Character development types

Cypher

These types of character usually have no distinct personality and are kind of a mystery. This is a way to illude the player into feeling like they are the character themselves. Some of these characters can have a defined style but often keep their personality hidden

Fixed Character

The developers define these characters and leave the player with no accessibility over changing these characters. What you do have control over however is the look, personality and development of the character, though the player would have to relate and connect with the character, which also has to be well defined. An example of these kinds of character would be Mario and Sonic as they are such iconic characters whose stories don’t go in-depth, yet we relate to the characters.

Customisable character

These kinds of characters are more known to the player than the developers as the player controls various stats for the character, such as looks, style, race, gender, etc. It’s kind of like a tabletop RPG game as you further develop your character.

Fix Background Customisable Character

This is a combination of the previous two character types. The player is granted control over the character development, yet some RPG games will provide a loose background or name for the character. To help with the character development, the writers define it. Star Wars Knights Of The Republic is a good example as there isn’t a lot of character customisation options, but, you can choose the dialogue for the character, modifying the way the character acts towards NPCs. Speaking of which.

Non-Playable Character

This one is kind of self-explanatory, though their importance is just as great as the playable character. Their existence should fit the story arc and genre. NPC’S can also serve as a tool for the player by aiding them, and when given the chance, the player can develop the NPC to become something more.

To bring a character to life, it needs…

• Personality
• Motivation
• History
• Affiliations
• Relationships
• Appearance

Departments used

• Narrative Design and writing: This is where the character phycology and profiles are introduced.
• Concept Art: This provides visuals and signifiers for the character which makes the character stand out. This works with the narrative.
• Character Modelling: Takes help from concept art and creates a model of the character.
• Animation: Animations are created to reflect the psychology and attitude of the character.
• Cinematics: By using a little bit of everything, cinematics will put the character in an appropriate setting to bring the story to life.

Film Types

Main genres

• Action
• Adventure
• horror
• Ci-Fi
• Crime
• War
• Romance
• Mystery
• Western

Sub-genre

• Children
• Buddy
• Erotica
• Mockumentary
• Thriller
• Epic
• Road
• Spy
• Biopic

Non-genre

• Animation
• 3D
• Stop motion

Camera shot types

The following pictures have been done in a programme called Source Filmmaker, where I set up the scenes. I also did not create the characters or the scenery, I just set up the cameras and the characters

ECU (Extreme close up)

Extreme close-ups represent emotion, the fact that the camera is so close up is meant to show all the details of the object or persons face and the emotions. This gives a dramatic effect.

LS (Long shot)

Long shots are used for setting a scene. This is also used for getting a good shot of the surroundings in the scene to better understand the scenario and location.

Worms eye

A camera view from the ground looking up used to give the illusion that the object in front looks bigger. It can be used to make something look intimidating. Normally the camera has a slightly higher FOV (Field of view) to emphasise it.

Establishing shot

This shot type acts as an introduction to the scenery. Depending on the environment, this can also help show the mood and tone of the scene.

Pull focus start

Pull Focus Start is where there are two objects or characters in a scene and the one more distant to the one near the camera is blurred. This is to show the importance of the main subject of the scene. It is also used to draw the attention of the viewer to the specific location.

Pull focus end

Pull Focus End is pretty much the same thing but in reverse. Instead, the character or object closes to the camera is blurred for the same reasons as before.

Dutch angle

A Dutch angle is used in horror movies most of the time and involves tilting the camera to a certain degree. It’s used to give an unsettling feeling to the viewer to make them feel on edge or disturbed.

MS (Medium shot)

A Medium shot is where most of the character is in the shot, preferably the top half of the character. In combination with getting a good shot of the character with the background, this can convey emotion.

Birdseye

A shot from above the scene which captures the entire landscape. It is used to capture the scenery and size of the location for a dramatic effect.

Pan start and Pan End

Camera moving from left…

To right

Where the camera moves from one position to another to capture the scene. This can include characters but doesn’t every time.

CU (Close up)

This shot type is used to convey emotion and it helps to put more emphasis on said emotion with the shot type. The more close-up, the more detail goes into the emotion.

Printing history processes

618 – 906 Woodblock printing – China: This method of printing first started off in China and was produced by Tang and Song, which are both dynasties. This process was inspired by the use of bronze and steel which make impressions on clay and silk. This process was refined and finished by the end of the Tang dynasty.

1241 Cast metal movable type printing – Korea: The song dynasty’s ceramic tiles that were used for movable type printing were very fragile. But then the Koreans created a new cast metal movable type printing which was much stronger and durable.

1423 Block printing – Europe: This process has moved over to Europe and have used China’s technology to create books with the block printing method.

