Charlie Liang Animations with Element 3D 2099 Words International Academy East 2015

Table of Contents Title Page Table of Contents Introduction Project Report Goal Project Sources Application of Information Achieve the Goal Reflection Works Cited Appendices 1 2 3 3-9 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-9 10 11-17

Project Report Introduction After recently reaching 500 subscribers and 20,000 views on my YouTube channel built around video editing, I decided to try something new. I began contemplating possible ideas and finally decided on animations. I would still be able to use the same program I use for video editing, but I would have to try something new by using a foreign plug-in called Element 3D. Using this plug-in I was able to sucessfully create animations and learn new skills that will always be present in my life. The Goal My personal project focused on the area of interaction of approaches to learning. This is because my project was dedicated to learning the most effective way to create animations with a program called Element 3D. My project explored different learning techniques in which I was able to determine which worked the best for me. The inspiration for my topic came from my passion for video editing. I have been editing video footage and posting my creations on YouTube for over a year now, and I wanted to try something new. Therefore I decided to start doing animations. Though I used the same software to create these animations, I had to experiment with a brand new plug-in inside my software, which relates to the AOI of approaches to learning. This program, named Element 3D, creates 3D objects and allows the user, me, to animate them. To set the stage for my project I created the inquiry question of, What strategies and techniques can a student use to create 3D animations? The selection process for this question took a long process, starting with the selection of an area of interaction, then the creation of

possible inquiry questions, and finally the choosing of my final inquiry question. The inquiry question that I chose produced a variety of different answers and required me to reflect on my journey to answer it. One can also be able to recognize my topic of animations and area of interaction of approaches to learning from this inquiry question. Finally, I set the final product for my project to be a YouTube video compilation of multiple animations that I have created. To achieve this goal, I set multiple specifications including that it must be an appropriate length to keep my audience interested, include appropriate music and images for the target audience, utilize music and images that are not copyrighted, and display the use of the chosen animation engine.

Select Sources To complete my project I used a variety of sources. I mainly used online sources, and more specifically, YouTube videos. I chose to use electronic sources because the program that I used recently came out, therefore there were not that many printed or human resources that were available. The most effective sources, in my opinion, were the YouTube videos. This is because they actually showed the process and outcome of different animations, so I was able to follow, re-create, and add to them. Though this was the case, some of the videos were in low quality, so I was not able to clearly follow them. Other electronic sources that I used included the website of the people that created this program and videos on that website. These sources were very valuable since these people were the most experienced with the program; consequently they helped me the most. Overall these sources were very easy to use and to follow, since they were designed to be tutorials for new users of Element 3D.

In addition to these electronic sources, I also used many technological sources introduced in class. For example, I used the website creator Weebly to create my own web page to present my final project and the processes that I went through to create it. I used Google Docs to create a timeline for my project in order to organize when I had to do each step of my project. Finally, I used EasyBib to create a list of sources in the form of a bibliography. I also used human resources to help with my project. To do this I used YouTube to message the creators of different videos that demonstrated the use of Element, and asked specific questions about the program and how to use it. One downfall of this method of communicating was that they could not immediately respond to my messages, and their responses were sometimes unclear. To evaluate if these sources were reliable is used the Reliability of Sources Grid that my advisor provided for me. Most of my sources passed this test, but I had to get rid of some since they were unreliable. I only used resources that were related to the specific animation that I was doing, and discarded irrelevant material.

Application of Information To complete my project I worked on sixth different animations, one at a time. Each animation corresponded with a video that outlined how to create it. I used these videos to give a basis and inspiration for each animation, but, in the end, I added my own touches to make the animation truly mine. I decided to complete an animation a week, therefore allowing me to spend ample amount of time on each. While working on my project, I discovered some animations took more

time than others. If I did not have enough time to work on my project one week, I finished that animation and another the next week. Some problems that I faced included not having motivation to start an animation and my video footage not responding. To encourage myself to continue working on my project, I referenced the timeline that I created, which was an ever-present reminder that I must start working. Also, I started to watch animations on YouTube to give inspire and encourage myself to start animating. To fix the problem of the video footage not working, I put my previous video editing experience to use. I discovered that the footage was at the wrong frame rate, therefore cutting it short, before the animation finished. After discovering this, I changed the frame rate and my animation worked perfectly. As a result of completing this project I gained many useful techniques. For example, I learned the importance of organization and planning, as demonstrated through the timeline. I also learned new uses for the video editing software Adobe After Effects, which may come to use if I continue to edit videos.

