Channel 4 have been at the forefront of the ident world for years and the mass expansion of TV culture has allowed it to flourish over multiple channels, each having its own individual identity but always remaining true to the channel 4 brand. This example, brand new to the channel More 4 is a perfect example of a completely individual style, using the triangle 'flipbook' segments but with strong bold colours much like examples from the early eighties. Not to say they all use colour as a signifier for their brand, but each example always refers to another in some way (the anamorphic landscape creating classic 4 logo for example) and it's this diverse and overall branding that has allowed them to constantly push boundaries, particularly within motion graphics.
31.1.12
Really TV
After spotting another '10 things you need to know..' programme on the TV channel from UKTV - Really, I went on to their website to try and find the logo/ident styles they used. After a bit of reading I found that as a channel, it focuses more on the 'reality lifestyle', with most shows being predominantly aimed towards a female audience...
With this in mind, I continued to look through the UKTV channel list as they have a substantial amount of channels airing different vaguely themed programmes....
Given the nature of Really's programmes, I'll probably avoid it although UKTV has many channels, 10 are exampled above. After a little research into each one, it looks as though 'Dave' could be more appropriate, airing shows such a s 'James May's top toys' and 'Alan Davies' teenage revolution' - going back and looking back at his teenage years. Such nostalgic shows feel quite accommodating for the kind of documentary 'Arcade Classics' would be.
With this in mind, I continued to look through the UKTV channel list as they have a substantial amount of channels airing different vaguely themed programmes....
Given the nature of Really's programmes, I'll probably avoid it although UKTV has many channels, 10 are exampled above. After a little research into each one, it looks as though 'Dave' could be more appropriate, airing shows such a s 'James May's top toys' and 'Alan Davies' teenage revolution' - going back and looking back at his teenage years. Such nostalgic shows feel quite accommodating for the kind of documentary 'Arcade Classics' would be.
30.1.12
databend
So I've been looking into loads of glitch sources and ways to achieve this kind of aesthetic for my current motion graphic project, throughout my searching I've seen the term 'databending' popping up all over the place. - From the first search it turned out there are a fair few people creating distorted imagery from applying certain techniques to existing file types - databending.
Not only pictures are being experimented with in this 'databending' style, there are a load of motion graphic pieces from people taking normal video clips and 'databending' through audio programmes such as Audacity.
Once your head's around importing photos into text editors, video clips into audio software doesn't seem that strange, and some of the outcomes are pretty nifty. I was reading a post in which someone claimed applying the text edit technique to complicated vector files can create some coll effects too.
This example below is exactly the kind of aesthetic I want to include into some of my motion work, it's a shame it is a video file but I'm hoping there must be a way to achieve such a visual using after effects. What is so particularly enticing about this video is the change of direction and pattern as the frequencies change.
Not only pictures are being experimented with in this 'databending' style, there are a load of motion graphic pieces from people taking normal video clips and 'databending' through audio programmes such as Audacity.
Once your head's around importing photos into text editors, video clips into audio software doesn't seem that strange, and some of the outcomes are pretty nifty. I was reading a post in which someone claimed applying the text edit technique to complicated vector files can create some coll effects too.
This example below is exactly the kind of aesthetic I want to include into some of my motion work, it's a shame it is a video file but I'm hoping there must be a way to achieve such a visual using after effects. What is so particularly enticing about this video is the change of direction and pattern as the frequencies change.
28.1.12
USA!
After trauling through hundreds of sounds, it's sods law that the one song I find that is perfectly suited to my needs in terms of duration, quality and style is only availiable with an american iTunes account. Quite an obscure sound clip, the 'Crongratulations' jingle from 'Pacmania' sounds like a typical arcade themetune and annoyingly lasts for about 40 seconds, the desired length for a song after my 15 second intro is over. I'll keep looking, but most likely for an alternative as it's proving to be quite hard to come by.
24.1.12
2nd
A 2nd anniversary celebratory graphic for the blog in referenced in my last post, another great piece of moving image, more for inspiration than anything. I've noticed .gif popping up all over the place recently, a lot of design blogs/sites have started showcasing their work using them, even creating work with the idea of outputing the resolution in this format.
This area/idea of 'moving image' is growing on me quite rapidly but there is more time for that once the After Effects module is over!
