terminusproject

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PROCESS—WEEK 4

FILM

All footage has been edited into the film. I have experimented with camera and speed changes. I animated the type and tested it screened over the footage, with some preliminary vignetting and colouring.

Feedback from the critique:

Incorporate footage of natural disasters as well

Change pacing by having quicker cuts toward the end

Have colouring be blue and teal (maybe an animated colour filter)

Change typesetting to bigger, more readable font and leave it longer

Push type distortion further

Screen textures

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PROCESS—WEEK 3

FILM

I had the idea to incorporate haphazardly edited screenshots of headlines of current environmental disasters from reputable news sources, which I think can provide some context and allow me to play with the theme of Terminus as an imminent extinction event. I decided to incorporate some lower quality shots as well as in a previous project, this tactic worked to convey the idea of past memories, or memories being lost to catastrophe. These are primarily the videos meant to look like they were shot with a cell phone. I have translated the facts I've picked out from my research to take on a more cinematic tone in a series of 9 slides typeset to match the Terminus branding.

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PROCESS—WEEK 2

BATH BOMBS

Supplies have been ordered. I decided to choose Bramble Berry’s blueberry fragrance oil for the scent, as it helps tell the story of the Inuit.

PACKAGING

The packaging has been 100% resolved and will be sent for its second test print on eco canvas or hemp. Unless there are ingredient changes or legibility issues, no additional changes will be made.

FILM

In creating a social media ad for footage submissions, I was able to further experiment in After Effects. This has been the most successful thus far, with the incorporation of simple choker, displacement map, and roughen edges effects. I will experiment more with particle dissolves, distortion masks, and colour. I intend to spend the next week evaluating sources for context and new techniques.

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Forget Shorter Showers — Derrick Jensen

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PROCESS—WEEK 1

At the dawn of the final semester, I am resolving outstanding issues regarding the bath bombs, their packaging, and the planning for the film project.

BATH BOMBS

I will be ordering the new colorants and supplies: midnight blue la bomb, activated charcoal, cornflower blue la bomb, teal la bomb, and more citric acid. I have found epsom salts of the original desired grain and can reasonably phase out the dead sea salts, as I recently discovered the issues surrounding the state of the dead sea.

The following links synthesize research related to Inuit and Indigenous substitute ingredients, such as fragrances and moisturizers, as suggested in critique. It has pointed me in the direction of Indigenous made oils, and also the possibility of using blueberry fragrance, as relating more to the Inuit experience and relating to the blue hue of the bath bombs.

http://discovermagazine.com/2004/oct/inuit-paradox

https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/business/all-natural-beauty-7-indigenous-owned-skincare-and-cosmetic-lines-youll-love/

https://motherearthessentials.ca/collections/essential-oils

Isabel also mentioned that the iridescent white of the salts was kind of jarring, so I have decided to consider eliminating this, or using less, and including a thin layer of white mixture below the white epsom salts instead.

PACKAGING

Some colours and sizes as well as ingredient information will have to be updated for next week. I have decided to use Spoonflower’s eco canvas for its low shrink percentage, and print the designs side by side with bleed to eliminate the alignment issue. Two layers also opens up possibilities for packaging.

FILM

I have decided upon 00:02:00 minutes length.

I will incorporate the following types of footage:

Nova Scotia trip

obscure city shots

people interacting, eating, out at events, in nature, with technology, mundane practice

Footage will be edited in premiere first and then thrown into after effects. I want to utilize some of the effects used in my silent motion project from last year, with muted, screen displaced colours, vignetting, artifacting, displacement maps, and possibly image masks of the satellite maps.

I will display information and facts from the following source: Forget Shorter Showers by Derrick Jensen. The video will incorporate subtle aspects of my Inuit-centric research while focusing on drawing all of Canada and the world into this perspective. I have to decided to give everyone 2 weeks to submit any footage before I officially compile everything. I will create an email address and post calls for submissions on my social media accounts.

