Build | Decisions, decisions!

3 different ways of styling the image/title. From the top; 

Image - title above

Image - title within

Image - blending background

Its really hard to choose between these. One thing I know is that the title above doesn't look as strong. It looks messy, unfinished and inconsiderate. The latter two are strong though. Title within and blending background both give equally as strong results, but have different associations to me. The blending background looks professional and sleek, whereas the title within looks rougher and less up to date. This makes choosing between the two very difficult. Maybe I should use a combination?

Development | Thinking outside

I've been designing my app around what's already available so far, but I could create some more app features using the idea that Midnight Moon is being released in the UK.

With this in mind I've thought that I could create a QR code system to scan in to get additional features each time you buy some Midnight Moon. There is also going to be a special coupon you get once you've successfully delivered all the different flavours of Midnight Moon. This coupon will redeem you a free mixer of Midnight Moon at any of the supporting bars. 

Research | Music

If I can find an instrumental version of this and slow it down slightly I think it could possibly be a spot on track to use.

Discovery | Midnight Nascar Promo

Somehow I managed to stumble upon  Kelly Kennedy's portfolio website on Cargo Collective. Now, you're probably thinking "who on earth is this Kelly Kennedy?!". She is the graphics designer and editor for this short promo below. She describes it on her portfolio site as being made on... -

"...A restrictive budget and limited photography led to a gritty, genuine spot that feels on-brand with both the moonshine and the fans."

That description pretty much sums up exactly what it is, and it's spurred me on and given me ideas for what I could create for my 15 second promo. 

Research | Music

This is the Midnight Moon promo video i found through the blog section of their website. The music is the stereotypical rock song. Its slow, simple and has some high accents in it. I will need to search around for something similar I think as this reflects exactly what the brand is all about. 

This is the first song I've thought about using. Its intro is rough and ready and has the same features, apart from being slightly faster paced. I think the faster pace will add to the excitement behind the app, and make it seem more about the thrill ride of bootlegging than the legacy of the drink. 

Research | Recipe

The more I look around the Midnight Moon website, the more I see potential in the ideas I've got for my app. I decided to download the whole website onto my hd and search for ".jpg" in the folder containing it. This would allow me to look through all of the photos on their website and look for further inspiration.

In my previous post I spoke about an idea for my "Recipe" page which entails crates stacked up of Midnight Moon. After trawling through some photographs I found a decent photograph of this exact scene, all be it without the straw and Midnight Moon being on show. This image (below) has given me a good base to work my idea up from!

Its interesting to see that they don't use their current logo on the crates. Whether this is outdated photograph, or just a choice because its cheaper to print I don't know; It will be challenging to find a type to mimic this.

src:http://www.juniorsmidnightmoon.com/

Idea | Recipe

Src: http://www.juniorsmidnightmoon.com/

For the recipe section of my app - I've been thinking about how to create a more dynamic and interesting way of showing the different recipes. I thought of having a carousel style menu that you can use finger gestures to flick to and flow different drinks recipes. I personally don't like the use of them though and for that reason I'm going to avoid it. My new idea is to have the jars stacked up in crates, much like they were during the bootlegging days. Some of the jars will be glowing different colours to signify which recipe they are.

Research | Find The Shine

src: http://www.juniorsmidnightmoon.com/locator/

Here is the graphic from the top of the midnight moon locator. The map graphic gives me a pretty good impression of the style i should be going with when designing this part of the app. The name is a bit annoying though, as its the same as one I'd come up with in my sketchbook after brainstorming for a while! Ah well, it might be for the best. Maybe i'll come up with something better.

Technical | iPad/ iPhone Pixel Dimension

Before starting to design the app I must find out the size screens I will be working with. Below are the specs for resolution and pixel density:

iPhone 5s  -      1136x640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch

iPad Air     -      2048x1536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch 

These are the guidelines I need for starting out my design. They will give me canvas sizes and ppi.

Idea | Level Completion Rewards

Within the app there will be a game. This game will entail the user to drive a 1940's Ford moonshine delivery car, much like Junior Johnsons, to a delivery barn for storage or sale. Once sold you will be told which Midnight Moon product it was that you were delivering, and on top of that you will be given the option to find out where its locally sold and a drink recipe you can use it with.

I think this is a creative way to include 3 different features in one app. Of course these will all be available separately from their own buttons on the menu, but I think the way of linking it to the game is quite original.

Below is an image of the bootlegger car that Johnson used:

src: http://www.juniorsmidnightmoon.com/legacy/

Idea | Teaser/ Promo

I'm yet to give my 15 second promo video any thought, apart from the obvious things like putting some shots of the app in it.

I'm thinking of having it based around the lawless, rebellion style because it would be in keeping with Midnight Moon's overall theme. It will probably consist of fast cutting shots, a short voiceover with some rocky music behind it. Something like what's found in the video below:

A very vague set of ideas I know, but its a start. 

Few random ideas:

- Be a runner like Johnson, and beat the law.

- Complete a level and get a recipe

- Let our new app show you the shiners well!

