PPD

MODULE SELF EVALUATION -

NAME - Simon Cherry
MODULE CODE OUGD202
MODULE TITLE - DESIGN PRODUCTION - DIGITAL

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I have learnt how to use a software that I had never used before which is impressive in itself. But I have also learnt how to use it effectively to communicate a topic of my choice. Before coming to the college I had experience of other adobe software and was fairly confident using them, but After effects was a different software altogether. Prior this module I had taught myself how to use Macromedia Flash and basic animation skills, but when it came to this module it felt like learning to walk again.
I learnt how to keyframe the right way and improved the timing of transitions, and realised the full potential of working with TIME instead of working statically. Working with 4D instead of 2D.

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

Throughout the creating stages of my sequences and idents and I had always wanted them to seem authentic and believable. I did this by researching and staying true to the style guide of my chosen channel and making sure it fitted the style of documentaries more4 are likely to show. This gave me a guide to work and a result I wanted to work towards.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

The authenticity of my idents – As previously mentioned I had always worked on the module as if I was creating a real sequence/idents for more4. I vectored the more4 logo and scouted for the typeface, which was most similar to that used on more4. I also watched existing idents time and time again to get mine just right.

My research – Because my top ten was factual rather than subjective, I had to research thoroughly to make sure what I was creating on screen matched up to the true facts and figures. I collected a heavy amount of facts, figures and photos to back up what I wanted to say.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

Some of the transitions are not as smooth as I had hoped and at times I felt like there was too much going on in one sequence. All the information shown was appropriate but perhaps the fast slideshow of disaster photos made it seem there was more going on then actually shown.

My packaging. Because of technical errors that needed amending, I didn’t leave myself enough time to create my intended sleeve. In future I will be sure to make sure everything is backed up and saved before I burn it to a disc.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

Towards the end of the module I grew into the habit of storyboarding and organisation. A skill that is crucial in software such as after effects. Starting storyboarding late meant that I had no real time guide so not everything fitted where I had intended. In future I will be sure to storyboard constantly instead of doing it blindly.

The “title card” at the end of every one of my idents, although looked authentic at first glance, didn’t match up 100% to the original. At the end of every (real) ident, the individual triangles of the more logo flip and the type appears. I found myself cutting my idents short to make room for the title card alone so 10 seconds wasn’t long enough for me to achieve this. In future I may want to storyboard a time guide to make sure everything was timed perfectly allowing me to make allowances when it came to transferring my sequences into after effects.

Create a better sleeve - Because of technical errors that needed amending, I didn’t leave myself enough time to create my intended sleeve. In future I will be sure to make sure everything is backed up and saved before I burn it to a disc.

Experiment with different transitions - Although I am very pleased with my outcomes and I felt as though my transitions were appropriate, it would be interesting to try out and experiment with different transitions. I had wanted my sequences and idents to be consistent but maybe I had made them a little too consistent.

Order my priorities correctly – Before finishing the final sequence I had started making the designs for the dvd cover. This was a foolish error as I soon found out that I needed to make time to render and burn my 60 seconds sequence onto a disc. In future I will allocate strict hours to work on each element of my project.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance					x
Punctuality					x
Motivation				x
Commitment				x
Quantity of work produced				x
Quality of work produced				x
Contribution to the group				x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.