Achieve the Goal As I worked on my project, I kept my goal the same. My goal of discovering effective techniques to learn how to create animations was fully achieved in the end of my project. The final video compilation of my various animations demonstrates how my goal was eventually realized. When completing my project, I quickly realized the importance of my specifications. Some animations that I could have done included animations of guns and violence, but I discovered how one of my specifications was that my video must contain appropriate content for

my target audience, high school kids, therefore I decided against a gun animation and continued searching for other options. Also, my specification helped me to select the background music for my video and how long it was going to be. Since my video was supposed to be uploaded to YouTube, I had to choose a song that was not copyrighted, and also appropriate. Also, my video had to be long enough to demonstrate my work, but also not too long, as to not bore the audience. Thus, I chose to create a one minute video for my project. I would award my final outcome a high level achievement for many reasons. First, it followed all the rigorous specifications that I created for it. Also, it was visually appealing to the eye and interesting to watch. Finally, I learned many valuable techniques and lessons, making this project an overall success.

Reflection After completing this project, I learned a variety of learning techniques. My inquiry question asked what techniques that a student can use to learn how to create animations, and I believe I have gained the knowledge to answer this question after completing my personal project. For me specifically, I realized that the most effective way to learn new technologies, such as animations, was to watch someone else with experience teach and demonstrate their knowledge. I tried a variety of techniques, such as reading how to create animations, but finally decided that video tutorials were the most effective. This is because they were the most clear and easy for new users to follow. In the end, I learned that I was a very visual learner, and I gained valuable animation experience, which may come in handy in my video editing career.

This project allowed me to gain a new understanding about how humans learn and the strategies they use. In my opinion, after completing my project, the most effective way to learn new technology programs, such as Element 3D, was to watch other people demonstrate the desired program. This allows the learner to follow along and gain a basis for their ideas to stem from. After the learner knows the basics from the videos, they will be able to be creative and come up with their own ideas. According to my self-assessment, my project came out very well. I felt that I was able to learn something new and create a beautiful sequence of animations to demonstrate what I have learned. If I had to do the same project over again, I would create a series of connected animations, instead of just doing what I felt like at the time. This would have allowed the video to flow better, therefore creating a better overall experience. Throughout my project, I learned a great amount of important skills for future reference. I needed to implement my time-management skills, so that I would be able to finish my project in time. To do this, I created a timeline to follow closely, therefore avoiding the chance of missing a due date or an assignment. This project also forced me to be creative. I decided that my final project would be a video; therefore it needed it to be visually appealing. This meant that I needed to be creative in my animations. A final skill that I gained was the ability to problem solve. As I worked, I encountered many different problems that required me to work and develop my problem solving skills. Determination also became a factor, because without it, I probably would have given up when forced to face a problem This project not only developed certain skills, it also forced me to exhibit qualities from the IB Learner Profile. For one, I was a Thinker when I contemplated on how to solve the problems that came up during the process of completing my project. These problems forced my

to think outside the box and also to use my prior knowledge to answer them. I was a Communicator when I openly messaged other YouTubers for help and guidance on animations and my project. Moreover, I was a Risk-Taker throughout my entire project, because I tried to create brand new animations to challenge myself. These animations forced me to try something new, which allowed me to discover new things about myself. Finally, I am Reflective right now, since am I looking back at my final product and process and evaluating both. After the completion of this project, I realized that I am more of a visual learner than anything else. This is because when I was learning how to create animations, I was most effective when someone was demonstrating how to do it on video. In the future, I will implement this knowledge when learning new information and skills. Some possible ways I could do this would be using more diagrams in my notes to help me visualize the content and replacing words with symbols. My overall experience with the MYP Personal Project has been a positive one. It gave me a way to experiment with new things, allowed me to learn new skills, and was a very fun experience in general. Some suggestions that I have would be to not require some useless and hard to use technologies, such as Wiki and Diigo. This would have made the task of finishing my project easier and more fun.