This area/idea of 'moving image' is growing on me quite rapidly but there is more time for that once the After Effects module is over!
10,000
A brilliantly relevant referance to the abstract pixel aesthetic I want to incorporate into my ident, the same kind of glitchy sequence played on boot-up of some old arcade machines, in particular dig-dug - also a referance I want to use for one of my 10 second experiments.
23.1.12
21.1.12
DM
Amongst browsing tutorials and animations I found this competition entry, for what I'm not exactly sure but it exercises some of the elements relevant to the aesthetic I'm going for. I don't feel the proportions are at all right, and the mish mash of different sized text doesn't do the video much justice.
The soundtracks used to accompany the animation do work well, very typical intro and outro notes which almost everybody whose ever played an electronic game pre 2000 should recognise.
The soundtracks used to accompany the animation do work well, very typical intro and outro notes which almost everybody whose ever played an electronic game pre 2000 should recognise.
19.1.12
Audio
My first classic arcade audio findings, I got my hands on a loads more classic samples in .mid but soundcloud are outright rufusing to let me upload them! So I'll have to get on converting them for upload, although it may not be of great relevence if AE takes the current file type, it seems pointless uploading them for a blog post, but we'll see.
Really?
I was pleased to find such a referance as quite a few peers had content that could be quite easily linked to a specific channel, ie. More 4, BBC, E4, where as I was unsure of the link between 'arcade classics' and any of the more mainstream channels.
Pixels
A print referance that's rather fitting with my current project. These exagurated pixels in various colour schemes are well on the way to the kind of aesthetic I want to encorporate into my 'arcade classics' moving image. These business cards for Robert White are even more fitting as he is a web designer, although from a personal point of view I don't think they are extremely exciting. If they somehow interacted with each other when they came together, maybe making up a pixelated image using the different colourways - could be interesting.
18.1.12
Gameplay
A bit of a lengthy post, probably doubling the loading time of my page, but I wanted to document the actual gameplay of these arcade games. To get a feel of how the kinetic elements of the characters, typography, textures, backgrounds work. How fast/slow a character moves, or how frequently certain type flashes and then the next question is sound. I'll try to analyse each one, picking out key features with regards to these themes.
Spin-Off
A humorous Mario Bros video from psy-city. There are loads more on their website, along with some other quite random content. Quite a lot of effort has gone into recreating the in game graphics and only really uses simple panning shots and moving characters, but to a good effect (apart from the odd cheesy close up) - these were simple games, trying to over complicate the shots and perspective would kill it, I think I'll have to bear that in mind when it comes to producing the main body of my 60 second advert to keep a true 2d classic feel to it.
Coin-operated
Focusing my top-ten on arcade games, otherwise known as coin-operated video games, I found a few existing lists regarding the topic. A very useful link, providing me with a massive directory of these games. I was surprised to not see Pong on the first two 'Top 10' lists, however the lists (the first one at least) are only compiled from personal judgement - As I'm producing such a visually representative piece of video it would be sacralige to not include one of the first arcade games to hit our much loved gaming culture...
