I was continuing my research about methodologies and exegesis layouts. The paper by Linda Candy was incredibly helpful, it summarized the requirements for a thesis/exegesis very nicely. I also did more research concerning interactive comics. What I found on the internet was a lot of examples (good and bad) of interactive web comics made with HTML5. There were several good ones that I would recommend to others, and could be good reference points for my project, as well as appropriate context to locate it. The more favorable characteristics of the comics I liked consisted of stylistically surreal elements, and had more interactivity in the comic. The sound in these comics are mostly quite neutral, meaning that it was mainly for the atmosphere. More sound effects were added in when the reader clicked on an object in the comic, or the characters in the comic made noises, etc. There was animation in these comics, some were smoother and flowed better than others; while some had composited still images placed on different layers so a sense of depth is integrated, others had each image in the panels animated in some way: oscillating fans, beer bubbling, etc. The effect was interesting, and the comics were beautifully crafted at first glance, but after a while some of the looping animation became a bit distracting and also strained my eyes. Animation and interaction should only be used to further the story or build atmosphere, not just as a gimmick to make the comic "look cool". I am speaking subjectively, but I also got a little dizzy when reading the side-scrolling comic. The comic would progress via the movement of the mouse, so if I placed the mouse to the right of the screen, the comic would scroll automatically. The speed of the scrolling was dependent on the position of the mouse, and I took a few moments to grow accustomed to it. Personally, it was not a preferred mode of reading.
The research did open my eyes a bit. That there are many people who are striving to advance the comic medium, and trying to find ways of improving the craft. I hope to create some nuances in the interactive comic field.
Thursdays were the days when I met my supervisor. It was helpful talking to her, as she suggested that I look into existing interactive comic materials. She also advised me to create a mind map visualizing all the different aspects that I have in mind for my project. This would include everything from context to the stylistic features, and softwares to target audience, etc. Next week we will look at this mind map to get a better picture of what I am planning to do. But I agree on every level with my supervisor that I should read more on the interactive comic field, or even on hybrid media, as comics, is a cross-breed of multi-disciplines.
Here's Xiao again. I wanted to add to colour to this one but I didn't have time. Maybe later today.
No comments:
Post a Comment