionally animals are also involved. These bizarre scenarios must interconnect the widely varying material broadcast by the channel and so do not refer to any specific mood, genre or subject. The circle and logo are the only consistent elements along with connotations of collaboration and 'togetherness'.
In 2006 BBC One had its own font developed by 'Fontsmith'. This gives an almost subliminal recognition of BBC One graphics even without specific branding. The most notable point about the typeface is the circular nature of the 'o' exterior which reflects the circle theme running through almost every ident design. A very powerful sense of recognition is achieved when this is combined with the red signature colour of BBC One. Add a circle in any guise and the three block BBC logo and the elements making up the visual language are complete. This is one of the simplest and most effective graphic strategies employed by any broadcaster.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a publicly owned UK broadcaster but does not receive a share of the licence fee like the BBC. It's primary purpose is the fulfilment of it's public service remit: "The provision of a broad range of high quality and diverse programming which, in particular: a) demonstrates innovation, experiment and creativity in the form of content and programmes; b) appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society; c) makes a significant contribution to meeting the need for the licensed public channels to include programmes of an educational nature and other programmes of educative value; and d) exhibits a distinctive character." (Channel 4 (2003)). Over 300 production companies receive commissions from the channel, a far greater number than any other british broadcaster including the whole of the BBC. There are several channels broadcasting alongside the flagship service, E4, More4, FilmFour, and 4Music all of which are now free to air.
In a similar way to the programming, the graphic packaging for the channel is produced by a great number of different studios. This creates a diverse range of styles and ideas to satisfy the huge scope of the target audience. The remit, several design guidelines and history of the channel play important roles in keeping a unified appearance to the range of idents. Unity is also held onto through the supervision of outsourced work by some core talent that has worked with the channel over an extended period of time. These are the creatives behind the current design which splits the logo in two referring to the channels ability to present many perspectives on any issue.
Like BBC One, Channel 4 has has it's own font created and tends to stick with a limited range of colours. The most recognisable feature is the 9 block '4' icon designed by lambie-nairn in 1982. This has become a design icon that has stood the test of time with its core concept left intact even through 30 years of the channels development. The design of the channel, unlike many other business organisations, does not under go large overhauls of it's image. Instead there is a gradual evolution of the graphic elements, always guided by the remit but changing as the content and demands of the audience change. With the reliability of channel 4's popularity and the unchanged core logo the most powerful tool for the designers is the brands recognition.
Present conclusion
Throughout these studies several examples of approaches to broadcast design have been explored. BBC One, Channel 4 and Sundance are all tending towards an abstract and fairly clean look while Plug, Fuel and KI.KA have opted for a busy, loud and colourful approach. Additionally Fuel has grounded itself with a raw, handmade aesthetic. Finally ReelzChannel has taken a more literal approach made possible by its specialist nature.
The common factor across all seven channels and their design philosophies is the concept lying at the core of their visual identity. They have chosen not to use a strict set of rules to govern or restrict inappropriate use of colour, line, shape, texture, narrative or other purely visual elements. Instead, the channels have opted to create their own sets of loose guidelines to be followed by the creatives. These guidelines, although generally of a conceptual nature, help keep a sense of unity through the visual solutions, but it seems the 'personality' of each channel has a more powerful effect in playing this role. With a clearly defined set of values and aims followed by a network, the creative can find an appropriate mood, tone and concept for each design. From there the correct visual choices should become more apparent. This may seem an abstract concept without much baring on the physical process of design and development but has been clearly applied to each of these seven channels and contributes to their success.
Of course, there are examples of practical graphic rules employed through some of the visual languages. The circle is almost always present within the BBC One idents, Channel 4 uses its bespoke typeface almost exclusively and KI.KA does tend to stick with it's colour system. These rules certainly play a big role in achieving a recognisable language but they are not the defining structure, each rule can be broken so long as the result holds true to the fundamental values of the channel.
It should be noted that the examples of motion graphics in broadcast design presented above are of the highest calibre. The creatives involved in their development have the experience and confidence to proceed without a generic set of guidelines, as proposed in this dissertation. Instead, it is suggested that the main beneficiaries would be those without such extensive knowledge and skill. As for the guidelines themselves, the second set derived from graphic design are the most consistently applicable and relevant. The first set, from film theory, are also of great use although a greater level of interpretation is required. Finally, the third set of animation principles are almost ignore in the discussion of motion design. Although, they still remain a key element of success. Their lack of visibility is a sign of the skill with which they have been applied.
With the proposal of motion design guidelines based in research of the past and review of the present, it is only natural that to consider any direction in which they may be developed, a loose prediction for the future of the industry must be hypothesised.
David Lynch - I Know [genero.tv] from Sam Pilling on Vimeo.