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Project Summary

Terminus aims to convince audiences to reflect upon and eliminate unsustainable practices in their individual lives, under the guise of a unique extinction-type event that can either serve to be our end, or the chance to evolve for a sustainable future.

I have now applied narratives of culture and geography to each of the proposed design outputs, directly relating them to the experiences a specific culture, whilst not neglecting the global, and multi-faceted implications of a world ravaged by unsustainable practices. The established specific scope of my research has allowed me to create an experience that that draws upon impending realities. By focusing my project on the arctic region of the world, I can, within my scope and abilities, adequately seek to recreate a uniquely Canadian, and Indigenous Canadian experience, one that is rooted in history, science, and truth.

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Terminus film test.

Music: XULX by WIZZA.D. (license obtained)

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Film Progress

Footage of my bath bombs confirmed that I had the desired fizz effects, but in critique I was encouraged to use it as a texture

Applied footage as a displacement map to some shots I have started to compile

Played around keyframing: saturation, drastic camera changes, speed changes, speed reversals, lighting, and the main displacement map effect

Since footage was all shot in Canada, it can be applied to my narrative of a Canadian experience, focusing on Canada as a whole, reminding us that total sustainability a global pursuit, affecting all of us

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Final package outputs.

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Packaging

Initial idea was to use biodegradable cardboard and make a custom mold out of laser cut acrylic pieces

Isabel convinced me that the traditional circular mold was most effective in conveying my research and can better resemble a crumbling earth

Began designing sustainable fabric piece that can be reused as a hand towel, napkin, or table runner

Switched data from NASA to Bloomberg to get better illustrations

Tag evolved from biodegradable paper to additional fabric piece

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Final batch 2 bath bombs.

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Bath Bombs

PURPOSE: to recreate experience of melting arctic with stark colours and fragrance oils stimulating productivity, and promote sustainable practice, as bath bombs leave no by product after use.

RSEARCH: Tutorials from Bramble Berry

BATCH 1:

Made using household items to test methodology

Discovered the power of fragrance oils, established colour scheme

BATCH 2:

Professional ingredients ordered from Bramble Berry

Mica colorant was vibrant but too iridescent, teal too much on the green side, polysorbate 80 didn’t emulsify completely to my liking

BATCH 3 (NEXT TERM):

Replace mica colorants with Labomb colorants and activated charcoal for better solidity and emulsification

Utilize larger epsom salts

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Contextual Research

Looked at NSIDC database to learn more about the arctic and the lifestyles of Inuit people indigenous to land are most affected by these changes

Read about the significance behind certain visual elements in Inuit art

Met with David General of the ISC to gain Indigenous perspectives and feedback

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Scientific Research

With the theme of time in mind, I learned about   NASA’s Landsat satellite program through a TV documentary

Studied Landsat images mapping changes in arctic geography due to anthropogenic forcing via NASA & Bloomberg

Sketched out textures I noticed in the images to later apply to bath bomb and film project

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Moving Forward

How I will engage with my participants:

Are you aware of the problematic nature of your habits, and what sacrifices are you willing to make to better the world for future generations?

***

The other day I overheard an OCAD illustration student on the bus ride home lecturing some other dude about sustainability. I knew instantly that I must be on this exact bus at this exact time for a reason. He brought up the theme of time. I took this as a sign that I should consider this theme moving forward.

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Design Ideas

Terminus Film Project:

Disintegration My archival footage, shot footage, and footage submitted to the site Distort imagery using motion graphics Kinetic typography

Kinetic Posters:

Quick, flashing imagery Moments of the film

Sustainable Product Design:

Memorabilia for the film Positive resource management Biodegradable Disappear completely after use as part of experience Bath bomb?

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SustainAbility Trailer by Phil Woodscorner.

From this video I learned new facts:

How much land/resources are required to meet a person’s needs Things people can do to actually live more sustainably