- Our new app shows your nearest moonshine retailer

- Deliver our shine in style

Research | Intensely on Midnight Moon

src: http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/444/logomrm.png

Midnight Moon is my chosen brand. As you can see the logo above has 3 different fonts all complimenting each other. It has a moon and the 1940's Ford that Junior Johnson (moonshine runner) is so famous for driving at the top of the logo giving an initial focal point. Below are numerous promotional items from Midnight Moon. Throughout they play on the rebellion factor - "Anymore authentic and it would be illegal" and "Few family recipes carry a jail sentence". Then there's my favourite - "Back then the pace car chased you". Their current branding colour is black and white, with a splash of colour in certain parts. Textures are also a strong key here as well. Everything on the website bar the photographs look used and abused, but the images are well finessed, clean and modern. 

Src: Various. I do now own this work.

The story of Junior Johnson starts at an age before he could legally drive at all. He is told to have had great skill behind the wheel from a young age, thus being selected as the delivery man for the Moonshine. In his spare time he liked to race in the American motor sport called Nascar. He was earning so much money from moonshine running that he couldn't keep up with the Nascar series, but after 2 years running from the revenuers he got caught and was jailed (May 5th 1956). After his release he decided to go on the straight and narrow and began racing seriously. Junior Johnson is now one of the most famous Nascar racers in America. 

Below is a great photograph of the Midnight Moon jar. This one being the strawberry edition. I like the way they are still using the jars instead of bottles to sell this product. It makes it feel more authentic, just like it was during the prohibition when the moonshiners were at large. 

src: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/
a6/d8/e0/a6d8e04864e9285963e04c99eed49433.jpg

Research | Existing Apps Related to Alcoholic Drinks

Above is a promotional video for The Kraken Rum iOS application. Within the app there is a game in which you have to avoid being attacked by The Kraken. It is a simple and fun game to keep you amused, whether you're sober or drunken. You're given the job of steering the boat around obstacles in the sea whilst avoiding The Kraken. The app uses the iPhone/iPad inbuilt movement sensors. This is a form of physical gesture which I think makes the app a bit more challenging. It also adds a sense of realism as you tip the phone back and forth much like a ship swaying in the ocean. I think the control of the game using gestures is fantastic as it means the designers can use the whole screen on the iPhone, as opposed to other apps in which virtual buttons are utilised for control, thus taking up screen real estate. I really like the visual style of this application. It has clear visuals throughout of hand drawn 1800's style - this is a relevant style because this was the time at which The Kraken was supposedly first seen. 

Here's an app from Jack Daniels. Its called "Jack Daniel's Bar Call". It informs your barman of what you want to have. The idea of the app is to stand out in a crowded bar. The iTunes description says -

"Just select a Jack Daniel’s drink of your choice, how many you and your friends want, and then hold it up for the bartender to see. Standing out in a crowd has never been easier."

I like the concept of this app, its an original spin on one of the most common drinking app ideas out there. It also creates social interaction between friends and the barman/barmaid. The unlock screen is creative which makes a change too as most of the apps seem to just require you to dial in a date. The visual style of this is in keeping with Jack Daniel's branding. It uses a minimal colour scheme. Mostly black & white with an accent of aged brass for good measure.

Above is the Guinness iPhone application. It is used to inform the user about what the best pints of Guinness you can buy should look like (right most image). The user can also find out where to buy Guinness from using the "Locate a Pint" section of the app. This has to be the best promotional feature possible to put into an iPhone app. I will definitely be using this in my application without a doubt. I like the idea of a "Know Your Pint" section, but it is fairly pointless information. It could strike up some interesting debates at a bar though, so maybe it isn't so useless after all. I like how this app has two features, whereas the previous apps I've researched have only utilised a singular function. The visual style of this app is fairly well thought out. The dominating colour being black as this is the colour of Guinness, with accents of gold which pays homage to the logo and the colours found at the head of the drink. I don't really like the usage of red on the "Know Your Pint" section of the app. It seems a bit odd and clashing. The use of Guinness pint glass icons on the map are perfect, exaclty what i'd like to do on my map. I will be looking into styling my map quite differently though. The one used looks like the preinstalled iPhone map, which wouldn't fit the style of my app at all. 

This is Stella Artois iPhone app. It educates the user how to pour the perfect pint. I think this would be very effective for teaching bar staff how to pour pints correctly, as well as teaching anyone at home drinking Stella how to make the perfect looking pint. There are "beginner" and "master" levels for users to get their heads around. This option would make the app last a lot longer and give people more of a challenge once they'd completed the easier level. The user controls the app using touch and physical movement gestures. I really like the overall look and feel of this app. Its clean, classy and subtle throughout. Its got that Stella Artois feel!

Decision | Brand

After some deliberation I've decided to continue with Midnight Moon as my brand for the time being. I think it favours my game idea far more, whereas the Ole Smoky moonshine wouldn't suite it quite as effectively. This is because, as you'll find out in the latter posts, the Ole Smokey Moonshine is much more "hippy" themed whereas the Midnight Moon is all about the rebellion and lawlessness of the Johnson family and the legacy they've lead. It's going to work well with my game idea of delivering moonshine I think.

