Chai Wei Yi (0369561)Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media (Taylor's University)

 ILLUSTRATION & VISUAL NARRATIVE 

December 7 2023

27/11/23 - 8/12/23 (Week 10-Week 11)

Chai Wei Yi (0369561)

Illustration &Visual Narrative/ Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media/Taylor's University

Assignment 2 : Digital Triptych - Exploring Scott McCloud's Transitions

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Instruction 

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Lecture 
Week 10 Lecture 

Summary of My Week 10 Lecture

In week 10, Mr. Hafiz provided a briefing on our upcoming assignment, referred to as the digital triptych. The primary objective of this task is to implement Scott McCloud's transition theory in the creation of a digital triptych. The digital triptych comprises three panels, each representing a distinct phase: one before, one during (capturing the climactic turning point), and one after a significant event. These panels are designed to embody different types of transitions as outlined in McCloud's theory.

Transition And Gutters

The vacant area between comic panels, housing illustrations and textual dialogue, is referred to as the gutter. Its significance lies in its contribution to the success of comics by facilitating closure. According to Scott McCloud, closure is defined as "observing the parts but perceiving the whole." The illustration below serves as an example of how McCloud demonstrates the gutter's ability to stimulate the reader's sense of time and motion through the application of closure.

Gutters function as a silent conveyer in comics, transmitting information through what is essentially an empty space. Comic artists rely on both the presence of gutters and the reader's active engagement to draw conclusions, enabling the depiction of time and motion. Different types of panel-to-panel transitions within the gutter are employed by authors to influence readers and shape their interpretation of the narrative.

Transition Exercise

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Types of Transitions

Moment to Moment: A single action portrayed in a series of moments

Action to Action: A single subject (Person, object, etc...) in a series of actions

Subject to Subject: A series of changing subjects within a single scene

Scene to Scene: Transitions across significant distances of time and/or space

Aspect to Aspect: Transitions from one aspect of a place, idea or mood to another

Non Sequitur: A series of seemingly nonsensical, unrelated images and/or words

McCloud elucidated that while the categorization method he presents is deemed an "inexact science," it proves valuable in enhancing comprehension of authors' storytelling processes. Among the classifications, action-to-action transitions are the most prevalent, succeeded by subject-to-subject and scene-to-scene transitions. In contrast, moment-to-moment, aspect-to-aspect, and non-sequitur transitions are notably infrequent in their occurrence.

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ASSIGNMENT 2: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

RESEARCH

In preparation for this specific assignment, I opted to conduct research on digital triptychs before commencing my work. The images displayed below showcase some examples of artwork in the digital triptych format.

A digital triptych refers to an image or artwork composed of three distinct panels or sections that collectively form a unified whole. In the realm of art history, the inspiration for this format stems from traditional triptychs, characterized by three hinged panels with the central one serving as the focal point and two smaller panels flanking it on either side.

In the depicted set of panels, the initial one captures the scene preceding the climactic turning point, the middle panel signifies the climactic turning point itself, and the concluding panel portrays the aftermath of this pivotal moment. Adhering to our instructor's guidelines and drawing upon Scott McCloud's theory, we were tasked with selecting a transition from McCloud's Transitions to incorporate into our digital triptych.

For my digital triptych project, I opted for the "Scene-To-Scene" transition, deeming it the most fitting choice for the narrative I sought to convey

Sketching

In my sketching endeavor, I choose to draw inspiration from my prior assignment that delved into the urban legend character, Pinocchio. For additional details, you can refer to the previous discussion [link here]. The pivotal turning point in my narrative occurs when Pinocchio emerges in the middle of the street, and a victim approaches her. The panels below articulate my statement using "Scene-To-Scene" transitions:

The 1st Panel= 

Figure 1.0
Sketching of entrance of Disneyland 

The 2nd Panel=

Figure 1.1
Sketching of the scaring moment

The 3rd Panel=

Figure 1.2
Sketching of sound come out from theme park

Illustration

This is the first batch of illustrations I created. After submitting them to Mr. Hafiz, I received feedback from him. He mentioned that, instead of using live trace, he requested us to create illustrations in the art deco style. Therefore, I reworked them using Adobe Illustrator to achieve the desired art deco aesthetic