Top 10 Most Popular Games
As selected by the KLOV.com readers
1. Pac-Man
2. Galaga
3. Donkey Kong
4. Star Wars
5. Ms. Pac-Man
6. Dig Dug
7. Asteroids
8. Defender
9. Tron
10. Tempest (tie)
10. Centipede (tie)
Top 10 Collected Videogames
As measuread by VAPS.ORG
Top 100 Video Games
As selected by the KLOV.com team
Games are ordered by year released, and then alphabetically within each year
Top 10 Most Popular Games
As selected by the KLOV.com readers
1. Pac-Man
2. Galaga
3. Donkey Kong
4. Star Wars
5. Ms. Pac-Man
6. Dig Dug
7. Asteroids
8. Defender
9. Tron
10. Tempest (tie)
10. Centipede (tie)
Top 10 Collected Videogames
As measuread by VAPS.ORG
1. Ms. Pac-Man
2. Tempest
3. Pac-Man
4. Galaga
5. Donkey Kong
6. Centipede
7. Asteroids
8. Joust
9. Defender
10. Robotron 2084
[My final 'Top 10' arcade classics will probably be largely similar to these lists, give or take a few titles. It's hard to argue with either of the lists, although one of my main considerations is the visual nature of the games, which may influence my top ten to an extent]
2. Tempest
3. Pac-Man
4. Galaga
5. Donkey Kong
6. Centipede
7. Asteroids
8. Joust
9. Defender
10. Robotron 2084
[My final 'Top 10' arcade classics will probably be largely similar to these lists, give or take a few titles. It's hard to argue with either of the lists, although one of my main considerations is the visual nature of the games, which may influence my top ten to an extent]
Top 100 Video Games
As selected by the KLOV.com team
Games are ordered by year released, and then alphabetically within each year
- 1971 - Computer Space
- 1972 - Pong
- 1974 - Tank
- 1976 - BiPlane
- 1976 - Death Race
- 1978 - Sea Wolf
- 1978 - Space Invaders
- 1979 - Asteroids
- 1979 - Galaxian
- 1979 - Lunar Lander
- 1980 - Asteroids Deluxe
- 1980 - Battlezone
- 1980 - Bezerk
- 1980 - Centipede
- 1980 - Defender
- 1980 - Eagle
- 1980 - Missle Command
- 1980 - Pac-Man
- 1980 - Phoenix
- 1980 - Rally X
- 1980 - Star Castle
- 1980 - Tempest
- 1980 - Warlords
- 1980 - Wizard of War
- 1981 - Donkey Kong
- 1981 - Frogger
- 1981 - Galaga
- 1981 - Gorf
- 1981 - Mousetrap
- 1981 - Ms. Pac-Man
- 1981 - Qix
- 1981 - Stargate
- 1981 - Vanguard
- 1982 - Black Widow
- 1982 - Burgertime
- 1982 - Dig Dug
- 1982 - Donkey Kong Jr.
- 1982 - Jungle King
- 1982 - Joust
- 1982 - Moon Patrol
- 1982 - Pengo
- 1982 - Pole Position
- 1982 - Q*bert
- 1982 - Robotron 2084
- 1982 - Space Duel
- 1982 - Time Pilot
- 1982 - Tron
- 1982 - Xevious
- 1982 - Zaxxon
- 1983 - Dragon's Lair
- 1983 - Elevator Action
- 1983 - Gyruss
- 1983 - Major Havoc
- 1983 - Spy Hunter
- 1983 - Star Wars
- 1983 - Tapper
- 1983 - Track and Field
- 1984 - Punchout
- 1985 - Choplifter
- 1985 - Gauntlet
- 1985 - Ghosts 'n Goblins
- 1985 - Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom
- 1986 - Arkanoid
- 1986 - Outrun
- 1986 - Rampage
- 1987 - 1943 The Battle of Midway
- 1987 - Double Dragon
- 1987 - Rastan
- 1987 - Road Blasters
- 1987 - Street Fighter
- 1988 - Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
- 1988 - Cyberball
- 1988 - Ghouls 'n Ghosts
- 1988 - Tetris
- 1989 - Golden Axe
- 1990 - Golden Tee Golf
- 1990 - Raiden
- 1990 - Rampart
- 1990 - Smash TV
- 1991 - Captain America and the Avengers
- 1991 - King of Monsters
- 1991 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- 1991 - X-Men
- 1992 - Lethal Enforcers
- 1992 - Mortal Kombat
- 1993 - NBA Jam
- 1994 - Daytona USA
- 1995 - Area 51
- 1995 - Soul Edge
- 1996 - San Francisco Rush
- 1997 - House of Dead
- 1997 - NFL Blitz
- 1998 - Gauntlet Legends
- 1998 - House of Dead 2
- 1998 - Time Crisis II
- 1999 - Carnevil
- 1999 - Ferrari F355 Challenge
- 1999 - Hydro Thunder
- 2000 - 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker
- 2000 - Gauntlet Dark Legacy
PONG
Pong is undoubtedly one of the most legendary games of all time, this post is dedicated to that fact, discovering imagery, facts and oddities. As I've decided to focus solely on arcade classics this has got to be up there in the top 5 or 3...
Atari released the first arcade version of PONG in late 1972. The photo to the left shows the very first prototype which was placed at Andy Capp's Cavern. Soon after, Atari launched the commercial version of PONG: the famous "yellow" cabinet. Earlier specimens had silver knobs whereas later ones had black knobs.