Works Cited "Element 3D." Video Copilot. Final Image Inc., 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Forge, Jason. "Element 3D - My First 3D Animation: Space Rock." YouTube. YouTube, 17 July 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Halai, Hasan. "AE: Jet Fly By Tutorial [Element 3d]." YouTube. YouTube, 02 Feb. 2013. Web. 06 May 2013. Halai, Hasan. "AE: Stunning 3d Titles with Element 3d!" YouTube. YouTube, 03 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. Kramer, Andrew. "Animating with Element 3D." Video Copilot. Final Image Inc., 9 July 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Kramer, Andrew. "Element 3D Plugin: Animation Tutorial." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.

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Appendix Journal: Learning Styles After completing the VARK Questionnaire I discovered that I am a multimodal learner. I scored very highly in being a visual, read-write, and kinesthetic learner while scoring very poorly in the aural category. Using these results, I am now able to pinpoint specific ways to help me learn better. One such way is by implementing a change in how I take notes. Since I scored highly in the visual category, I believe that including diagrams, symbols, and drawings in my notes, instead of just words, would help me study for effectively. In addition to being a visual learner, I also discovered that I have a strong preference for learning by reading and writing the material. I could implement another change in my notes by including more lists and bullets, instead of sentences, to create more orderly and concise observations. Moreover, I can study by practicing what I need to learn over and over. Finally, I found out that I was also a kinesthetic learner. Using this I can now study by remembering specific examples and demonstrations in class, instead of just memorizing the information and notes. Using my newly gained knowledge I can now study for effectively and efficiently. As a multimodal learner, I can apply various changes to my learning style to study and learn successfully. The VARK Questionnaire is a great resource since it revealed to me how I learn best so that I can focus on those aspects to do better in high school, college, and even as an adult with a job. Journal: Goals One goal that I have is to learn how to animate a 3D object using the program Element 3D in Adobe After Effects. I selected this goal since I have been using the program Adobe After

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Effects for over a year, but I have never learned how to animate something using it. Therefore, I thought it would be fun and challenging goal to have. With this goal in mind I could test myself by trying to create the best outcome. One possible result of my project would be a short 3D film animation. This goal is very important and worthy of investigation since it will test the methods of how I learn new things. Additional outcomes of my goal would be a short film, an animation, or a compilation of videos. Journal: Topics One possible topic for my Personal Project would be video editing, and one such product would be editing a video using Adobe After Effects. I have been using this program for over a year now, and I have started a successful YouTube channel with it. An AOI that would fit into this category would be Human Ingenuity since it shows how I can creatively create a product from a simple video. Another AOI that resembles my project would be Approaches to Learning since I would learn new effects and plug-ins to use in my video. Another possible topic is water polo, and a product would be doing a tutorial video on how to shoot a water polo ball. Since I have been playing polo for over two years now, I believe this would be a great idea. Two AOIs that represent this project are Approaches to Learning and Human Ingenuity since I would be creatively teaching people how to shoot a ball. A final topic that I am interested in is global warming, and a possible project is a video about global warming. I can use my video editing skills to create an interesting, insightful video about the dangers of global warming. This would fit into the AOIs of Human Ingenuity and Environments since I would use my creative mind to create a video about my environment and the hazards of global warming. Journal: Sources

