Motion Design Project - Homeplace
Overview:
"Seamus Heaney's poetry is known for its natural, homely and true to country life content. His writing is admired and showcased internationally and many see him as the best Irish poet since Yeats."
For this project, I have to create a unique motion graphic, animation or moving image based on one of Seamus Heaney's poems of my choice. For my final piece, I have to submit a ninety second max motion design video, which is to be accompanied by a separate video about the making of my project explaining my initial idea, techniques and editing process.
Seamus Heaney
Research:
For my research, I looked at some of his poems that inspired me to do this project. During my time in school, I studied Heaney's poetry in detail so I have a better understanding of what to expect when choosing his poems. A few poems came to my mind. I have a strong connection with the theme of nature so I will pick a poem with this theme thats relevant in his poetry. Here are the poems that I considered:
- Death of a Naturalist
- Blackberry Picking
- Gifts of Rain
- Digging
After a lot of consideration, I chose the poem 'Digging'.
The reason why I chose this poem was because I felt I could relate to this poem. The poem was written in 1964 and is about the poet and his relationship with his father. He talks about the differences between himself and his father and the different paths they both chose in life. Heaney chose to write with his pen and his father chose to dig with his spade. Scenes of the bog and countryside portrayed in this poem appealed to me because I grew up in the countryside also.
Digging
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked,
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner’s bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, going down and down
For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
My Initial idea is to create a live-cinematic video, either using typography or kinetic type, which will be featured in my final piece. I have some experience with film and typography from other projects I have undertaken so I am comfortable about taking the cinematic approach to this assignment. The first example I looked at that inspired me is a video called Motivational Kinetic Typography. I really like the combination of film and type within this video.
We also went to the Seamus Heaney museum in Bellaghy to get a better understanding of his childhood, early life and his many achievements and accomplishments, which really interested me and helped me to recognise what he was like as a person and how his poetry changed his life.
Seamus Heaney Homeplace in Visitor Centre in Bellaghy
Motivational Kinetic Typography Video
Draft Storyboard
For my motion design video, I will be creating a live-cinematic video. It will be filmed in the countryside near where I live, which is close to the bog. I believe this is an ideal location to shoot my project because it relates to the poem 'Digging'. I will include props like a shovel and a milk bottle to help tell the story and to create a narrative. I used Adobe Illustrator to produce my draft storyboard.
Draft Storyboard
I also looked at different typography fonts that would be similar to what Seamus Heaney would use in his work. I looked at American Courier, Garamond and Bodoni typefaces but I opted for the Bodoni 72 old-style font because it looked more traditional and I felt it would suit my video.
Bodoni 72 Old-style typeface
Production:
After I was happy with my storyboard, the next step was to record my footage for the video. I used my Nikon d5300 dslr camera to record high quality HD video out in the countryside. I recorded a few time lapses of the sky with the surrounding hills and shots of the shovel and milk bottle as well.
Nikon d5300 Dslr Camera
Post Production:
After I had all of my shots recorded, the next stage was to start editing my footage. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit my footage as I am most comfortable using this software. I first organised all of my shots in conjunction with my initial storyboard. I then had to colour grade all of my shots and do some basic correction like adjusting exposure, highlights and contrast with every shot. I also created two time lapses within the video as well. The last step was to add in the quotes from the poem that accompany most of the visuals. Lastly I used a cinematic soundtrack I found online to accompany my final piece.
Colour grading in Adobe Premiere Pro
Adding quotes from the poem using Adobe Premiere Pro
Conclusion:
On completion of this project, I believe I have successfully met all of my objectives when carrying out this assignment. The finished video is exactly how I imagined it would turn out like. There were a few challenges I had to face undertaking this project. I had to depend on the weather whilst shooting my shots. I also felt the editing process was time-consuming because I had to adjust most of the visual effects and add in titles to the video as well but overall I am very happy with my finished piece.