Concepts | Rewards App Interactivity

I've done a long list of rewards in my sketchbook, but here's the short list I've pulled from it:

• Free drink
• Dicounted entry to club/ bar
• Moonshine bottle
• Share what you've won on social media website

Concepts | App Interactivity

I'm currently thinking of having a bar finder/ game app. I think there is a need for a bar finder in all alcoholic drink applications, unless its exceedingly common in pubs, clubs or shops for example Carling, Fosters, Guinness.

The game is going to entail the user driving a moonshine delivery truck through a forest at the dead of night. The lights will be turned off and only flickers of moonlight will reveal what's in front of you as you drive. The game will work only in landscape orientation and will be shown from a bird eye view. This will give you a great feel of the legacy behind the brand, and the dangers that the moonshiners used to go to.

I'd like to come up with some more idea before selecting one or two to settle with. I'd like to think about a creative way that the user can gain information, such as drink recipes.

Research | Moonshine

src:http://www.drinkwhat.com/stillhouse-introduces
-original-moonshine-clear-corn-whiskey/

http://mocoloco.com/mr/jack-daniels-
unaged-rye-whiskey/

AF202 | Drinks Promotion

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Evaluation | AF201 Climate Change Animation

Over the last month I've been working on the project for the last 4 weeks. At first I was very concerned by the time constrains of only having a month to work on the project. To have completed all my research, come up with a concept and have a finessed animation at the end of the project seemed like it would be a steeper challenge than I was up to. I have prove myself wrong though and completed all the work to what I think is a high standard, not that I want to seem arrogant but I feel I've worked very hard on this project and I've for once, completed it to what I planned out in the first instance.

I'm most happy with my illustrations for this project. I personally really like them, and everyone in the class seems to be equally impressed by the unique yet very simple style I've finessed. I'm also really happy with the easing in and out that I used on my animation. Its simple yet very effective and adds an element of realism that I really like, very similar to the ideas behind my artwork.

I feel like I've excelled under the time constrain given and the limitations I gave myself with the art style. It was almost hard to keep everything so simple and not go overboard with it but I'm really glad I kept to my guns on that. This project has been the most enjoyable for me recently, its been an awesome experience; surprising when I said to myself "i hate animation" at the start of the project...!

I hope I can improve the link in my mind between the two designing tools I use; my Macbook and my sketchbook. I seem to have issues keeping the two in time with each other! Although I'm happy with the standard of work that's come from using both of the tools in this project.

Completed | Animation

I've uploaded my completed animation to my YouTube channel. I'm really happy with how its come out, as i posted before its now got changes to the voiceover and the "services" scene. 

I've managed to incorporate some of the animation principles, below are the included principles and where they can be found!

Anticipation 

- In the service station before the car launches off into the happy scene

Secondary movement 

- Clouds found throughout, jerrycan in the services, sun, tractor in the background of "happy"

Ease in/out

- The vehicles speed eases in and out throughout the different scenes

Solid Drawings & Staging

- Found throughout

Development | Final Changes

I've centralised the final billboard so it sits in the middle of the frame. All my classmates mentioned having this as the centrepiece of the last frame as it would have a stronger effect instead of being something slung into the corner of the scene. I am very thankful for the constructive feedback that has strengthened my animation. 

Here's another change that was induced by my classmates. They didn't think that there should be repetition of the billboard so I've changed the text on the first one. Although I know the top text is going to be hard to read its not the main message of the animation. The biodiesel will be legible and that's what matters to me. 

Finally I've added effects to the voiceover i recorded. The levels of the voiceover and the music were fighting each other so I added a volume effect and treble effect to help the voiceover stand out. I think its been successful.  

Development | Jerrycan

I've added "Biodiesel" to the can to make it clear to the viewer what is happening. I don't think I could make it any more obvious that the vehicle is being filled up with biodiesel. I think even if you couldn't read the text that says "biodiesel" the voiceover will fill the viewer in and it will all become clear in the end. 

Illustration | Jerrycan

I've drawn up a jerry can in Illustrator. I thought a wraith of leafs would work pretty well to draw more attention to it and the fact it's environmentally friendly. Both of these elements still need more work. In the next post i'll have put both of these into my after effects composition and have text to support too. 

Feedback | Critique

Point made and changes to proceed with in mind:

• Audio needs re recording, or levels need sorting out. 
• Background gradient needs to be roughened in between the service scene
• Text is a massive issue as people can't read it. A jerry can would be a decent fixture for the services scene.
• Billboard at the start of "Happy" scene needs to have a different slogan on the end. 
• Billboard at the end needs to either be centered or have the car lead up to it. 

The art style was consistently approved once again and I'm really happy about that. I will consider the changes above but I doubt i'll be able to change them all with the time I have. 

Problems | Codec + Final Export

I had some issues this morning before crit. As you can see below there are some strange movements happening to the video after export. This was due to the codec I was using so after some experimentation I've used export setting that work for me. Thanks to Dan Mole for help as always! Exported vid below, audio in but need to rerecord the voiceover.