Introduction to jonny
Jonathan Lindley is a animator/graphic designer who tutors us on our studio briefs, he gave us a small insight into what he has done over the past 6 years after graduating university with a degree in graphic design.
When leaving university with his degree, Jonathan wasn’t sure what he was doing or where he was going but he was sure he was heading in the illustration/graphic design route if any.
Yellow bird project
Jonny contacted 'the yellow bird project' a charity based in Canada, about doing some work for them, it was a company that he had loved while studying and dreamed of producing some work for them. Without knowing Jonny was entering into a field of design he didn’t know much about, animation. He found that they wanted a animation and he created the vide ' the tallest man on earth'. The animation had 360 frames using stop frame animation, made from cut outs of cardboard.
This is something I have never tried before, neither had Jonny at the time, I think its effective, it works well however its not something I am interested in. animation is not my strong point however if I was to do some, this would be something quite interesting yet very hard and time consuming.
As john said, when doing this he would spend 2 months making the cardboard for each frame, then 2 weeks filming, however if someone comes into that filming room and knocks something, that’s the whole animation ruined, something that sounds very frustrating.
Lightning bolts & refused
Off the back of this yellow bird project, Jonny realised that he needed to contact people and ask them to do work for them, so he contacted a band called lightening bolt and asked their manager if he could create some art work for them, they said yes and he later found the manager wasn’t his manager at all and the band had no idea he was working for them. However some of Jonny’s work was used. After using cardboard Jonny used it again to create little characters for this band.
Lightning Bolt...
Refused...
This project, Jonny did using lots of frames al hand drawn although I admire the technique and the time it would have taken and I actually like the effect I think the concept of Jonny’s work isn’t something I would like to do. Many thinks have being influences by heavy metal bands and doe from bands resulting in him incorporating a lot of heavy, loud, screaming atmospheres and its not something that I like. However his work is admirable and the technique he used would be something I would like to try.
The fall line
A piece of work that he showed us that I really liked was the 'the fall line'. This is a video for band however I prefer the softness. The animation itself is brilliant, the 3D nature, and the angles in which the camera pans around the two islands, I think is brilliant. I don’t do much animation, its not really something I’m good at but if I was to create something I would love to try something like this. The graphics on the animation is something I really liked. I love the geometric 3D shapes and its something that I think gives a really good effect when on paper or on a screen because it makes the piece seem more real and alive.
The crim collective
a piece of work that I think looks similar and incorporates the 3d geometric motion graphics look is the 'the crim collective' work...
I like that he has expanded from paper and animation to using other mediums like wall an the fact that this was his change of role when he was becoming a leader in projects. The project just really caught my eye and its something I would love to do one day.
Advice?
There were a few things Jonny taught us that lecture, he couldn’t stress enough how important it was to make the briefs fit hat you want to do and what you would be proud to put in a portfolio, his advice was to channel your strengths into a brief and also to be explorative and try new things.
One thing that he told u to be aware of is that as a new designer clients will try to get you to do work on the cheap for exposure, they make t sound like a good deal but actually isn’t. Its something we have to be able to decide for ourselves, which is more important, the money or the exposure.