The machines were numbered at the manufacturing plant and a lot of people say erratic things about the serial numbers of their machines. Nolan Buschnell (who designed Atari PONG) explained that the serials were encoded to avoid guessing how many machines were manufactured. Serials start with two same letters followed by three or four digits. The first machines to roll off the assembly line were numbered ZZ-001 through ZZ-999, then AA-001 through AA-999, then YY-001 through YY-999 and then back to BB-001 through BB-999 and so on. Thus, the very first machine had serial ZZ-001
Atari released PONG in late 1972. This game was so popular that many arcade game manufacturers began to copy PONG and release their own version. Most consisted in a nearly same electronic board (but a different cabinet). Others proposed PONG with more players, boundaries for removing "dead spots", color picture, and even several games that could be played against the machine.
Another smart idea that didn't really copy Atari's game was special upgrade kits. As a matter of fact, they allowed customers to use their original Atari PONG games and do some modifications that game more player controls and game options.
In the old school Pong TV game you could put the paddles in such a position, that the ball kept bouncing forever. Quite hypnotic, and it became the inspiration for this time-killer/clock. While this game of Pong randomly plays, the so called “players” score the time. The Pong Clock displays the time, but you can also switch to game mode. This allows you to play a game of Pong against the clock with the use of two buttons on the back!
The release of the limited edition of 400 Pong Clocks created such a hype that it sold out in 1 day.
16.1.12
LINE
The Architectural League Beaux Arts Ball
Feel I haven't really posted any moving image through personal interest in a while, as abstract and un-informative as it is, I love the compositions created throughout this piece. It reminds me alot of my response to the visual language module last year. I'm always finding myself posting architectural/geometrical design to my context, not that it's a bad thing, just a personal note...
Feel I haven't really posted any moving image through personal interest in a while, as abstract and un-informative as it is, I love the compositions created throughout this piece. It reminds me alot of my response to the visual language module last year. I'm always finding myself posting architectural/geometrical design to my context, not that it's a bad thing, just a personal note...
Rams
I often find myself finding sources that I fall in love with but more often than not they're not entirely relevant to the modules I'm wrapped up in. This is one of those posts, although there is an element of relativity due to the time periods concerned.
It's widely known that Braun produce(d) some of them most aesthetically beautiful products known to western man, one thing I didn't know was it's mainly down to this man, Dieter Rams. Rams has worked closely with Braun and Vitsœ over the years and it was the Flickr account of das programm that enlightened me to some of these exquisite examples.
It's widely known that Braun produce(d) some of them most aesthetically beautiful products known to western man, one thing I didn't know was it's mainly down to this man, Dieter Rams. Rams has worked closely with Braun and Vitsœ over the years and it was the Flickr account of das programm that enlightened me to some of these exquisite examples.
14.1.12
Golden
Many people refer to the earlier arcade/console games as the 'golden age of gaming', again it is very subjective to people personal views but there is a general consensus that it runs from the late 70's to the mid 80's. This could be the more focused, cropped in area of 'retro games' to persue and base my TV programme on. However my only worry is the vague nature of the wording 'golden age' or 'retro'.
- I'm still looking to definitely focus in on a specific area of retro gaming, and from the research I've been gathering it's looking like the 80's was probably the most influentially significant period. It's hard for me to dismiss the 90's as it was such a big part of my childhood gaming experience, but it just doesn't have the cult classics that warrant a TV programme in my opinion - or at least not as interesting.
"The Golden Age of Video games is when
the world began to recognize what these devices were. Before Ralph
Baer and Nolan Bushnell
brought these systems into people's homes and the pizza parlor around
the corner, these systems were still abstract concepts and experiments.
It is during this era that Video games begin to make their mark on society
and culture.
Not only do people embrace Video games and make time for them in their
lives, many make substantial commitments with their budgets as well. During
these formative years, the video game's cultural impact is reflected through
its appearance in novels, films, and television shows."
"The period from the appearance of Space Invaders in 1978 through The Great Video Game Crash of 1983, when 8-bit video games emerged to rule popular culture, coin-operated video arcades appeared in every shopping mall, and the Atari 2600 and its competitors first popularized home gaming. Back then, Sega was known for making Vector Games rather than consoles, and Nintendo's
Mario had never stomped on a Goomba. Creativity reigned, and a single
visionary designer could still see an entire game through from concept
to finished product, unlike the enormous Hollywood-style teams needed
for today's high-end game franchises. Shoot 'Em Ups were especially popular, as outer space and stylized spacecraft were easy to render on the crude hardware of the day.
