DCM LOGO - How i created my idents + S.W.O.T

DCM COMP – How to create an ident 

I was set the task of creating a series of short idents for a company called DCM, these video’s had to have a masked logo in each one and a piece of footage that contrasted best with my chosen footage (below are a images of my completed compositions) 

 

(This is my first ident) 

  

(This is the second ident I created) 

 

(This is my third ident, but this particular one I preferred to have outside of the mask as I thought it looked better, but this would not have met the regulations of the company, but it still count’s as evidence that I experimented) 

1. Create a mask in illustrator or Photoshop, identical to the shape or logo that you wish to use, in this case the dcm logo shape, so using the pen tool or polygonal selection tool, you must make a silhouette of your logo. 

(Example below, mask is coloured blue) 

 

2. Next add your back drop and mask to after effects and also fiddle with your gradient selection to create a gradual blur out from the top and the bottom, have a look at it, tweak it until your pleased with it, then complete the next step. 

(Back drop & logo together) 

 

3. This is the tricky bit, now on after effects I used another tree’s mov. File, And added a negative effect to it to create my white tree branches, but I lined the movie up with my Tree.mov original version, I then using my mask shape masked the tree footage inside my logo. 

(Tree mov. On the left Mask on the right) 

 

3. This is what my tree mov. Looked like when it was masked inside my logo 

 

4. This is what my finished ident looked like, after showing my composition in aftereffects and making sure that all my transparent mask’s worked properly, I had some scaling problems with my other projects also which I shall display below. 

 

Ident 2 

1. This second ident was very similar to the first one I added my still video image to my project, which was a low lit  creepy alley way. 

 

2. I then added my same masked kaleidoscope file and added it into the composition, but you may have noticed on each image the colour of the kaleidoscope pattern changes, I will explain in the next part. 

 

3. The reason the colour changes on the dcm logo is because in after effects, I put an animated gradient onto my mask, so when it played in real time it was masked off nicely. 

 

Ident 3 

1. This compositions was set up pretty much the same as the last one, I added my video and mask, also some vinneting around the edges, I also added the gradient change to my mask and moved on to my video footage. 

 

 

2. Next I took my video footage and added a green and red gradient to it, I then tweaked the contrast and brightness setting's to make the video footage a bit brighter, 

 

3. This is the gradient that I used, to create the strange green almost sci fi movie like florescent colour on my ident, I did this by putting the gradient over my video footage, going to the blending options and selecting multiply, this way the gradient goes translousent while still retaining it's colour 

 

4 I also thought I would share with you a still of the magnificent kaleidoscope shape, it's a lot bigger than my logo so when it was cut into my video I chose to line the centre up to the centre of one of the circle on the dcm logo mask. 

 

Ident 4 

I did not collect any footage for my fourth ident but I did show how I created the mask for it and explained how I put it together on the supplied CD named : (DCM logo : How to) 

it basically shows how I put an animated video mask over the top of my logo and turned it a white colour, then took my kaleidoscope mask and changed the colour of it by using the colour gradient tool again, except I made it purple. 

Evaluation(S.W.O.T) 

As projects go I think this one was pretty simple, I created all of my 3D objects in cinema 4D easy, with the aid of tutorials to help me create the effects that I wanted, those of them that I wanted to use were added into my compositions, along with video footage and put together very successfully I might add, there was the odd hiccup here and there but I resolved it and adapted, I have added a few more skills to my arsenal also, I've learned how to create an array of different pattern's shapes and transitions in 3D software something which I never thought I could accomplish, and learned how to composite it into a composition in after effect's, and from there used new techniques such as vignetting and gradient multiplying, if there was anything I would definitely improve on during this project if anything is my time planning, as currently as always I end up doing everything at the last moment because I have over catered my time on another project, but also I must expand my know how on 3D software so I can get the most out of it, and work on my after effects editing skills, as this would be a very helpful tool in many of my future ventures, also I must inherit a great deal of professionalism, as I create work and don't execute some things to the fullest of my ability, or just make stupid mistakes, discipline is a must have.