222—223 Independence project In my class titled “Language of Motion” students explore visual narratives in reference to time-based media. Students are given an opportunity to study cinematic vocabulary and general concepts of sequential composition by creating meaning through exploration of motion, time, sound, image, and typography. One of the classic projects in this course is titled “Animated Poster,” which I first introduced in the early 2000s. The main challenge is to explore the traditional genre of poster design in attempt to bring it up to the age of dynamic media. Students are asked to choose a single static visual composition such as poster or book cover and create a short movie by animating the existing visual language of the chosen original. The project inspires students to investigate important questions, such as: How can animated visual elements and typography complement the linguistic meaning of words? How is meaning created through motion and time? How can motion contribute to the process of visual communication? In the Fall 2017 semester, I gave students a choice between the classic “Animated Poster” project and a new animated poster topic – a creative interpretation of the notion of Independence. Students accepted the “Independence” project challenge and the class became
Jan Kubasiewicz × tutor’s text × posters
a weekly forum of vigorous discussions on the definition of independence as the quality or state of being independent (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), and how to convey the abstract notion in the form of 20-second animated narrative. At the conclusion of the project, students ranked all the work themselves, and selected the following top three animated posters (with short captions written by the designers). Hessam Daraei Bafi: “30 years in 20 seconds.” In 1979 people of Iran joined a bloody revolution, which goal was independence. They celebrated their victory but eventually, they realized independence was nothing but an illusion. In 2009 they broke their silence and conquered the streets in green colors to gain freedom. Although it was not a successful movement, it is still a living fire under the ashes. Conner McCormick: “Don’t mistake what you are told for what you should do.” Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco football team quarterback, refused to stand for the playing of the American national anthem. His gesture was to protest the treatment of African Americans and minorities in the United States. Benjamin Walker: “Independence” is a visual study into the modern meaning of being independent. It explores this concept through different planes, ranging from spatial to botanical.