Final Illustration

The 1st Panel

One version of the story goes that in 1983, Hong Kong Disneyland opened as the third Disneyland established by the Disney company. Today, there's an urban legend about the "Secrets on the Escape Route" at Disneyland, particularly in the "It's a Small World" ride. This is a boat ride through a dark area where visitors can view hundreds of meticulously crafted animated doll figures. The urban legend revolves around a supposed incident where the ride malfunctioned, and staff guided visitors to evacuate using the escape route. Allegedly, a curious visitor couldn't resist looking up despite repeated warnings to keep their eyes on the ground, and what they saw was something unsettling.

The 2nd Panel

When the visitor ignored the warnings from the staff and looked up, he saw something unforgettable. He witnessed a doll character named Pinocchio hanging from the ceiling, looking terrifying. However, at the same time, he felt a strange sense of curiosity. After taking a photo, he began to investigate. Through his investigation, it was revealed that a former employee of "It's a Small World" had been fired and subsequently committed suicide. The eerie coincidence was that the method of suicide was identical to the way Pinocchio was hanging. What's even more uncanny is that this employee's favorite character happened to be Pinocchio

The 3rd Panel

Most unfortunate tourists, upon witnessing this terrifying scene, tend to involuntarily shout out. However, no one knows why this Pinocchio has never been removed. It is said that the staff has attempted to remove Pinocchio multiple times, but it still appears on the roof in the same manner, in the same position. No one knows whether the cries for help, every time this attraction malfunctions, come from the tourists or from Pinocchio

Reflection 

When we received this assignment, we were tasked with conducting research on an urban legend of our choice from around the world. I chose to focus on Disneyland because I wanted to explore more urban legends about the "happiest place in the world." After extensive research, I discovered many stories associated with Disneyland. Among these urban legends, one particularly intriguing story stood out, called "Little World." It appeared frightening, providing ample room for me to illustrate it.

However, I encountered a problem with the scene depicted in this urban legend; it lacked sufficient scariness and attractiveness. Therefore, I decided to change the setting to hell, as I believed it would be more suitable. I searched for references about hell, paying special attention to the main background color, which is green—a color I like. I found several pictures that inspired me, recorded their color codes, and completed my color palette.

Afterward, I began my sketching, following my imagination. I drew the most crucial draft, the 2nd panel, using a method with extended visuals to give viewers a deeper sensation. I added embellishments on both sides and placed the protagonist, Pinocchio, at the top center of the entire image to better attract the viewer's focus. Once the sketch was complete, I started the digitalization process. I faced challenges in conveying a sense of horror, so I added reflections in the water, making the entire image more impactful. I also adjusted the colors multiple times.

After completing the digital version, Mr. Hafiz requested us to turn the 2nd panel into an animation, testing our knowledge and skills from Task 1. After brainstorming, I decided to create the animation with minimal movements, using the simple switch between turning lights on and off for a terrifying effect. This choice aligned with the storyline, where Little World's facilities consistently experience malfunctions with flickering lights.

Subsequently, we were required to repeat the process for the 1st and 3rd panels. Here, I faced the challenge of concluding my urban legend without significant horror elements or casualties, as the most that happened was scaring the visitors. I contemplated how to portray the screams of the visitors and drew inspiration from my memories of watching the anime "Crayon Shin-chan," where various sound effects were depicted using chatboxes with words inside. This became my creative source.

Through this assignment, I encountered numerous challenges that emphasized the importance of regularly updating the teacher on my progress and ensuring my work aligned with the requirements. In the third part, creating the 1st and 3rd panels, I faced issues with not meeting the teacher's requirements, prompting me to redo the work. This experience highlighted the significance of time management, and I aim to improve in the next task by addressing these shortcomings