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My sources, overall, are on the range from acceptable all the way to excellent. On average, my sources are all pretty reliable. I chose two sources from a website from the creator of the program that I will be using, therefore making them very credible. My other two sources were from YouTube videos, though not as reliable as my previous sources, still provided adequate and professional information. After reading and going through my sources, I still firmly believe that my project is a valid enough to continue. Though I have a couple of sources now, I still will need to continue to research the program that I will be using in order to achieve a better understanding of how to use it. To find these sources I may be able to email the creators of Element 3D or the makers of the YouTube tutorials to get a sense of what I am getting in to. Journal: Goal The goal of my personal project is to create a 3D animation using the program Element 3D in the editing software Adobe After Effects. This goal would definitely take 40-50 hours to complete since it is something that is new to me and it would take a lot of experimenting and trial and error to achieve the desired result. To measure the success of my project, some specifications must be used. This will force my project to be an appropriate length to keep the audience interested, contain appropriate images and music for the target audience, display the use of the animation engine that was chosen, include music and images that are not copyrighted, and has a checklist with all the specifications listed on it. To measure the success of my project I would include a checklist with the specifications on it, and if I complete all of the specifications on it, my project would be a success. Journal: Roadblocks Possible roadblocks that may occur when I am working on my project would be my program not working, my editing software crashing, or getting stuck on a part of my animation. I

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have had to deal with similar problems when editing videos, so I have allocated a large chunk of time in case I have to face, which I probably will, these unfortunate problems. Also, I am willing to work during breaks and on weekends, since that is when I have the most free-time. Since my project is something that I am actually interested in, working diligently on it should be no problem. To show any sudden modifications in my timeline I was thinking of adding a new row with my modification in a different color, signifying a change from the original plan. Process Journal 1 Today, I finished the first of many animations that I plan to do for my final product. This animation was a 3D text of the word Animations to act like a title sequence for the rest of my animations. To do this specific animation, I used tutorials found on the product creators website and also on YouTube to help with my ideas. In the end, after creating the text, I used some video effects to create a more exciting title sequence to introduce my project. In the next couple of days, I plan on creating my next animation in the series. I just began my project today, meaning that I have a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks. For my final project, I plan on creating a one minute demo reel of different animations that I created using Element. Some possible animations that I might do are a watch animation and a plane animation. So far, I think the project is going well, but I still have a lot of work to do. Process Journal 3 Today, I completed my next animation, an animation of an asteroid traveling through space. To do this, I animated the position of the rock as it traveled, while also rotating it to give it a feel that it is spiraling out of control. Also, I added a green light to represent a green star in the distance. Finally, I added a green and blue light on the rock to act like they were shadows from

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the lights generated from the green star and the blue planet. For the final touches I put in a whoosh sound effect as the asteroid whizzes by to give the effect that it is moving very quickly across the screen. When working on this animation, I discovered a very serious problem. The image size was too small, therefore when the rock passes the planet it travels into a black emptiness with no picture. I had to address the problem by cutting the entire animation shorter so that the rock will stay on the image until the end. Process Journal 5 Today I completed, in my opinion, my favorite animation. This animation showed multiple black spheres flaking off, revealing a neon material inside. This animation was truly beautiful, and was completed by animating between the black and green spheres. In the end, I added some lights and blur to make it more realistic. A problem that I faced during the process of completing this animation was that the video showing this animation was not clear on some steps. Therefore I was force to improvise and create my own spin off the creators own animation. For help on this, I decided to message the creator of the video I was referencing for guidance and ideas for my own animation. I used his help to solve my problems and create my own animation. Process Journal 6 Today I finished my final animation of a plane and finished the final touches of my video compilation. I animated the planes position and rotation to give at feel of moving across the video footage. The video footage, though, posed a problem at the end. The footage operated at a lower frame rate than my animation, so it ended faster than my animation did. Therefore I was forced to cut my animation short to accommodate this.

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At the end of my video, I created a concluding sequence to finish my entire project. It explained the basis of my video and concluded my compilation. After finishing this, I added the final touches and rendered my video out. When the video finished rendering, I subsequently uploaded it to YouTube for display. I also talked to Mrs. Mayes a couple of days later to discuss the process of my project. In this meeting, I told her that I was finished with my final product and only had the project report to go. She congratulated me on my process, but encouraged me to get working on my project report, which was due in a couple of days. I consequently started my report. Images of Process Title Sequence

Asteroid Animation

Plane Animation

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Sphere Fracture

Sphere Engulf

Watch Animation

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