Combining Disciplines

On Monday we had to mash two disciplinary exercises that we have gone over this term. I chose patterning and comic book remix. Taylor and I painted up abstract backgrounds and swapped the files.
The illustration/ animation had to show what society looks at it's happiest.
I didn't put much thought into it & found it challenging. I tried to see what images I could make out of the abstract background whilst keeping in mind what we had to show.
I wanted to put my nightmare character in the illustration. The image is of 'Nightmare' being applauded. Nightmares are seen as bad things, but after researching about them, I understand that it's simply ourselves trying to say 'open your eyes and accept'. Perhaps 'Nightmare' did some good. It's not really showing 'what society looks at it's happiest, but it is a positive image :)

Animate/ Flash hates my PC

I've been trying to reinstall flash/animate, but it wont download as some files are missing. I downloaded something that will hopefully help this. Hopefully I don't get any viruses D: I did a system restore, so I hope everything works out. But since this is taking forever, I will make the production schedule based on me having to rely on using flash at course...which sucks.

Update on Brief

I am currently working on my final brief that is due tomorrow. i will not be posting parts of it on my blog as that's basically doubling up. I have a fair idea of what I want to do for my experimental animation, so writing out the brief is going well. I'm about half way through and will shortly ask for peer feedback to complete the brief.
Regarding the production schedule, I am unsure how I will go about it. I don't have flash at home - even downloaded versions seem to not like my PC. Jerwin gave me animate the other day, but I am still yet to try it out. I'm worried that it wont work as this will majorly effect my work flow for production next term as I'll only be able to use animate/ flash at course.
The result of animate working or not will determine my production schedule. If animate decides to magically work in the middle of my production time, then I will definitely change the schedule which will help me finish the project faster!
Fingers crossed!

Compression

Today I talked to my tutor to see if I'm on the right track in terms of incorporating psychological processes into animation *breathes because long sentence. Thankfully I am → psychological loops.

I told him how I wanted to incorporate a TV fuzz to suggest the user trying to remember or interpret their dream/ nightmare. He mentioned that over time things get distorted and slowly lose their quality or meaning. E.g. Constantly compressing a photo causes it to lose its quality. Recalling a memory that occurred years prior that have been remembered differently over time etc.

I realised this also happens with blood lines. (this isn't a fact.. At least I don't think it is. Rather my thoughts and how I think it works.) e.g. The Maori bloodline. The last full blooded Maori passed away years ago, but their are still people with Maori blood in them (me for example). Slowly, but eventually the Maori blood within my children's children and so on will dilute and won't be as strong as say my Nanas. I suppose this can be another way of looking at things losing their meaning, quality, etc.

I can use this idea in my animation as the quality decreasing within the animation as it plays out or even over lapping frames to show it becoming unclear. Distorting the original scene or by slowing losing it's quality or becoming dimmed. 

Recurring Nightmares

I feel like I've looked a lot into dreaming itself, but not as much into nightmares as I would've hoped. Like I reckon I've got a good understanding, but need a tiny bit more to get the ball rolling for more ideas for my experimental animation.

I like the idea of the tidal wave. This is due to the fact that I imagine my animation to be at sea with a lighthouse making loops. The tidal wave can end the animation by 'waking the user up'.


References:
http://sleep.lovetoknow.com/reccurring-nightmare-meanings#kYDliZZiMrOfhQYm.97

Transdisciplinary Framework

I'm trying to further attempt the brief this weekend.
I will be going through each part carefully so I don't repeat myself too much and hopefully make sense. I've made a rushed post of going through the brief, but in this post, I will think more along the lines of a near final version.

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This will be a 2D animated, experimental short film integrating psychological techniques of the functions of how the unconscious dreams or more specifically, has nightmares. 

A dream is a manifestation of images and sometimes sounds which show common and uncommon interrelations. Dreaming occurs when the unconscious mind is at work. When the user is sleeping, dreaming comes into place. These dreams can range from experience in reality, things that the user feel will happen in the near future and also what the user is afraid of or what they are afraid of that may happen in reality. These are just a few examples of what the unconscious mind dreams about. It is different for everybody as everyone is unique and has their own share of experiences and knowledge. 

Nightmares associate with anxiety, fears, what the user stresses about in reality and traumatic experiences. It will be important to know the elements of nightmares and how they work. 

E.g. Dreaming about a car crash would reflect that the user has once experienced a car crash, is worried it will happen, has had small scares while driving, thinks they are a bad driver etc. Nightmares can help the user open their eyes to what the user has been afraid to accept in reality and when the user needs healing. If the user opens up to their nightmares and accepts them, they will vanish. If the user doesn't listen to the dream/nightmare, it may repeat or at least an element of that said dream.

In Sigmund Freud's findings, he found that things we don't accept through out the day can result in 'above' unconscious dreaming where everything is let out within that dream (negative thoughts & worries). The unconscious dreams about these neglected thoughts by helping the user accept these thoughts and ideas, so that the user can move on with their life. 

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I'm not sure if I will need the example written in red. This is already over 300 words as well D:

Short Post

1000 Dreams - David Fontana Symbolism PG 82
"Dream symbols are visual metaphors representing objects, memories, emotions, ideas, anxieties, hopes, aspirations, frustrations - or even, sometimes, ourselves or other people. They can take almost any form that could be recognized by the senses: an inanimate object, a snatch of music, a landscape, an event. Symbols are the starting point of dream work.".