Your mileage may vary
about considering this era as a true "golden age", considering the
fondness for later generations of consoles. Still, it was the first time
video games hit the big time, so it qualifies to some extent."
- I'm still looking to definitely focus in on a specific area of retro gaming, and from the research I've been gathering it's looking like the 80's was probably the most influentially significant period. It's hard for me to dismiss the 90's as it was such a big part of my childhood gaming experience, but it just doesn't have the cult classics that warrant a TV programme in my opinion - or at least not as interesting.
Categorising
Most iconic 8-bit games?
Metroid
River City Ransom
Castlevania III
Shinobi
Dragon Warrior IV
Tecmo Super Bowl
Blades of Steel
Mike Tyson's Punch-out
Mega Man 2
The legend of Zelda
Contra
Super MArio Bros 3
Phantasy Star
Tetris
Most iconic 16-bit games?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - SNES - 1992
Super Mario World - SNES - 1991
Super Metroid - SNES - 1994
Final Fantasy III/VI - SNES - 1994
Super Mario Kart - SNES - 1992
Secret of Mana - SNES - 1993
Donkey Kong Country - SNES - 1994
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Genesis - 1992
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars- SNES - 1996
Final Fantasy II/IV - SNES - 1991
F-Zero - SNES - 1991
Mega Man X -SNES - 1993
Earthworm Jim – Genesis/SNES - 1994
StarFox - SNES - 1993
Sonic the Hedgehog - Genesis - 1991
Streets of Rage 2 - Genesis - 1993
Sonic & Knuckles - Genesis - 1994
Aladdin – Genesis/SNES - 1993
Super Bomberman - SNES - 1993
Mario Paint - SNES - 1992
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose - SNES - 1993
SimCity - SNES - 1991
Street Fighter 2 - SNES - 1992
Mortal Kombat – SNES/Genesis/Sega CD - 1993
Gradius III - SNES - 1991
Lemmings – SNES/Genesis - 1992
Mortal Kombat II – SNES/Genesis - 1994
Super Punch Out!! -SNES - 1994
Ecco the Dolphin - Genesis - 1993
32/64 bit?
80's / 90's games?
80's:
Galaga
Pitfall Harry
Star Wars (Arcade)
Asteriods
Street Fighter
Dragons Lair
MArio Bros
After burner 2
Super MArio World
Pole Position
Donkey Kong
Mega Man 2
Frogger
Space Invaders
Motos
Enduro Racer
Centipede
Pac Man
Tetris
The Legend of Zelda
90's:
Zelda - Ocarina of Time
Tecmo Super Bowl
Grand Turismo
Sim City - 3000
Metal Gear Solid
Starcraft
Crash Bandicoot
Pokémon
Half Life
SF2 - Turbo Hyper
Final Fantsy VII
Super Mario 64
Tomb Raider
Goldeen Eye 007
Doom
Top arcade games / console games?
Arcade:
Time Crisis
After Burner
Centipede
Frogger
Battle Zone
Dance Dance Revolution
Tekken
Pong
Pole Position
Donkey Kong
Space Invaders
Pac-Man
Console:
Golden Axe
Donkey Kong
Duck Hunt
The Goonies II
Super Mario World
Zelda Ocarina of Time
GoldenEye
Super Mario 64
Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Super Mario Bros
Zelda: A Link to the Past
Tekken 2
Pokemon Red/Blue
Ridge Racer
Super Metroid
Starfox 64
Crash Bandicoot
13.1.12
Pixels
I love this pixelated aesthetic, more so the colours that have been used in these two examples, maybe I should mess around with finding a few colours that would work in this way in attempt to create a textured/colourful screen, maybe an intro/outro screen etc. As much as it reminds me of the horrible effect that used to be availiable in windows movie maker, with the next portion of the movie 'fizzling' in or out, I like the idea of making a texture like this constantly in motion, all the pixels moving about and switching colours, no dramatic movement, so subtle that one could almost not see the effect without scrutiny.