1452 Johannes Gutenberg – the invention of the printing press: He created an individual wooden block with each letter which will then be suitable for the movable type printer. This is later to produce thousands of copies of a single page. In 500 years, no major change was made in the printing industry

1457 colour printing Fust and Schoeffer: Peter Schoeffer was a principal worker in Gutenburg’s printing house. He was sent to Paris when he was young by Johann Fust to train as a calligrapher. Fust and Schoeffer partnered up and settled on the new process and created the process of printing in more than one colour.

1800 Iron press printing – England: Charles Stanhope built a press made of iron instead of wood, which can print around 200 impressions an hour. This is also more durable and can print larger sheets which encouraged other manufacturers to switch to a similar construction.

1814 Koenig’s steam press developed: This was able to print out around 1,100 sheets hourly which is much better than Gutenberg’s hand press which could only print 240 per hour. By Koenig’s invention, his print press was up to date and was cost-effective. It went from a web from a roll to a rotating cylinder which prints directly or indirectly using ink for analog printing.

1886 Linotype machine Ottmar Mergenthaler: The operator selects a magazine containing brass matrices to mold an entire font of the type of the size and face specified in the copy at hand. A keyboard is driven by paper or magnetic computer tape to select the matrices needed to create each line of text. Each matrix is transported to an assembling unit at the mold.

1904 Offset lithography: a method of printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, which is usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates.

1955 Xerox: Xerox introduces the first automatic xerographic printer, the copyflo.

1984 HP (First laser printer): Introduces both inkjet and laser printers for the desktop.

2007 Zink: Unveils the first inkless printer.

2010 modern day printing: We use printing to reproduce a digital photo or even scan the picture that we want to display on the internet or make copies from the original photo. Nowadays printers allow us to use it from a wireless connection, where we can then print from a computer instead of printing by hand like back in the past. Its cost efficient and allows faster and more precise printing.

Illustrator lesson: Different types of printing

A poster is a canvas used to display something as a work of art for people to see.

Representations of colour:

• Red – Anger, strength, energy, desire
• Orange – Success, determination, desire, stimulation
• Yellow – Happiness, cheerfulness, intellect, joy
• Green – Harmony, growth, freshness, money
• Blue – Faith, wisdom, loyalty, trust
• Purple – Ambition, power, royalty, dignity
• Pink – inner peace, affection, friendship, approachability

 Printing history timeline

The main industrial printing processes are:

• Offset lithography.
• Flexography.
• Digital printing: inkjet & xerography.
• Gravure.
• Screen printing.

Offset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The main advantage of offset printing is its high and consistent image quality. The process can be used for small, medium or high-volume jobs.

Flexography (often abbreviated to flexo) is a form of printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate. It is essentially a modern version of letterpress which can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate.

Digital inkjet printing is printing from a computer image file directly to an inkjet printer as a final output. It evolved from digital proofing technology from Kodak, 3M, and other major manufacturers, with artists and other printers trying to adapt these dedicated prepress proofing machines to fine-art printing.

Rotogravure (roto or gravure for short) is a type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, it uses a rotary printing press.

Screen printing is a printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. One colour is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicoloured image or design.

Shepard Fairey

Fairey’s work mainly consists of, what looks like screen prints. His work normally has some sort of meaning in each of them and tries to send a message in both his style and his text. I like his work as he tends to use bright colours and sometimes contrasting colours. What really makes his pieces pop is the amount of detail featured in some of his pieces.

This piece is a really good example of what i’m trying to say. He keeps the people in a simplistic style whilst still giving detail to the more important parts, just like with this piece as a whole. He focuses all the detail on the most important parts of the piece. The fact he used a contrasting colour set really makes the piece pop. Especially the white lines circling around. And to top it off, the border i feel is there to keep everything compact and neat.

Josef Muller Brockmann

I don’t mind Josef’s, however i find it’s a little too simplistic. Muller mainly works with abstract designs and mainly uses shaped and patterns to create his work. What i do like about his work however is the way he uses this design to make eye appealing patterns.

This is a piece of his i really like, specifically the way he has used shapes to make the piece look 4 dimensional. I find this can mess with you’re eyes. i also like the choice of colour he used for this piece, in order brightness. the closer a section of the shape is, the brighter the black gets until its almost white which, when combined with the actual shape, can really make the piece stand out.

Out of the 2 artists, I prefer Fairey’s work. Whilst the work of Muller is nice with the patterns and colours he uses, Fairey’s work had meaning and simplistic, yet detailed and, in my opinion, it watches my eye more than Muller’s work. Fairey’s work also has more familiarity than Muller as it contains famous people which a lot of people know.