Final Design
The first one of Edward Tufte’s theories that I have used in my work was micro and macro readings. I have done this by having the animation start with one bird before adding in more to create a v-shaped flock. I made the birds different sizes because some were more far back and this created a better effect as it added detailing to the animation and was more interesting to look at.
The next theory was layering and separation. My first plan was to use clouds to create layers in the distance but this didn’t happen in my final design. As there was an issue with the clouds not rendering correctly. I instead used the birds and planes at different sizes to make the effect of a foreground and background. I also placed them at different distances from the camera so there was a depth in the view of the camera. There is still an effect of layering and separation because there is a clear background and foreground in my animation.
I used small multiples to encourage comparison by using multiple birds and planes to create flocks and formations in a v-shape. The birds / planes closer to the front point of the V shape are the largest because they appear to be the most forward, and the ones further back are smaller. This brings the viewer to the conclusion that the ones at the front are the most important because they are the most strong visual element in the v shape.
The next theory was colour. The colours used were important in making the animation look more real and giving information to the viewer on the location and subject of the animation. I used a blue colour for the sky since it is the most obvious choice and every viewer will see it and understand we are flying in the sky. I used green for the planes as it links to the military since many armies use the colour for their planes and uniforms. The green also adds contrast to the sky so the planes stand out more. The birds are grey and orange as they are the colours of seagulls.
The final theory is narrative over space and time. When applying this theory, I and a few issues when creating my transition as it wasn’t going right and didn’t work how I wanted. Instead of the flock of birds turning into a flock of planes, I made the flock of birds turn into one plane, before other planes fly in. This made it easier to line up the shapes of the birds and the plane to create a smooth transition, which creates a narrative over space and time.