Again looking at colour, particularly the RGB on this homemade screen, it's probably the picture quality but each colour looks less saturated than usual, less invasive on the eye than pure R/G/B. Could be quite a nice colour scheme to work with although seemingly rather predictable.
Again looking at colour, particularly the RGB on this homemade screen, it's probably the picture quality but each colour looks less saturated than usual, less invasive on the eye than pure R/G/B. Could be quite a nice colour scheme to work with although seemingly rather predictable.
12.1.12
Following
Just a few more examples of how classic gaming and the technologically retro aesthetic is still around today, quite clearly proving it's longevity and constant demand from consumers to keep producing products. Yes, this post is pretty irrelivant in terms of my direct progression in a moving image sense, but it does put a firm belief in my head that if a programme of this nature was proposed to be put on air, there is more than likely an audience considerable enough to warrant it.
11.1.12
Re-Imagine
Amongst all the amazing graphics, constantly evolving and improving in games today, a designer, or pixel artist as he is known decided they need a bit of a strip back and get them back to the bare bones of gaming.
Junkboy has cleverly hypothesized many of our modern day games into 8 and 16-bit classics. Unfortunately they are only single frames, but the idea is excellent. However I'm not quite sure how Guitar Hero would work on any of the retro machines, with 5 colours corresponding to buttons, that most (especially earlier) consoles' control pads simply cant cater for! Loads more examples here!
Guitar Hero
Mirrors Edge
Sin & Punishment:
Star Successor
Junkboy has cleverly hypothesized many of our modern day games into 8 and 16-bit classics. Unfortunately they are only single frames, but the idea is excellent. However I'm not quite sure how Guitar Hero would work on any of the retro machines, with 5 colours corresponding to buttons, that most (especially earlier) consoles' control pads simply cant cater for! Loads more examples here!
Star Successor
Short
I remember watching Stephen Frys 100 greatest gadgets a few months ago and feel the kind of programme I'm designing for with Retro Games would be largely similar to the unfolding of its content, just on a smaller scale. A countdown, with people talking about their memories and experiences with the games as kids etc. a very light hearted step back in time to revist presenters, guests and target audiences childhood entertainment.
This is a set of screen shots, key frames, from a promotional reel for the show. 50 seconds long so already in ways similar to what I'll be producing, however it uses recorded film.
One thing I did notice that Fred mentioned earlier is how the reel is made up of lots of short clips, i took a screen shot every 5 seconds, and even between each one of those the shot changed 2 or 3 times.
I also like how no show name or info is displayed untill the very end, this is a common technique but channel 4 seem to do it extremely well, with the last 5/6 seconds dedicated to the info in the always elegant channel 4 ident style.
This is a set of screen shots, key frames, from a promotional reel for the show. 50 seconds long so already in ways similar to what I'll be producing, however it uses recorded film.
One thing I did notice that Fred mentioned earlier is how the reel is made up of lots of short clips, i took a screen shot every 5 seconds, and even between each one of those the shot changed 2 or 3 times.
I also like how no show name or info is displayed untill the very end, this is a common technique but channel 4 seem to do it extremely well, with the last 5/6 seconds dedicated to the info in the always elegant channel 4 ident style.
Saturn
Shortly after my last post I found this little gem. A few years later this start up ident was found on the Sega Saturn, one I'd never had the pleasure of viewing before (my mega drive kept me happy). Absolutely brilliant short motion graphic, space like small particles flickering around as the camera pans through them finally making up the logo, sega continued to use this effect for a couple more ident, and designers are still using very similar effects to this da (hopefully I'll come across one soon and link it back.
Oldent
Several start up idents across a range of gaming consoles, particularly fond of the 2 minute N64 clip, Mario running around and interacting with a 3D N64 logo. Haha they all bring back memories, more surprisingly I felt the music and sounds to have the most reminiscent effect, remembering humming them as a kid. Goes to show that the choice of audio is very important, brands have always frantically strived for longevity and recognition, sounds and 'jingles' add another sense of communication, more often without us even realising, but most often remembering for years.
Unlike the others this is an early eighties advert for the Atari 2600, rather rudimentary techniques are used but to good effect, some of which still influence motion graphics today in various ways im sure. I love the Atari logo the name in clean rounded type, very typical of the time. I chuckled at the screen shot below the video, I know my existence was in minus years at the time but £129.95 was quite expensive back then, around £500 or so?
Unlike the others this is an early eighties advert for the Atari 2600, rather rudimentary techniques are used but to good effect, some of which still influence motion graphics today in various ways im sure. I love the Atari logo the name in clean rounded type, very typical of the time. I chuckled at the screen shot below the video, I know my existence was in minus years at the time but £129.95 was quite expensive back then, around £500 or so?
Flashback
Although only lasting a minute, the introduction to Flashback set many standards to come where animations were concerned. Delphine Software proved that you didn’t need the latest technology nor a huge budget to set the scene of a game.
Featuring some of the most fluid pixel based animation known to date, the introduction to Flashback became incredibly iconic and often spoken about between gamers. So much so, it was one introduction you were happy to watch again and again, every time you booted up the game.
It's quite appropriate that my topic is one that was at the forefront of moving image at the time, although it was in gaming form they still had to think about title sequences and idents etc for the start of each game, and even the boot up of each different consloe. A later post will cover as many idents/intros to games and console boot-ups, hopefully gaining some inspiration as to how I could recreate this sucessfully using After Effects to fit in such a modern world of graphics.
Featuring some of the most fluid pixel based animation known to date, the introduction to Flashback became incredibly iconic and often spoken about between gamers. So much so, it was one introduction you were happy to watch again and again, every time you booted up the game.
It's quite appropriate that my topic is one that was at the forefront of moving image at the time, although it was in gaming form they still had to think about title sequences and idents etc for the start of each game, and even the boot up of each different consloe. A later post will cover as many idents/intros to games and console boot-ups, hopefully gaining some inspiration as to how I could recreate this sucessfully using After Effects to fit in such a modern world of graphics.
10.1.12
Tone
Today, programmes like ‘100 greatest gadgets’ (exampled above) generally place speakers/presenters in front of visually considered backdrops, this one for instance feels quite techy and vibrant given the subject is gadgets and i think retro games would be quite easy to physically illustrate in a similar manor. I’m thinking the programme would be very much along these lines content wise too, I know it’s not entirely relevant to our task but I want to consider the nature of the programme I’m going to be designing for, trying to establish a tone of voice.
That said, shows like this one usually tend to have a comical, light hearted delivery. A chance for people to reminice over various memories. I very much want to keep the visuals colourful, playful but most of all relevant and identifiable to the target audience
That said, shows like this one usually tend to have a comical, light hearted delivery. A chance for people to reminice over various memories. I very much want to keep the visuals colourful, playful but most of all relevant and identifiable to the target audience
Soundtrack
Fred briefly spoke about accompanying music that could become relevant to our idents/stings, more specifically how it is imperitive the music doesnt over power or mislead the viewer, simple loops and beats usually work most effectively.
Also it was mentioned that thinking about music at this point is getting a bit ahead of ourselves, and I agree, but research being research it led me completely unexpectedly to this soundtrack for the game 'Gravity Lander', not a retro game (I found out mid-post) but still, its the kind of music definitely on track to starring in my creative practices...
Also it was mentioned that thinking about music at this point is getting a bit ahead of ourselves, and I agree, but research being research it led me completely unexpectedly to this soundtrack for the game 'Gravity Lander', not a retro game (I found out mid-post) but still, its the kind of music definitely on track to starring in my creative practices...
6.1.12
Influence
Retro games have had a considerable influence over a lot of products and creative practises all over the world to this date. I think as designers, particularly those working on the much earlier arcade games, had such rudimentary software to deal with, they had to produce very strong visual icons/characters for users to interact with and recognise.
Space invaders could be said to hold one of the most legendary spots in the hall of fame, especially when considering influential iconography. For starters, 'Invader', a French street artist adopted the little character from the game, created fairly small colourful mosaics of it and to date has stuck them up all over the world, a couple of which I've had the pleasure of stumbling across on various travels.
And a whole load of other stuff has been influenced not just by space invaders, but many of the more iconic arcade games...
Space invaders could be said to hold one of the most legendary spots in the hall of fame, especially when considering influential iconography. For starters, 'Invader', a French street artist adopted the little character from the game, created fairly small colourful mosaics of it and to date has stuck them up all over the world, a couple of which I've had the pleasure of stumbling across on various travels.
And a whole load of other stuff has been influenced not just by space invaders, but many of the more iconic arcade games...
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